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104 - FANG Reliquary head.
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Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Sale commission
Description
FANG Reliquary head. 20th century. Height: 34 cm. An IR spectroscopy dating certificate (G. Matthaes patent) from the Museo d’Arte e Scienza, Milan, no. 3AD-2795, indicates a date of 1933 ± 8 years. Hardwood with a crusty patina; round eyes formed from brass strips. The headdress consists of side braids and a cluster of braids at the back. The mouth is formed by a horizontal line at the bottom of the face, leaving little room for the chin and giving the face a sorrowful expression that intensely conveys a longing for the world of the living. In places, the patina reveals a dried crust, the sole evidence of the substances (blood, raw eggs, etc.) that were poured over the ancestor’s head to replenish the vital force of their soul. Provenance: Pierre Redouin Collection. Bibliography: Published in *Le Souffle des Esprits*, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Pierre & Hadrien Redouin, 2012, p. 55. Description: Ancient statuettes were polished using the rough leaves of the fig tree (Ficus exasperata), which is common near villages and in secondary forests; just as in the past, 17th-century French cabinetmakers used wood sorrel, a fern-like plant whose leaves consist of more than 80 per cent very fine silica, which is excellent for polishing. According to the observations of John McKesson, published in issue no. 67 (Autumn 1987) of the journal *Arts de l’Afrique Noire*, Fang statuary is thought to have developed from heads alone, progressing to busts and finally culminating in full-length figures. This view has been widely contested, notably by Louis Perrois.
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About the sale The Breath of the Spirits: The Collection of Pierre Redouin and Others
Auction location
Auction time 09/24/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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