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Julien Gauthier

This remarkable pair of Prampram figures from the southeastern coastal region of Ghana. Both figures stand upright in a rigid frontal position and combine an archaic presence with an unexpectedly modern visual language. Their bodies are radically reduced to angular essentials: elongated arms bent at sharp angles, narrow torsos and highly abstracted heads create an almost architectural tension. The sculptor condensed the human form into a geometric system that is exceptionally rare within the artistic traditions of the Prampram people.

The exaggerated limbs and the repetitive rhythm of the body structure give the sculptures an almost mechanical appearance. At the same time, they retain an unmistakable ritual authority. The dark surface patina, shaped by age and handling, reinforces the powerful sculptural character of the pair. Although entirely rooted in West African ritual traditions, the formal abstraction of these figures evokes distant visual parallels to the theatrical constructions of Oskar Schlemmer or the metaphysical imagery of Giorgio de Chirico. These similarities are purely formal; the cultural foundations are fundamentally different.

Within the known corpus of Prampram sculpture, this anonymous master occupies a singular position. Few sculptors of this ethnic group developed such an uncompromising and highly individual artistic language. The sculptor transformed the human body into a symbolic structure balanced between abstraction and spiritual presence. Only a small number of works by this master remain in the present Prampram collection, and future field research in the Prampram region may eventually allow the identification of this extraordinary artist by name.

The Prampram belong culturally and linguistically to the larger Dangme-speaking populations of southeastern Ghana. Together with the Ga peoples, they form part of the Ga-Adangme cultural complex along the Atlantic coast east of Accra. The Prampram, Dangme and Ga share related Kwa languages, religious concepts and historical traditions, while still maintaining distinct local artistic expressions. The sculpture of the Prampram is particularly noted for its linear stylization and expressive reduction of form.


Height: 34 cm / 35 cm
Weight: 300 g / 280 g

Wood - Fair condition

A wooden sculpture - Prampram - Ghana

African & Tribal Art

Reserve price

No reserve price

Closing date

Sunday

30 October

Wednesday

1 November

Thursday

Tuesday

tomorrow

Monday

31 October

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Location

Belgium

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Size

S (10–40 cm)

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Dimensions

Height

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Object

Tribal art and objects

Tribal sculptures statues carvings and figurines

Tribal masks

Figure

Textile

Sculpture

Dance mask

Fetish figure

Mask

Statue

Painting

Tribal weaponry and shields

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DR Congo

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Material

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Bone

Iron (wrought)

Brass

Iron

Glass

Shell

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Stone

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Gender

Unisex

Condition

Good condition

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Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes

Excellent condition

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Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear

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Extras

No extra's

Dust jacket

Period

Mid 20th century

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1930-1940

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1940-1950

1920-1930

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African & Tribal Art

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A wooden sculpture - Prampram - Ghana

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