SOTHEBY'S PETER SCHNELL AFRICAN COLLECTION 12/3/04

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SOTHEBY'S ART AFRICAIN ET OCEANIEN COLLECTION PETER ET VEENA SCHNELL 3 DECEMBRE 2004 SOTHEBY'S AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART THE COLLECTION OF PETER VEENA SCHNELL DECEMBER 3RD 2004 THIS CATALOG CONTAINS 88 PAGES AND 93 LOTS WAR CLUBS, PADDLES, SPEARS, STAFFS, BASKETS, SHIELDS, DRUMS, FIGURES, MASKS, SCEPTERS, CEREMONIAL AXES, DOLLS, SWORDS, ADZE, SPOONS, MAGIC FIGURES, IVORY PIPE STEMS, IMPORTANT CARVED TUSK, PLAQUES, TRAY, BELLS, DIVINATION HEAD, IMPORTANT BENIN ROYAL COMMEMORATIVE HEAD, + MUCH MORE.. PARIS - AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART BAUDOUIN DE GRUNNE COLLECTION PETER ET VEENA SCHNELL COLLECTION & VARIOUS OWNERS FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2004 EXHIBITION IN PARIS 29 NOVEMBER - 2 DECEMBER 2004 One of the most important events organised by Sotheby's in Paris this autumn will be the sale of African and Oceanic art objects, a fitting tribute to the central position occupied by Paris in this field. The sale will include some exceptional pieces from two celebrated collections - those of Baudouin de Grunne and Peter and Veena Schnell - as well as important works from various other sources. BAUDOUIN DE GRUNNE COLLECTION After the successful sale of the Baudouin de Grunne collection of African art at Sotheby's New York in spring 2000, it will be the turn of the Galerie Charpentier to receive the Oceanic art works of this Belgian art lover. Since the 1 960s, Baudouin de Grunne, in the manner of a humanist, has been equally open to modern Western art and to African and Oceanic art. In 1970, Brussels was the nerve centre of the market for African and Oceanic art, and in view of the broad range material available, Baudouin de Grunne decided to concentrate on the finest pieces, thus turning his collection into the ultimate reference in this area. His collection of Oceanic art is probably one of the most attractive to appear on the market for a long time. The figurehead of a canoe from New Georgia, Solomon Islands, is one of the oldest known examples. It has the shape of a human head stretching forward, with a body reduced to two arms joined together under the chin. According to traditional beliefs, it is endowed with protective powers. The blackened face, embellished with scarification marks inlaid with mother-of-pearl, is a refined example of the production of the Western Solomon Islands (estimate: 80,000-120,000 �). The collection includes a very old Maori Hei Tiki, from New Zealand, of an unusual size (height: 18.5 cm). Until the first voyage of Captain Cook to Polynesia in 1769, this ancestral figure was reserved exclusively for high-ranking personalities (estimate: 40,000-60,000 �). Seated cross-legged on a pedestal, a very attractive statue of a women from the Leti archipelago in Indonesia (estimate: 20,000-30,000 �), is one of the rare examples of old works from this region, which produced only a limited number of sculptures. A Carbon 14 analysis of this piece dates it to around 1800. The fact that it had been carefully preserved despite the difficult weather conditions of this Indonesian archipelago until it was collected in 1970, demonstrates its importance in the eyes of the Leti population. Baudouin de Grunne collected four Leti statues that will be part of this sale. An exceptional "pre-contact" Maori treasure box from New Zealand (estimate: 50,000-70,000 �), of the 18th century or earlier stands out because of its large size (57 cm long) and the quality of its ornamentation. It is rectangular and is sculpted with two big tiki figures facing each other, one female and the other male. The very fine brown-patina decoration was created with tools made of stone and shells, which explains why it is such a unique object. PETER & VEENA SCHNELL COLLECTION The success of the two previous sales of works from this collection bears witness both to the discerning taste of Peter and Veena Schnell, and to quality of the objects they acquired, all of which have remained in the same collection since the 1950s. This Swiss collectors started their collection by seeking the advice of well-known experts, such as William Fagg, former curator o... read more

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