1 / 14
Photo 1/14 du lotPhoto 2/14 du lotPhoto 3/14 du lotPhoto 4/14 du lotPhoto 5/14 du lotPhoto 6/14 du lotPhoto 7/14 du lotPhoto 8/14 du lotPhoto 9/14 du lotPhoto 10/14 du lotPhoto 11/14 du lotPhoto 12/14 du lotPhoto 13/14 du lotPhoto 14/14 du lot
Premium Hôtel des Ventes de Troyes

137 - Monumental figure "Shangaa" Nyamwezi, Tanzania Materials: Wo…
See original version (French)

Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Sale commission
Description
Monumental figure "Shangaa" Nyamwezi, Tanzania Materials: Wood with old red and white polychromy. Base included (gallery condition). Provenance: Private collection, Belgium Dimensions: H. 171 cm. This imposing female anthropomorphic figure is one of a small number of monumental sculptures from central Tanzania attributed to the Nyamwezi people. Often associated with the so-called "Shangaa" stylistic group, these works are fascinating for their remarkably modern plastic language: the body is stretched to the extreme, the shoulders horizontal, the arms reduced to essentials and the long, tapering legs create a strikingly powerful visual silhouette. The face, composed of assembled geometric elements and enhanced with light pigments, gives the whole an almost enigmatic presence. Far from any attempt at naturalism, the sculptor here favours symbolic and spiritual expression, giving rise to a work where abstraction and monumentality come together with rare intensity. The great figures of this type were associated with ritual traditions and ancestral memory. Kept in ceremonial contexts, they mediated between the visible world and that of protective spirits. Their exceptional size reinforced their authority and function within the community. Examples of this quality are still rare on the market. Their importance has been highlighted in the reference work Shangaa: Art of Tanzania, edited by Gary van Wyk, which focuses on some of the most unique sculptures in East Africa. The present figure retains its ancient red and white polychromy and a patina consistent with the ritual works of this tradition.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale ARTS OF AFRICA & OCEANIA: Three exceptional family collections
Auction location
Auction time 06/22/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like