An Afro Portuguese Ivory

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Surfing on the web provides an opportunity to get acquainted with extraordinary objects, especially when you visit the sites of the two major auction groups. At Sotheby's, as I did not find a press release concerning the sale of African and Oceanic Arts of June 11 in Paris, I went into the catalogue. Well done: the number 120, estimated 400 to 600 K€, is a masterpiece.

The African antiquities are very rare, because the wood does not resist the excesses of climate, and tribal people manipulated little metal. Fortunately the elephants provided their ivory.

This salt cellar of 20 cm high was created in Sierra Leone 500 years ago, at the time of Portuguese travellers. In beautifully carved ivory, it is composed of a main striped ovoid part linked by four caryatids to a ring shaped base. The fineness of representation and the realism of these four characters, two men and two women, are remarkable.

The estimate is very open: 50% between the low and high figures. This confirms that this object is exceptional.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

1.3 M € fees included. There's nothing to say other than admire the quality of the object and the result of its sale. Bravo to Sotheby's.