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Lot 39*
Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E(Nigerian, 1917-1994)Sobo Masquerade
Amended
8 October 2025, 15:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £70,250 inc. premium
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Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)
Sobo Masquerade
signed and dated 'Ben Enwonwu/ 1950' (lower right)
gouache on cardboard mounted on board
54.7 x 75.6cm (21 5/8 x 29 3/4 in).
signed and dated 'Ben Enwonwu/ 1950' (lower right)
gouache on cardboard mounted on board
54.7 x 75.6cm (21 5/8 x 29 3/4 in).
Footnotes
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by Valerie Justiss Vance;
By direct descent;
A private collection.
Exhibited
Washington D.C., Howard University, 1950;
New York Public Library, 1950;
Boston, 1950;
New York, Vassar College, 1950;
New York, Syracuse University, 1950;
Vermont, Bennington College, 1950.
Whilst undoubtedly striking in artistic and subjective execution, the present work also possesses outstanding provenance. Sobo Masquerade was purchased at Enwonwu's 1950 Howard University exhibition in Washington DC by Valerie Justiss Vance, an important figure in the civil rights movement and graduate herself of Howard University. Valerie Justiss Vance also pursued a Master's Degree in Social work at the University of Toledo before obtaining her Ph.D. at the Universities of Chicago and Ohio State Universities.
During her career in Social work administration and research, she co-founded a radio programme "Americans All". This made her the first black female broadcaster, breaking through societal restraints and valiantly pushing for cultural and social progression. In 1961, this radio show garnered recognition with President John F. Kennedy who invited a select group affiliated with the show to a banquet. The banquet was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington with Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister of Nigeria at the time, also in attendance. Her drive and defiance as a black woman in the mid 20th century America during the civil rights movement affiliated her with other prominent civil rights figures including W.E. B. Du Bois.
Much like Enwonwu, Vance is remembered today as an educator at a turning-point in history, when racial justice was emerging as a paramount social concern. Her bravery is encapsulated in a 1948 letter of recommendation by Wallace P. Grant, the zone warden during the second world war where Valerie Justiss also served from 1941-45:
"It was never too dark for her to patrol the beats unescorted although I offered to allow her to substitute some men for her tasks and even suggested to her that I certainly would not want to see her do something which I would dislike having my wife do."
In this statement, there is a clear sense of Vance's bravery and strength in character. With such an extensive career, Vance was awarded a Certificate of Congressional Recognition in 2015 for her contributions to society through her social work and commitment to education.
Masquerades and themes of metamorphosis suffuse the oeuvre of Nigerian sculptor and painter Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu, one of the most significant African artists of the 20th century. During his childhood, Enwonwu was embedded in Igbo cultural practices and paintings of masquerades appeared quite early in his oeuvre (the earliest date to 1936).
From the 1930's through to the 1990's, Enwonwu dedicated a large part of his life's work to the representation of Igbo Masquerades, fusing ethnographic detail with artistic nuance. Sobo Masquerade is a prime example of this theme, painted at the time of Enwonwu's emergence on the world stage, as "Africa's greatest artist."
Saleroom notices
Please note, this work will be accompanied by provenance documents.