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Dimitri André

Kota reliquary figures have become icons of world art, and are today instantly familiar to Western viewers. The basic elements of this tradition are distinctive and do not exist elsewhere in Africa; carved in wood, the human head is rendered with graphic geometrical shapes in a flattened, mostly two-dimensional shape, rising vertically on an integrally carved cylindrical neck above an open lozenge. The front of the sculpture is covered with an arrangement of flattened metal attachments, often in varying colors and with chased geometric motifs. No two figures are entirely identical. Such details are present in this kota figure, which also displays a headpiece of a semi-lunar shape. 

The iconographic designs of Kota figures reference the faces, and in some cases the skulls, of those whose sacra they watched over. The surfaces of copper and brass – as highly valued as gold in nineteenth century Gabon – were kept gleaming by repeated sand polishing, and evoked the sparkling surface of a body of water, beyond or beneath which was the world of the deceased. For their creators, these sculptures embodied a mystical conduit between the living and the dead. The highest examples of this artistic practice reveal to us artists whose formal ingenuity, use of materials and artistic skill resulted in a condensation of spiritual force in league with the great sacred sculptures of the world.

Provenance:

Fernando Moncada, Lisboa, Portugal 

Gabon

Ancestor figure - Bakota - Gabon

African & Tribal Art

Reserve price

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14 April

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Location

France

Belgium

Germany

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United States

United Kingdom

Dimensions

Height

Width

Depth

Object

Tribal art and objects

Tribal masks

Tribal sculptures statues carvings and figurines

Figure

Mask

Sculpture

Fetish figure

Book

Statue

Tribal textiles and clothing

Reliquary

Dance mask

Carving

Tribal jewellery and adornments

Statuette

Figurehead

Painting

Cane

Shield

Stool

Bracelet

Bead

Travel icon

Cross

Ancestor figure

Country of origin

DR Congo

Nigeria

Mali

Côte d'Ivoire

Ghana

Côte d’Ivoire

Congo

Cameroon

Africa

Burkina Faso

Benin

Togo

Tanzania

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Angola

Chad

Ethiopia

South Africa

Niger

Zimbabwe

Liberia

Sierra Leone

Material

Wood

Bronze

Terracotta

Glass

Copper

Bone

Metal

Leather

Aluminium

Brass

Canvas

Iron

Shell

Hardwood

Iron (wrought)

Woood (Yew)

Earthenware

Iron (cast/wrought)

Stone

Iron (cast)

Murano glass

Gold

Silver

Porcelain

Textiles

Gender

Unisex

Women

Children

Condition

Good condition

Fair condition

Excellent condition

Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes

Fair condition -  heavily used & with possibly minor parts missing

Good

Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear

As new - unused

Good condition - used with small signs of ageing

Good condition - used with some signs of wear

Needs restoration

Good condition, see description

Very good

Fair

Excellent

Very good condition, see description

As new

Excellent condition - barely used with minimal signs of wear

Period

Mid 20th century

Late 20th century

Early 20th century

2000-2010

1970-1980

1950-1960

1850-1900

1980-1990

2020+

1930-1940

1920-1930

Late 19th century

1940-1950

1990-2000

1910-1920

1900-1910

1960-1970

1600-1650

1750-1800

Early 19th century

1800-1850

1450-1500

1550-1600

1650-1700

Mid 19th century

Certification

No laboratory report

Non-CITES species

Subject

Historical scene

Female figures

Tribal art and culture

Anthropology

Animals

Applied art

Style

Ancient Asian

Art Deco

Antique inspired

Bauhaus

Folk Art

Antique

Vintage

Art Deco inspired

Modern

Naive Art

Technique

Giclée

Oil painting

Acrylic painting

Mixed media

Digital print

Signature

African & Tribal Art

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Ancestor figure - Bakota - Gabon

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