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African Tribal Art: Auction 074 - 02.09.2008

Auction No 74, 02 September 2008
Tribal Art - Two Private Collections

Post auction sale until 02 October 2008
 

Post auction report

The African Art auction, featuring 162 lots from two top-class private collections, kicked off with a Bamana antelope headdress going for €13,000 to a Swiss collector in front of a packed auction room. Many objects from the first collection to be auctioned - that of Dr Otto Jordan and Mechthild Habiger - doubled their estimated prices in the course of lively bidding: thus a pair of Senufo figures was knocked down for €9,500, a Mambila trumpet valued at €1,900 climbed to €3,400, a powerful cubist Jabassi figure went to a Swiss dealer for €8,500 and an Ibo mask estimated at €2,200 fetched €3,200. The highest prices were achieved by a Songye Kifwebe mask, for which €10,000 was authorized, and as a Luba/Hemba figure which switched owners for €12,000. One of the highlights of the collection, a Punu mask, was worth €14,000 to Belgian dealers. The highest bid of the day was realized by a Luba/Maniema stool at €16,000, which will now enhance an Austrian private collection. Within Dr Nerlich’s collection, the highest price achieved was for a black Punu mask which fetched €8,000. Large increases were experienced by a Kumu mask, valued at €2,200, which climbed to €4,000, as well as a Lobi pectoral, which was bid up from an estimated €900 to €2,800.