Kota Reliquary Figure, Gabon

Lucien Van de Velde, Antwerp, by 1979

Louis Perrois, Arts du Gabon: Les Plastiques du Bassin de l'Ogooue, Arnouville, 1979, p. 187, fig. 190
Alain Chaffin and Françoise Chaffin, L'Art Kota: Les Figures de Reliquaire, Meudon, 1980, p. 223, fig. 124

Good condition overall; pierced twice on bottom for mount, areas of abrasion and insect damage on wood part, proper left corner of crescent element broken and glued, drill hole on reverse in center (from previous mount), metal parts polished with traces of corrosion remaining; calcified remainders of silver polish remaining around the edges of the metal parts and some finger prints on the reverse; wooden parts with fine crusty, partially lustrous patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Kota live in central and southern Gabon. Similar to their relatives, the Fang people, they preserve the relics of their clan founders in a basket surmounted by a highly abstract human figure, called bwete. Kota statues enjoyed high appreciation from early 20th century avant-garde artists, especially the cubists. For a photograph taken by Alfred Stieglitz in 1914-1915 during Edward Steichen's installation of works by Braque and Picasso together with "primitive" objects, including a Kota reliquary, see the exhibition catalog Primitivism in 20th Century Art (Rubin 1984: 152).

According to the classification of Kota statuary developed by Françoise and Alain Chaffin (Chaffin and Chaffin 1980: 38-75), the offered lot belongs to group 17 which is "made up of rather individualistic sculptures whose principal shared characteristic is a concave/convex face. [... Kota statues of this group are] very tall, and the ensemble is often quite imposing. Contrary to most concave/convex Bwete, these sculptures seem neither sad nor freightening. Instead they give an impression of tranquility. [...] One is also struck by the antiquity of these Bwete, as shown by the quality of the copper used and the craftsmanship" (loc. cit.: 214). This classification after Chaffin and Chaffin corresponds to type II.3-a in the Perrois typology (see Perrois 1979: 179).

In their discussion of the offered lot, Chaffin and Chaffin (loc. cit.: 223, fig. 124) note: "The face is traditional, but the general form is unusual. The sides have unbroken curved edges, and the pendants are oblique. The horizontal metal band on the bottom of the forehead has a double curve, much like the eyebrow arches seen on some pieces with convex faces."