A Tempter Snake endeavours to reach Paradise

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The Baga ethnic group of Guinea is not among those whose artefacts make the highest prices.

Browsing into the archives of Sotheby's made me find two Baga serpents. Top of its 1,65 m, one of them had remained at a low price, 20 K$ fees included, on November 19, 1999, in New York. Another of 1,91 m had been drawn up up to 18 K$ fees included on May 17, 2002. Here are two homogeneous prices which could have helped us to understand how African art is valued (I did not find a similar object in the archives of Christie's).

However, Sotheby's New York announces in a press release of April 23 to await 1,5 M$ of a serpent, which we can see on the cover of their catalogue of the sale of May 16 and which constitutes lot 58 therein.

1,66 m high, it is not larger than those evoked above. Like the others, it is standing and undulating. It does not have reason to display more magic capacities than its predecessors. Its patina, announced as very fine, is undoubtedly more beautiful, but it would not be enough to propel it towards such prices. Reason is elsewhere: Pierre Matisse, the gallerist of New York, had been charmed by its almost abstract forms, and made it take part in great exhibitions of modern art from 1962 to 1967, besides Miro, Giacometti, Tanguy, Lam and many others.

Sotheby's now put on the notoriety of this artwork in the artistic community, but however it does not follow the example led by Matisse forty years ago, and does not mingle it with an art sale. Will the market be convinced by the snake ?

(Note that "serpent" is the word used in English by Sotheby's).

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Our Snake reached the Paradise: sold 3,3 M$ fees included to an American private. It is difficult now to classify it elsewhere than in the category "Modern art"!

Such a bidding will undoubtedly attract on the market similar lots of same ethnic origine, but with a different pedigree. To follow!