Suintante

SuintanteAdrian SchlagTribal Art Classics

Adrian SchlagTribal Art Classics31 Rue des MinimesB 1000 BruxellesBelgiumTel. 0032 25 12 93 08Mobile 0034 617 66 60 [email protected]

5 Foreword 6 Suintante 12 WestCoast 14 Hermaphroditic figure 18 Hermaphroditic figure 22 Hermaphroditic figure 24 Flute 28 Female figure “jo nyeleni” 32 Heddle Pulley 36 Female figure,“blolo bla” 40 Spoon,“wa ke mia” 44 Oil receptacle 46 Female figure 48 Female figure 54 Staff “tefalapica” 56 Nigeria 58 Ancestor Figure 64 Fang 66 Figure,“bieri” 70 Fang reliquary head, angokh-nlo-byeri 74 Congo 76 Male Figure 80 Male and female figure pair 84 Charm figure 88 Male figure 94 Male figure 102 Calabash

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For the 10th edition of Tribal Art Classics, the gallery is presenting a group of selected Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classicsobjects which all have a feature in common.They are figures which were particularly highly valued and prized by their ownersover an extended period of time. Such objects were handled and maintained withmeticulous care over generations, and specially prepared oil compounds wererubbed into them on specific occasions at regular and recurring intervals.The result of this repeated treatment is that, even in cases where the objects arewell over a hundred years old (Djennenke figure, dated to the 14th century), the subs-tances they were imbued with continue to seep out.The exhibition’s title « Suintante » (« Sweating ») alludes to this phenomenon.The objects illustrated here will be on view at the Bouquinerie de l’Institut on theRue des Beaux Arts, 3bis in Paris from September 8th to 13th, for the 2015 Parcoursdes Mondes show. 5

Suintante Sweating Patina, Origin What is the meaning of the word “patina”? It comes from the Latin for “shallow dish”. Figuratively, patina can refer to any fading, darkening or other signs of age, which are felt to be natural or unavoidable (or both). The chemical process by which a patina forms is called patination, and a work of art coated by a patina is said to be patinated. The definition of the term further adds that Patina is a thin layer that forms on the surface of stone; copper, bronze and similar metals (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes); a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age, wear, and polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure. Patinas can provide a protective covering to materials that would otherwise be damaged by corrosion or weathering. They may also be aesthetically appealing. (source: Wikipedia) This classical definition already makes it clear that an aesthetic component is involved here, and that patina can be sought after and intentionally created. Heavily patinated objects are almost exclusively ones that were highly prized by their owners. Oil receptacle Their love of the objects grew with time. Even to its original owners, a figure which had been Civilization Tetela, Kuba revered for generations and possibly sacrificed to, was of more “value” than a freshly carved RD of Congo one.This reverence for the object expressed itself through an often very thick patina. End of 19th century, Beginning 20th century Merely handling the surface of a Tellem figure imbued with a sorghum-based patina, a Coconut shell heavily seeping Fang reliquary figure or a lustrous Baule figure conveys the feeling of the Height 11,2 cm significance that these objects had for their owners over a period of generations. Provenance: This is all the more the case if the surface of the figure is finished in a lustrous sticky patina. Collection Marc and Denise Ginzberg, New York This indicates the frequent application of oils as spiritual libations, but also shows that attempts were made to preserve the piece. Published: L’Afrique. L’art des formes, Ginzberg Marc, Milan, 2000 Patina has a spiritual nature. A figure that was much used carries within it the energy of all of those people who came to it with their worries and needs, and their hopes and wishes. These containers, made of hollowed out coconut shells, were used by the Tetela and the Kuba as receptacles for oils, which the walls of the shells continue to exude. The shape of the shell is somewhat oval, which shows that the material was carefully chosen before being worked and incised with tribal designs.Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics 6

The Neuchatel Fang head BEYOND APPEARANCES—WHEN PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY SHED LIGHT ON ART HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGYHead The Fang exhibit at the Dapper Museum in 1999 had brought to light by careful analysis thatCivilization Fang certain Fang pieces were sometimes “charged”, i.e., contained exogenous componentsGabon (metal/bone fragments) invisible without the help of X-rays. In 1997, during its sojourn in19th century or earlier Bordeaux, Head III.C.7400 was X-rayed, revealing a zone of stronger material density behindWood, oily patina the eyes, unexplained at the time.Height: 27, 2 cm/47,6 cm with base A chemical analysis was also run on the famous “tears” that exude from the head, more or less profusely, when transported, an odd and ever-fascinating phenomenon. For a hundred-Provenance: some years, in fact, the head has exuded — particularly under the eyes, the chin, and atMusee d´Ethnographie de Neuchatel the tip of the braids — a highly viscous, sticky brownish-yellow liquid with reddish highlights.(Switzerland) According to the preliminary results of the analysis from the Institut EuropéenAcquired from Father Henri Trilles in 1902 de l’Environnement de Bordeaux, made concurrently with the X-rays, the liquid is totally soluble in standard organic solvents but not at all in water, which proves its lipophilic character. Contrary to what was intuitively believed, it was not possible experimentally to prove that a fluidity increase linked with temperature could explain the “tears” phenomenon.” In 2005, Professor Raphael Tabacchi of Neuchâtel University undertook complementary studies on two different samples. The conclusions of these investigations tend to cofirrm the first results: The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectra H1-NMR, in acetone solvent, show typical signals in the methyl, methylene, methylene near to carbonyl function, so as ethylenic protons. Several long saturated and unsaturated aliphatic chains are present.The direct analysis by mass spectrometry (APCI+ ionization) and by GC-MS (EI ionization) confirms the presence of fatty acids C15–C18, issued from triglycerides. !e relative abundance (%) of the fatty acids is as follow (on an average): C9: nonanoic........................................... 1,35% C18: oleic ................................................. 25,4% C12: lauric ...................................................... 2% C18: linoleic ............................................. 15,1% C14: myristic ............................................. 5,35% C18: other ................................................ 23,6% C16: palmitic ........................................... 16,3% C18: inolenic ...............................................5,2% C18: stearic .................................................5,5% These components are typical constituents of fresh vegetable oils (except C9). 7 Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics

Bibliographical data regarding the composition of palm oil indicate about 44% palmitic acid, 4,5% stearic acid, 40% oleic acid and 10% linoleic acid. Important differences and essentially the presence of a second C18:2 isomer, are observed when comparing with the obtained analytical results. On a purely chemical point of view, one cannot thus state that the head has been treated, only, with pure palm oil. In such a case, we are probably in presence of an oil (or a mixture of oils), which has very slowly polymerized at open air during the time, remaining flexible, which is degrading and partially depolymerised now. It is a known phenomenon involving radical reactions which cannot be controlled. Nevertheless, one notes the presence of a high quantity of insaturated fatty C18:2 acids (‘’(Kaehr 2006:173) Consequently, we must bring together these physiochemical observations with definite botanic and ethnographic data. According to Raponda-Walker and Sillans (1926: 316-17) the Fang peoples traditionally used a siccative (drying) oil with properties highly analogous to those of linseed oil, drawn from the seed of a tree called añgèkh , botanic name Ongokea gore (Hua) Engl., from the Olacaceae family. From both the 1999 and 2005 analyses, which were strictly independent of each other, and these ethnobotanical comments, we can thus ascertain that in addition to palm oil as binder, other components were found within the oleoresinous coating used by Fang artists to darken the yellowish wood of the upper surfaces: charcoal powder (coloring), copal resin (Copalifera , a coloring and fixative), and part of the siccative añgekh seed oil specially reserved to harden the applied varnish. We can perhaps suppose that the Neuchâtel Fang head originally had an overall patina that stayed more or less lacquered and dry for decades. Chemical alteration due to the ageing of the components of the oleoresinous “smear” would thus explain the running “tears” when the sculpture is moved or exposed to ambient air (rather than when exposed to heat); the phenomenon is thus more of mechanical than thermal nature. From“ A Masterwork that sheds tears …and light.A complementary study of a Fang ancestral head” Roland Kaehr and Louis Perrois with Marc Ghysels translated by Rachel Pearlman Ancestor figure Civilization Luba Republic Democratic of Congo 19th century or earlier Wood, oily patina Height: 35 cm Provenance Dr. Jean Desmedt, Bruxelles Lance Entwistle, Londres Published: African Arts, novembre 1983,Vol.XVII, no.1, versoNeyt, F., Luba aux Sources du Zaïre, Paris, 1994, p.142 Casanovas, Adam. Ancient Masters from Africa, Pacific and America, 2014, n.p., n° 56Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics 8

The origins and reasons for the seeping patina, with examples drawn from Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classicsvarious cultures worldwideDogon“The ancestor cult is concerned with the continuity and material wellbeing of the family, thechiefdom, the clan…The statues are tangible representations of the bond existing between the visible andinvisible worlds. Because of their symbolic identification and their cosmological significance,they are intermediaries with the invisible world and are means for controlling the visibleworld.They are the repository of an individual´s most important component, his nyama or vitalforce. After someone dies, the nyama continues to participate in family life and withoutsome form of shelter, it could wander and become dangerous…..This vital force is formed inthe womb and is not extinguished at death, remaining present in the universe…During the ceremonies, for example funeral rites, the statues we know about were adornedwith necklaces made of snake vertebrae, beads, shells and “gris-gris”. They received bloodlibations and sacrificial balms.The important sacrifices involved libations of blood from an animal or,better ,a human being;as it flows, the blood transfered the being´s nyama onto the statue, thereby invigorating it…we must recall that since blood is necessary to the life of man, it is necessary to life in theotherworld. A blood sacrifice is superior to all others - this notion is shared by all primitivepeoples and is the reason why important statues have blood-based patinas….After the ceremonies, the women who cared for these statues cleaned them with sheabutter and wrapped them in cotton cloth.Through prayers and sacrificial libations all familymembers maintained a dialogue with their dead.They were renewed in order to reactivatethe strength of the nyama housed in the statues, protectors of the family, its allies, and itsdescendants.” (Leloup, 1994)LubaPolly Nooter Roberts and Allen Roberts (Luba Art and the Making of History, New York, 1996,p.84) write of the British Museum standing female figure with a black oily patina: “In Lubabelief, beauty is not innate but is created over the course of a lifetime. Physical perfectionreflects moral perfection.The body is a canvas on which to work: one makes oneself beautifulthrough cosmetic adornments and manipulations that Luba people consider aestheticallyand spiritually pleasing. The figure is a locus of memory and meaning and a home for thespirit”.They add (p.98) that to both the visual and the tactile senses scarification is consideredto be beautiful and is erotic, and that at the same time it is an expression of biographicalinformation and cultural identity.Francois Neyt illustrates the present figure but does notexplain its function, other than a general reference to ‘cult figures’ used in associations. Helists various elements used by diviners (p.158) in healing and other ceremonies but onlyrefers to the distinguishing characteristics of districts in attributing location to the statues.The libations of oil are obviously a sign of being treasured and respected by the Lubathemselves. 9

Songye Tlingit box Civilization Tlingit The ritual use of mankishi North Eastcoast of North America “The day of the first quarter of a lunar cycle is one of the most important public rituals 19th century or earlier among the Songye as well as the Luba.The reappearance of the moon, after its “temporary Wood, opercula shells, oily patina death” brings about new life, potential wealth in offspring, and fertility to the land. The lunar phases coincide with a woman’s time of conception and with the agricultural Length: 23 cm pattern.They designate the time of the hunt and the emergence of different types termites. Consequently, on the occasion of mukapasu, spirits of the dead are venerated to ensure Provenance: Donald Ellis gallery continued prosperity and all mankishi are recharged through the process.That day work is not permitted; all chickens are enclosed, no one is allowed to leave the village to fetch water Lute and manioc leaves (a specific preparation in palm oil called kaleshi) may not be eaten. Civilization Santal The community nkishi becomes the focus of ritual proceedings. In the morning at the first Bihar, Northern Indi crow of the rooster, it is set outdoors on a chief´s stool in order to enhance its ritual effect. 19th century or early 20th century A rooster is killed in honor of the ancestors and its blood is spilt on top of the nkishi´s head. Wood, oily patina Nkunja (in this case only a female guardian was being referred to) prepares manioc and the rooster is mixed with mwanyi. A small part of the food is placed on the nkishi´s head in Height: 80 cm offering to the spirits, and the remainder is distributed carefully among the villagers. Then all the magical figures, starting with the community nkishi, are anointed with palm oil and Provenance: Dr.Tibor Kiss,Vienna rubbed with manioc flour or kaolin.The villagers similarly apply the symbolic white powder to their faces exposing the purity of their hearts to the ancestors. Sorcerers and other evildoers who partake in this gesture are said to die a few days afterwards…. The nkishi is then carried by its poles from one end of the village to the other, hounding all malevolent intruders,and once it is returned to the stool,singing and dancing commences…. It is at this point that the white female kifwebe makes its dance appearance. Being associated with the moon, fertility and benign mystical power, it animates spirit forces which sustain and protect the community. The mere presence of this supernatural creature gives assurance of an exciting interaction between the dead and the living.” (Hersak, 1985) Fang “The statues, always decorated with feathers and collars, are one of the important elements of the byeri, though they are not an essential one. They represent a visual and symbolic evocation, but they are not fetishistic idols, as had been thought for a long time. The statue is anointed regularly with palm oil and copra resin; drinks are offered to it, sometimes mixed with the blood of sacrificed chickens.” (Perrois, 1991) The oil that was lavished on the surface of Fang bieri sculptures and continues to saturate the wood a century after their removal from Africa is also significant in a number of different ways. It is derived from the oil palm, a staple of equatorial agriculture that highly valued for its many uses. On a practical level, applying it to the surface of the sculpture appears to have preserved and protected the work form insect damage.The substance is also thought to have curative properties when applied to the body. Most important, however, it produced the greatly desired aesthetic effect of rendering the surface of the sculpture luminous. The play of light on the contours of a Fang work animates an image and greatly alters its appearance in different settings.The appeal of reflective qualities in creating transcendent representations that pay tribute to the ancestors is manifest in other parallel regional reliquary traditions, such as those of the Kota.“(LaGamma, 2007)Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics 10

Tlingit/Haida, North America“Bowls like this were created as serving vessels for ceremonial occasions and may have heldanything from herring roe to dried or smoked fish.The wooden surfaces are oil-saturated fromwhen the container was used for seal or eulachon (candlefish) grease. The inlays alongthe rim are red turban snail opercula, traded into the Alexander Archipelago of SoutheastAlaska from isolated marine habitats in the Queen Charlotte and Vancouver Island areas.That so many centuries-old vessels such as this have survived is a tribute to the protectivecare they received in the native households for which they were created.”(Terasaki, 2006)The Santal of Northern IndiaThe Santal are the largest group of the Munda people who live in the Indian states of Bihar,Orissa and West Bengal, and subsist primarily by rice farming.An important part of social lifeis music, dance and singing in turn. Dances are linked with the fertility of the harvest, andthey are performed separately by men and women before and after the rainy season, andbetween sowing and harvesting.The lute (dhodro banam) belongs to the sarinda family, a type of lute with a partially openbody that is covered with skin on the lower part.This instrument is played with a bow in themanner of a violin, but in a vertical position, and is found in Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, India andCentral Asia.Figurative representations crowning stringed instruments are found frequently in India,mainly in the east, and in the Himalayas. Animals are depicted, primarily birds but alsohorses and goats, mythical animals and, in some cases, groups of animals and humanbeings. The Santal prefer human figures. The crossbars and finials of the peg boxes of thelutes often bear relief or fully articulated carvings of groups of women dancing in a chain,sometimes depicted in multiple registers.Prasad notes that the Santal believe the musical instruments to be a gift from supernaturalforces. With the assistance of these instruments, they can communicate with entities fromother worlds. They believe that they are physically related to the dhodro banam andconsider the instrument to be a human being. This analogy appears to be rooted in boththe instrument’s anthropomorphic form and its sound, which is reminiscent of the humanvoice to the Santal people. (Fosshag, 1992)Bibliography:Marla C. Berns, Richard Fardon, Sidney Littlefield Kasfir’sCentral Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River ValleyFowler Museum at UCLA 2011Dietrich, Wold and Bengt Fosshag. Aussereuropaische Lauten, Werkzeug und Kunstwerk. Frankfurt/M, 1992.LaGamma, Alisa. Eternal Ancestors.The Art of the Central African ReliquaryPage 107,The Body Eternal, by Alisa LaGamma. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2007.“Fernand Gr.bert et sa Monographie ethnographique des tribus Fang. ”In L’esprit de la for.t.Terres du Gabon, pp. Bordeaux: Mus.e d’AquitaineHersak, Dunja, Songye Masks and Figure Sculpture, London, 1985.Kaehr, Roland. (“Un chef-d’oeuvre qui fait couler … beaucoup d’encre.” ) Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art ClassicsVille de Neuch.tel—Biblioth.ques et Mus.es-05. 2005 Annual Report. Neuch.tel.Leloup Helene,“Dogon Statuary”, Strasbourg, 1994, page 488-xxx.Leuzinger, Elsy. Propyl.en Kunstgeschichte. Die Kunst Der Prasad, Onkar. Santal Music. New Delhi, 1985.Polly Nooter Roberts and Allen Roberts, Luba Art and the Making of History, New York, 1996, p.84.Perrois, Louis; Delage, Mara Sierra.The Art of Equatorial Guinea,The Fang Tribes, Fundacion Folch, Barcelona 1991.Raponda-Walker, Andr., and Roger Sillans. (Les plantes utiles du Gabon. Paris: Editions Lechevalier.) 11Terasaki, George.Transfigurations, North Pacific Coast Art, Seattle, 2006, No 6.

Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics WestCoast The ancestor figures are the repository of an individual´s most important component, his nyama or vital force 12

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Hermaphroditic figure Civilization Dogon Nduleri Mali, Bandiagara plateau 19th century or earlier Wood, oily patina underneath a sacrificial patina Height: 38 cm Provenance: ● Collection Pierre Harter (1928-1991), Paris ● Patrick Girard, Lyon ● Collection Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert, Paris Exhibited: ● Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble, L’Art au futur antérieur, Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert, un autre regard, 10 juillet - 04 octobre 2004 ● Paris, La Monnaie de Paris, Fragments du Vivant. Sculptures Africaines dans la collection Durand-Dessert, 10 - 24 septembre 2008 Published: ● Tosatto G.,Viatte G. et al., L’Art au futur antérieur, Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert, un autre regard, 2004, n.p., n° 11 ● Paudrat J.L. et Durand-Dessert L. et M., Fragments du Vivant. Sculptures Africaines dans la collection Durand-Dessert, 2008, n.p., n° 80, 82 et 83 A beautiful little figure. Its particular attraction stems from the oily patina which lies underneath a crusty sacrificial patina. It gives the object a very lively aspect. 14

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Hermaphroditic figure Civilization Djennenke Mali, Bandiagara plateau, C-1­ 4 datation, 14th century Hard wood, oily grey patina. Height 54 cm. Provenance: ● William Chattaway, Paris ● Guilhem Montagut, Barcelona Ancestor figure.These very old sculptures all present a very similar style. This object was probably regarded as very sacred and strong, and the abrasions in the face that were probably used for the addition and insertion of medicines attest to this. 18

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Hermaphroditic figure Hermaphroditic figure Civilization Dogon Nduleri Mali, Bandiagara plateau 19th century or earlier Wood, oily patina Height: 33 cm Provenance: Stephane Kurc, Paris A small ancestor figure, probably from a personal altar. 22

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Flute Civilization Mossi Burkina Faso End of 19th century or beginning of 20th century Wood, oily patina Height: 47, 5 cm Provenance: Belgian private collection A Mossi flute that was probably later used as a ritual object. The abstract figure reminds of idols of the Cycladic islands. 24

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Female figure “jo nyeleni” Civilization Bambara Mali End of 19th century Wood, sacrificial patina Height: 67 cm Provenance: Emil Maetzel. (1877 Cuxhaven, 1955 Volksdorf) A very unusual Bambara figure, probably from the Northern Ivory Coast. Due to the torsion of the body, there is a lot of movement in this fantastic figure.The artist worked independently of any rules or restrictions. The heavily sweating patina clearly demonstrates that it must have been an object that was highly respected and preserved in the family for a long time. 28

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Heddle Pulley Civilization Guro Ivory Coast 19th century Wood, palm oil Height: 8 3/8 in (21.3 cm) Provenance: ● William W. Brill, New York (inv. no. «962») ● By descent from the above Sotheby’s, New York, November 17, 2006, lot 22, ● consigned by the above Myron Kunin, Minneapolis, acquired at the above auction A very beautiful Guro heddle pulley that is representative of the highly elaborate style of this region.There was a very similar figure in the Felix Fénéon collection in Paris. Collection Felix Fénéon, Paris Bellier, Collection Fénéon, Afrique, Oceanie, Amerique, Drouot, Paris, June 11 & 13 1947, lot 202. Collection Vladimir Golschmann, Saint Louis Loudmer-Poulain, Drouot Rive Gauche, Paris, June December 5, 1987, lot 150 Private Collection 32

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Female figure,“blolo bla” Civilization Baule Ivory Coast End of 19th century, beginning of 20th century Wood, beads, sacrificial patina Height: 42, 2 cm Provenance: German private collection A classical Baule figure, spirit spouse “bloblo bla” , with a very uncommon patina.The figure was obviously regularly given libations of palm oil. 36

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Spoon,“wa ke mia” Civilization Dan Liberia End of 19th century or beginning of 20th century Wood, palm oil Height: 64 cm Provenance: Helmut Zake, Heidelberg, Germany Property of a “wunkirle”, a highly regarded woman of the village. The big spoons were symbols of significance for their owners and were used for the ritual serving of rice, which was thrown into the air to welcome new guests.The “wunkirle” had to serve all the guests, and she had to cook for the big initiation feasts and other important ceremonies. In order to do accomplish this task, she needed the support of a “spirit”, which manifests itself, just as it does in the masks, in the big “wa ke mia” spoon. 40

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Oil receptacle Civilization Senufo Ivory Coast End of the 19th century or beginning of the 20th century Wood, palm oil Height: 16 cm Provenance: Old French collection These boxes were used as receptacles for a perfumed karite butter based liquid with which the body was smeared for certain ceremonies. The lid of the box is a korobla mask which has the role of a protector. 44

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Female figure Civilization Senufo Ivory Coast End of 19th century or beginning 20th century Wood, cauri shell, palm oil Height: 25 cm Provenance: Pace Primitive, New York A very magical little Senufo figure. It expresses a very singular and strange beauty due to its extremely sweaty patina. The figure was probably used in the same context as figure page 38. 46

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Adrian Schlag - Tribal Art Classics Female figure Civilization Senufo Ivory Coast End of 19th century or beginning 20th century Wood, cauri shell, palm oil Height: 33 cm Provenance: French private collection A small masterpiece of African Art. The object is in the style of a small corpus of known Senufo figures, probably made by the same hand or at least by the same workshop.The elegance of the lines of the head, arms and body expresses the mastery of its creator. These figures were used in divination processes to help the diviner find the answers for his patient with the support and assistance of ancestor spirits. 48

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