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191
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Statue of a chief with colonial hat
Wood, white pigments, ol…
See original version (French)
191
-
Statue of a chief with colonial hat
Wood, white pigments, ol…
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,500 - €3,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Statue of a chief
with colonial hat
Wood, white pigments, old honey patina, marks of use.
Kuyu, Gabon
88 × 19 cm
Provenance: Sotheby's sale, New York, 30 November 1981.
Among the Kuyu, statues often represented ancestors or chiefs invested with spiritual authority. Here, the wearing of a colonial hat, rare in traditional statuary, indicates a figure who had gained particular recognition through contact with Europeans. This hybrid iconography reflects both the adaptation of sculpted forms to historical transformations and the enduring values of prestige, hierarchy and transmission within the group. The elegance of the volumes, the tension of the body and the rigour of the face give this work a singular symbolic intensity.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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