Philippa Iles
Senior Sale Coordinator
Lot 135
Thomas Baines(British, 1820-1875)'African War Fetishe'
Amended
7 – 15 July 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, KnightsbridgeSold for £12,800 inc. premium
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Rhyanon Demery
Head of Sale
Polly Cornthwaite
Senior Cataloguer
Thomas Baines (British, 1820-1875)
'African War Fetishe'
signed, inscribed and dated ''African War Fetishe'- taken by the/boats of HMS 'Archer'- 1865/in the River Congo and brought/to England by Commodore A.P. Eardley Wilmot/T.BAINES/LONDON July 1866' (verso)
oil on canvas
30.1 x 46cm (11 7/8 x 18 1/8in).
signed, inscribed and dated ''African War Fetishe'- taken by the/boats of HMS 'Archer'- 1865/in the River Congo and brought/to England by Commodore A.P. Eardley Wilmot/T.BAINES/LONDON July 1866' (verso)
oil on canvas
30.1 x 46cm (11 7/8 x 18 1/8in).
Footnotes
Thomas Baines was born in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, where he grew up in a mariner family. Rather than continuing with the familial career trajectory, he enrolled in an apprenticeship with a local artist which gave him a strong foundation in art.
In 1842 Baines sailed to Cape Town where he worked as a decorator and Marine and Portrait painter. He continued to travel around the Cape Colony (documenting his journey through numerous sketches and paintings) until 1853 when he returned to England. It is apparent that his artistic talents had been recognised as this same year he was appointed as artist in storekeeper for the Royal Geographical Society's (RGS) scientific expedition to explore north west Australia, which took place from 1855-1857.
On his return from the Australian expedition, Baines was elected as fellow of the RGS and it was at this time that he was asked once more to be artist in storekeeper but this time for David Livingstone's expedition along the Zambesi river. He created several works depicting the scenery and culture they encountered, and often worked them up in to larger oil paintings which he made on is return to England. It is his South African subject matters which have often appeared at auction.
This painting is an example of Baines' later works and depicts the African War Fetish that is believed to have taken place in 1865 when the boats of HMS Archer, under Captain Francis Marten, engaged against the Congo natives. The focal point within the painting is the tall carved wooden figure (the Fetish) amongst a group from the African tribe. The Fetish appears to have several iron nails protruding out of it's chest, and Baines shows the native chief hammering one of these nails directly into its torso.
It is believed that the act of driving nails into a wooden figure invokes harm to the person who the figure represents. In this instance, it is highly likely that the figure represents the individuals on HMS Archer who appear to be initiating an attack on the tribe, which could be why Baines depicts the tribe looking out to shore in distress.
A similar composition by Baines, with the same title, is held in the collection of the Royal Geographical Society (reference no. S0012115) and is also illustrated in Thomas Baines: An Artist in the Service of Science in Southern Africa (plate 6.14, p. 101), a book published by Christie's International to accompany their exhibition in London from 1-17 September 1999.
Saleroom notices
Please note, there is a third version of this composition, dated 'October 13 1866', held in the collection of the Ditsong Museum, Pretoria. And there is possibly a fourth version in watercolour, which Baines used for an album of photos of his paintings he made and inscribed.
The present work will be listed in the upcoming Catalogue Raisonné by Michael Stevenson.
Provenance
Captain Christopher George R.N. (believed to be gifted by the artist), and thence by descent to the current owner.
Christopher George was the curator of the map rooms of the Royal Geographical Society in London. In his role he would have briefed any RGS aligned expeditions on the regions they were going to and offering any maps and notes that might be in existence. It is thought that Christopher George formed a friendship with Thomas Baines whilst working at the RGS.