1 / 4
an image of a wooden statue of a man holding a babya wooden sculpture of a woman holding a babyan image of a wooden sculpture of a woman holding a babya wooden statue of a man with a hat on his head
Premium Artcurial

71 - FANG STATUE GABON Wood and metal H.
See original version (French)

Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
Sale commission
Description
FANG STATUE GABON Wood and metal H.: 36 cm (14? in.) A Fang figure, Gabon Provenance: Pierre Dartevelle (1940–2022), Brussels Collection of Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932–2009), Brussels, then passed down through the family  Bibliography: Art & Culture, no. 3, Geneva: Fondation Musée Barbier-Mueller, 2002, p. 17 (Advertisement – Galerie Dartevelle)  This beautifully crafted byeri is a characteristic example of the brevilinear statuary of the Southern Fang, and more specifically of the Betsi. The voluminous head alone accounts for nearly a third of the sculpture’s total height, as does the imposing mass of the lower limbs. The sculptor has favoured compact and powerful forms: the arms and shoulders remain closely attached to the torso, whilst the helmet-like headdress with a central crest, complemented by a wide frontal band, envelops the skull before extending far back over the nape of the neck. This sculpture bears a resemblance to several works attributed to the same artist or workshop. Notable examples include the specimen from the former McKesson Collection in New York and the one held at the Museum der Kulturen in Basel (inv. no. III.439; see Louis Perrois, *Byeri Fang. Ancestral Sculptures in Africa*, Musées de Marseille, 1992, pp. 192–194), the one from the former H. Simonis collection in Düsseldorf (see Sabrina Förster, *Galerie Simonis. Afrikanische Kunst, n.d., H: 44 cm, formerly in the Alain de Monbrison collection), as well as the one from the Arman collection (see Alain Nicolas (ed.), Arman et l’art africain, Musées de Marseille, 1996, p. 73, cat. 22), collected in Gabon by G. Lowenguth between 1922 and 1930. All these sculptures share the same stylistic characteristics: an oversized head, a compact structure, an enveloping hairstyle with a central crest, and a simplified treatment of form – all elements that point to the existence of a particularly talented sculptor or an identifiable regional workshop within the Fang artistic tradition. A FANG FIGURE GABON Wood and metal H.: 14? in. Provenance: Pierre Dartevelle (1940–2022), Brussels Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent Bibliography: Art & Culture, no. 3, Geneva: Fondation Musée Barbier-Mueller, 2002, p. 17 (Advertisement Galerie Dartevelle) This finely carved byeri figure is a characteristic example of the short-proportioned sculptural tradition of the southern Fang, particularly that of the Betsi. In terms of proportions, the large head accounts for nearly one-third of the figure’s overall height, a ratio echoed by the substantial mass of the lower limbs. The sculptor favoured compact and powerful forms: the arms and shoulders remain closely integrated with the torso, whilst the helmet-like coiffure, surmounted by a central crest and framed by a broad frontal band, envelops the head before extending well beyond the nape of the neck. This sculpture may be compared with several related works that appear to have been produced by the same artist or workshop. These include the example formerly in the McKesson Collection, New York; the figure preserved in the Museum der Kulturen, Basel (inv. no. III.439; see Louis Perrois, Byeri Fang. Sculptures d’ancêtres en Afrique, Musées de Marseille, 1992, pp. 192–194); the example formerly in the H. Simonis Collection, Düsseldorf (see Sabrina Förster, Galerie Simonis. Afrikanische Kunst, n.d., H. 44 cm, formerly in the Alain de Monbrison Collection); and the figure from the Arman Collection (see Alain Nicolas, ed., Arman et l’art africain, Musées de Marseille, 1996, p. 73, cat. 22), collected in Gabon by G. Lowenguth between 1922 and 1930. All of these sculptures share the same stylistic features: an oversized head, a compact structure, an enveloping hairstyle with a central crest, and a highly condensed treatment of volumes. Taken together, these characteristics suggest the work of a particularly gifted sculptor or the output of a distinct regional workshop within the Fang artistic tradition.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale The Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection: Art from Africa and Oceania
Auction location
Auction time 09/08/2026 at 4:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like