Lot 244A
West Africa, Cameroon, Bamana / Bamilike peoples, ca. 1910 CE. A very large wooden stand, carved into the form of a seated woman, who holds a ring to support the calabash in her lap. Underneath the ring, with its ears raised to support the bottom of the calabash, is a stylized elephant figure. This calabash holder is similar to ones we know were carved by one of the few named early twentieth century artists in Africa, a man named Kwayep of Bamana (sometimes Bamena). The woman's body is smooth, symmetrical, and abstract, with arms almost as broad as her torso, long, conical breasts, a distinctive hairline and ears, and no facial features - she once would have been fully covered with beads. Her legs, below the wide ring, are similarly slender. The elephant's long, oval face mirrors the form of the woman's, creating a pleasing symmetry. Size: 18" L x 18" W x 48" H (45.7 cm x 45.7 cm x 121.9 cm)
Calabash gourds can grow to huge sizes - easily greater than a foot across - and, when dried and hollowed, serve as important vessels in West and Central Africa for carrying milk, beer, water, dried rice, medicine, and a whole range of other items. The owners would have placed the calabash into the ring on this stand. In this culture, a carved item like this one would have been highly valued - early anthropologists in the area noted that the Bamana made a clear distinction between artists and mere craftspeople. The clean lines and parallel structure of this piece mark it out as the work of one of the former.
Provenance: ex-collection of Alan Davis, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#124874
- Condition: Inactive insect losses. Wood surface has patina from handling and age. Damage to the back of one shoulder.
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