500 Gallery
Timed Auction

November Collection: African Tribal Art

Fri, Oct 28, 2022 02:00PM EDT - Thu, Nov 10, 2022 12:00PM EST
Lot 82

Commemorative figure of a Chief, Chokwe, Ivory Coast

Estimate: $1,800 - $2,400

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
African Tribal Art: Chokwe People, Ivory Coast: Commemorative figure of a Chief, 19th Century. Carved wood wit a beard of human hair. The sculpture is affixed to a low wooden plinth.

The dominant and complex ceremonial "cipenya mutwe" headdress identifies the wearer as a noble. He is poised on a proportionately high seat of office, in the form of a type of folding chair which was introduced to the region by European traders in the eighteenth century. Carved in a symmetrical pose to show his power, the figure holds an object of his status.

Comparable figures are illustrated in Heroic Africans, Alisa LaGamme, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pages 192-193, figures 170-171.

Provenance: Private Collection, Massachusetts, Private collection, New York

Dimensions: 16.25"H, 18"H on stand

Condition

Good condition with repairs on the arms. Please inspect the photos and videos, which supplement the written description and show the condition of this lot.

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NOTE: If documentation is not listed, the lot is sold without documents.

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