Mangbetu Figural Vessel, Democratic Republic of the Congo
height 11in (28cm)
Terracotta
Provenance:
Private Collection, Michigan
"During the second half of the nineteenth century, when the kingdom was most powerful, Mangbetu aristocrats surrounded themselves with a wide variety of finely crafted utilitarian objects--boxes, jars, stools, musical instruments, and weapons. A distinctive tradition of anthropomorphic sculpture associated with Mangbetu culture developed about 1900. Although such forms predate the colonial presence, European patrons greatly expanded the demand for them. These works show the elaborate reed-reinforced coiffures and elongated heads once common among the Mangbetu, who in the past shaped infants' skulls by gentle pressure." (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Terracotta
Provenance:
Private Collection, Michigan
"During the second half of the nineteenth century, when the kingdom was most powerful, Mangbetu aristocrats surrounded themselves with a wide variety of finely crafted utilitarian objects--boxes, jars, stools, musical instruments, and weapons. A distinctive tradition of anthropomorphic sculpture associated with Mangbetu culture developed about 1900. Although such forms predate the colonial presence, European patrons greatly expanded the demand for them. These works show the elaborate reed-reinforced coiffures and elongated heads once common among the Mangbetu, who in the past shaped infants' skulls by gentle pressure." (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Sold for
US$ 2,250
inc. premium
Category: Ethnographic Art / African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art
Auction terms and conditions
Contacts
Fredric Backlar
Bonhams
Work
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Los Angeles,
90046
United States
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Specialist
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African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art