Art from Africa, America and Oceania at auction

GRÉCO-ROMAIN ART circa 1st century BC - 1st c. Set of two fragmentary amphorae. Beige terracotta. Gaps. Marine deposit. H. 108 and 55 cm. Leaded Expert : Mr Antoine TARANTINO

QADJARE PERIOD, Iran Pair of gold damascened steel torches. 19th century Height 19 cm high One tap cracked. Wear to the gilding, otherwise well preserved. These two steel damask candlesticks form a pair with a gold damask decoration of interlaced arabesques on the wide flared base and floral motifs on the shaft. The shaft consists of a central part forming a circular bell, the rim of which is decorated with an openwork frieze, topped by a baluster element and then a tubular neck with a flat lip, damascened with a frieze of foliage. Expert : Alexis RENARD

GANDHARA, 4th - 6th century Buddha head in the characteristic "Greco-Buddhist" style from the Gandhara region, carved in green-blue schist. Height 15 cm; Width 10 cm Numerous visible accidents Expert : Alexis RENARD

THAILAND, 8th-9th century Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara holding a lotus flower. Bronze subject in the style of "Prakon Chai". Patina and oxidation from use. H. 18 cm Provenance: Cornette de Saint-Cyr, 25 April 2003 then collection of Doctor Jean REDOR.

MIAO, GUIZHOU PROVINCE, SOUTHERN CHINA Five-row torc with incised floral and plant motifs. Silver metal, patina from age and use. H. 38 cm (in two parts) Provenance: Collection of Doctor Jean REDOR Expert : Serge REYNES

CHANCAY, Peru, 1100 to 1400 AD Cult head showing the face of a lord with stylised features and a timeless expression, his nose symbolically evoking a bird's beak. Wood, weathered patina. (Consolidated crack on the edge of the face, small lack on the bridge of the nose, a few old chips that do not affect the reading of the work). 77 x 27 cm Provenance: Former Ralf Kotalla collection, Stuttgart, Germany, built up in the 1970/80s. Origine Auction, Paris, 29 October 2016, reproduced at number 86 in the catalogue. In the Chancay culture, cult heads such as this one testify to the central role of ritual objects in the magical-religious relationship between man and divine forces. The stylised bird's beak symbolises the spiritual intermediary, with birds seen as mediators between the earthly and the divine, capable of carrying human prayers to the gods. The Chancay civilisation, based on the central coast of Peru, is renowned for its distinctive art, blending coastal and Andean influences. They developed a complex artistic tradition, including wood carving, textiles with geometric patterns and polychrome ceramics. These creations, often ritualistic, reflect a society organised around religious and political elites, where rituals celebrated fertility. Expert : Serge REYNES

JALISCO, western Mexico, 100 BC to 250 AD Seated female shaman with arms raised and hands pointing towards the earth as a sign of blessing. Her face shows a gentle, concentrated and benevolent expression. Her skull, ritually deformed, is covered with a veil held in place by a hoop decorated with pastillage. Beige and coffee-red terracotta Small chip on the top of the veil and the tip of the nose, marks of time Dimensions: H 44.5 cm - W 27.7 cm - D 18 cm Provenance : Former French collection, 1967. Galerie Mermoz, Paris, 2001. Free circulation passport for cultural property, French Ministry of Culture, dated 12/11/2003, no. 056808. The Jalisco culture in western Mexico is renowned for its terracotta sculptures, often associated with ritual practices. These figures, characterised by their expressiveness and stylised forms, reflect the spiritual and social life of this people. Cranial deformation, common in this region, symbolised high status or magical affiliation, reinforcing the link with the sacred. Shamanism played a central role in Jalisco culture. Shamans were seen as mediators between the earthly world and divine forces, and played a crucial role in healing, agricultural blessings and rites of passage. This woman shaman, in the middle of an invocation or blessing, illustrates the importance of magico-religious practices in Jalisco society, where women could also play the role of influential and powerful spiritual guides. Expert: Serge REYNES

VICUS, Peru, 400 BC to 400 AD Beautiful singing vase, used as a musical instrument during shamanic ceremonies. It is modelled and painted with a dignitary wearing a crown, reclining in transformation from man to jaguar. Black tears under his eyes indicate that he is under the effect of a hallucinogen. The bottom of the body is decorated with undulating and linear motifs. Polychrome terracotta. H. 17 x D. 16 cm. (A few very small chips from the passage of time, chips on the neck, broken handle stuck together, good general state of preservation). Provenance: Former collection, Ulrich Hoffmann, former gallery Alt Amerika Stuttgart, Germany. Expert : Serge REYNES

NAZCA, Peru 200 to 600 AD Offering cup with a beautifully stylised contorted fish in the centre of the receptacle Polychrome terracotta, broken and glued in one place Diameter: 21.3 cm Provenance: Former De Perceval collection, Nice, built up in the 70s and 80s. The Nazca had a profound relationship of admiration and fascination with the marine world. For these peoples, water, the source of life and energy, was perceived as a sacred force. The sea, seen as a nurturing mother, played a central role in the spirituality of the coastal and Andean populations, becoming a veritable prolific and beneficent goddess. In Nazca society, marine animals played an essential role in the collective imagination. Depicted in ceramics, textiles and ritual objects, they symbolised survival, fertility and the balance of natural cycles. The fish, painted at the heart of this bowl, is a frequent motif in Nazca art, both for its food value and for its role in aquatic mythology. Nazca chiefs and priests used these cups for ritual offerings, often as part of ceremonies invoking marine forces. These rituals were intended to ensure the abundance of marine resources, which were essential to the community. The bowl, decorated with a contorted fish, reflects the symbiosis between man, the sea and the cosmos in Nazca religious thought, where each natural element played a part in maintaining a universal order. Expert: Serge REYNES

NAZCA, Peru, 200 to 600 AD Large ceremonial bowl with a wide band divided into several registers on the outer wall, decorated with leaping orca gladiators and marine wading birds with diving beaks. Polychrome terracotta, some of which has retained the beautiful brilliance of its original colours. Slightly broken and glued, good overall condition. diameter 29 cm, height 16 cm Provenance: Former De Perceval collection, Nice, built up in the 1970/80s This ceremonial bowl illustrates the central role of the marine world in Nazca culture, seen as a source of life and divine power. The orca gladiators and marine waders, depicted with dynamism, evoke the abundance and natural balance essential to the community. Large bowls of this type were used in rituals linked to fertility, the sea or natural cycles, symbolising the union between man and cosmic forces. They were also used to affirm the spiritual role of chiefs or priests in mediating with marine divinities. The rich decoration and vibrant colours bear witness to the elaborate aesthetics and complex symbolism that characterised Nazca art, where each element reinforced the ritual dimension of the object. Expert : Serge REYNES

VERACRUZ, Mexico, AD 400 to 700 Hacha used in the rituals of the "Ulama" ball game It shows a human face with an open mouth, expressing a marked expressiveness, and bearing four ovoid protuberances on the head arranged in a sagittal crest. The edges of the forehead are decorated with two scrolls in the shape of a sea wave. Carved and semi-polished volcanic stone, marks of time, chip on the back of the lower part of the hoof. 18.5 X 10.5 X 13 cm (with base: 30 cm) Provenance : French collection, former Drouot auction. The ball game "Ulama", played in Mesoamerica from the first millennium BC, is considered to be the ancestor of modern ball games. This ceremonial sport was much more than mere entertainment: it had a sacred dimension, honouring the gods and serving as a metaphor for the struggle between cosmic forces. It could also play a political role, calming conflicts or boosting the prestige of lords and local elites. Objects associated with this ritual, such as this ceremonial axe, testify to the importance of the game in the religious and social life of the Mesoamericans. Axes were probably used as symbols or trophies as part of ceremonies linked to the game. The presence of motifs such as wave-like scrolls suggests a link with natural and cosmic forces. This work, with its strong expressiveness and elaborate iconography, reflects the complex aesthetics and symbolism of the cultures of Veracruz. Expert : Serge REYNES

MEZCALA, Guerrero region, Mexico, 400 - 100 BC Idol depicting a figure with stylised features, refined to the extreme. The eyes are marked by deep incisions. Carved and polished hard stone 15.8 cm x 5.2 cm Provenance : Former W . S Collection, Los Angeles. Artemis Gallery, 11,02,2018. Collection of Professor Kenneth Graham. These figures, often carved in hard stone, reflect the unique and timeless aesthetic of pre-Classical Mesoamerican cultures, where art was intimately linked to spiritual and ritual beliefs. These idols were used in religious contexts, probably as representations of ancestors, deities or protective figures. Their refined style, reduced to essential lines and balanced volumes, reflects a quest for universality and spiritual permanence. Mezcala sculptures also bear witness to the technical mastery of the craftsmen of the period, capable of working extremely hard materials to create objects of great symbolic and aesthetic intensity. Expert : Serge REYNES