A Successful Start to the Year at Lempertz in Brussels

Traditional African art impresses bidders with high sales figures.

The auction ‘Art of Africa, the Pacific and the Americas’ at Lempertz in Brussels on 31st January marked a successful start to the year. Estimates were exceeded in some cases, and the hammer rate was high.

The top lot was a singiti, a special type of ancestral figure developed particularly from the 18th century onwards by the Hemba people, who live in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A particularly expressive example of this art from the mid-19th century radiates the tranquillity typical of these works and is one of numerous objects from the important Grassi Collection that were auctioned in Brussels on this day. With a result of €90,000, the sculpture, estimated at €80,000, confirmed expectations as a top lot.

Also from the Grassi Collection was a life-size head carved in stone. This artefact was found by farmers in Sierra Leone while working their fields, after this art form had already been erased from the cultural memory of the time. Stylistically, this Nomoli head can be dated to the 12th to 14th century. The auction result of €37,000 significantly exceeded the estimate of €20,000.

Works by the Luba people, who originate from Central Africa, were also particularly sought after. Their sculpture is highly regarded. Interest in the numerous examples auctioned by Lempertz on 31st January was correspondingly strong, with almost all of the Luba art on offer being sold.

A spectacular story was told by a Luba kibango, a staff that represents the power of a dignitary, similar to a sceptre in European tradition. The auction featured a special example of the craftsmanship of this culture, which was at its peak between the 17th and 19th centuries. Female figures in particular play an important role in their art, in keeping with the importance of women in Luba society. The piece, which was listed as lot 39, was passed down within a European collector's family. At first, the owners considered it to be a souvenir of little value. Fortunately, the African Art Department at Lempertz in Brussels recognised in time that it was an important piece of African art history. A piece of cultural heritage has thus been preserved, with bidders raising the auction price from an estimated €8,000 to €28,000. A second kibango from the Luba also significantly exceeded expectations, achieving a result of €17,000 instead of the estimated €6,000.

The Bayer Collection was a second important collection that provided several highlights of the auction. The top lot among these objects was an Asyè usu, an aesthetically particularly elaborate and ritually significant type. These sculptures served as mediators between the immanent and the transcendent world. They are rarely found on the art market. Interest in the auction resulted in a sale price of €69,000. Another special feature of the Bayer Collection was a print by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. The woodcut ‘Girl from Kowno’ clearly shows the influence that traditional African art had on European Expressionism. With a result of €12,000, this work, copies of which can be found in major museums worldwide, found a new owner.

Following the success of the African art auction, which traditionally takes place at the beginning of the auction year at Lempertz, there will be another highlight in Brussels this year: An additional auction will take place in the summer, again featuring numerous works from the Grassi Collection and the Bayer Collection.

Jan Bykowski
Press and PR
bykowski@lempertz.com
Tel. 0049 (0)221 925729 -57