Not Given, Gabon (not certain), Africa (not certain)
Accession Date:
28 Aug 1992
Collection Date:
1966
Notes:
PROVENIENCE UNDOCUMENTED. IDENTIFICATION PROVIDED BY HMSG. VETTED BY WILLIAM FAGG, PHILIP DARK, & LEON SOROTO FOR HMSG. FAGG CONSIDERED THIS TO BE EITHER BAKOTA OR EVEN A EUROPEAN FORGERY. DARK QUESTIONED FAGG'S COMMENT. SIROTO (AUTHORITY ON FANG) SAW THIS AS FANG BUT "NOT GOOD" & COULD BE FOR TOURIST TRADE OR EVEN PHONY. JH PURCHASED FROM PRIMUS AND STUART GALLERIES OF LOS ANGELES IN 12/19/61. FIGURES LIKE THIS ONE ARE PLACED BY THE BAKOTA OVER A PACKAGE CONTAINING SAMPLE BONES OF OUTSTANDING ANCESTORS (PG ? AFRICAN ART, AN INTRODUCTION BY FRANK WILLETT, PRAEGER, NY 1971). CARVED GEOMETRIC WOODEN FIGURE IS SCREWED TO WOODEN BRACKET ON WOODEN RECTANGULAR BASE. HAS LONG OVAL FACE W/ BULGING ALMOND-SHAPED EYES W/ NAILS' HEADS FOR PUPILS, LONG TRIANGULAR NOSE, INCISED MOUTH. CRESCENT-SHAPED HEADDRESS & CURVED FLANGE ON EITHER SIDE OF FACE. WEARS CONICAL EARRINGS, POINTS DOWN. CYLINDRICAL NECK, BODY IS OPEN-WORK DIAMOND SHAPE, TRUNCATED IN IRREGULAR KNOB. FRONT COVERED W/ NAILED BRASS SHEETING FROM HEADDRESS TO BASE OF NECK, OUTLINED W/ DESIGN OF STAMPED CIRCLES & TRIANGLES, FILLED W/ WHITE SUBSTANCE. CORNERS OF BASE BOTTOM HAVE FELT PADS. BASE LABELS "FS66.14" "S61.161" & DEALER'S LABEL.
