Register Auction 104
Zemanek-Münster

Steeped in rich history

African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art

Africa Oceania Pre-columbian

Auction in Würzburg:
Saturday, 13 April 2024 – 2 pm (CEST)

Preview:
From April 10 to 12 – from 10 am to 5 pm
And by appointment

Catalogue order

To the online catalogue

We are pleased to present artworks with a rich history of provenance - historically significant pieces whose origins we have been able to trace back seamlessly.

Oceanic and African works from a Munich Private Collection

With the following lots 20 to 38 we present historically significant works from a Munich private collection, which is closely linked to the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart and the Munich art dealer Ludwig Bretschneider.

Among the three „malagan“ figures from New Ireland there is a highly elaborate and delicately designed carving whose history goes back beyond the Linden-Museum to Carl Haug (lot 20). According to the inventory book, the figure was a gift from Haug to the Linden-Museum in 1909. In 1965, it was exchanged to Arthur Speyer and later acquired by Bretschneider.

A rare friction drum refers to Maximilian Franz Thiel (lot 23). It was only carved in New Ireland as an integral part of the “malagan” tradition and is therefore unique to the Oceanic region. Provided with a handwritten note and inventory number it arrived at the Linden-Museum in 1908 as a gift from „Consul Max Thiel, Matupi.“ In 1970, it was given Bretschneider by exchange.
Maximilian Franz Thiel (1865-1939), related to the founders of Hernsheim & Co. on his mother‘s side, worked for the trading company on Jaluit (Marshall Islands) from 1884 and then on Matupit (Bismarck Archipelago) from 1886. Partner of Hernsheim & Co. in 1892 and its managing director by 1903 at the latest, he returned to Germany on May 16, 1910 and ran the company as its director until 1932.

With “49655. Markesas. E.v. Sieglin“ is signed a „u‘u“ club from the Marquesas Islands. It found its way to the Linden-Museum in 1905 as part oft the esteemed „Umlauff“ collection (lot 26).
The Stuttgart manufacturer and patron Ernst von Sieglin (1848-1927), who also financed several archaeological excavations in Egypt, gave the Linden-Museum a large collection in 1905, which he had kept at the ethnographic store „J. F. G. Umlauff, Naturalienhandlung und Museum“ in Hamburg. This striking club was part of it, and changed hands to Ludwig Bretschneider in 1969.

Among the African works in the Munich art collection there is a rare Duala buffalo mask - evidence of a long-gone mask tradition (lot 35). It bears the handwritten note with the inventory number of the Linden-Museum „35431 Kamerun Duala Ziemann“ and was brought to Germany by Hans Ziemann (1865-1939) after the end of his colonial service (1908-1912) and was given to Bretschneider by exchange in 1971.

  • Female figure "malagan"
    1/9
    Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland- Simberi (Tabar Islands)

    Female figure "malagan"

    Provenance
    Carl Haug, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Hafen (Madang), Papua New Guinea Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany (1909) Arthur Speyer, Berlin, Germany (1965) Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany Munich Private Collection The figure was collected by Carl Haug, who worked in German New Guinea as captain on the North German Lloyd steamer “Siar”, which was launched in 1902. He sailed the “Siar” in rotation with Captain Hermann Voogdt and Alfred Knoth, both of whom were also enthusiastic collectors of ethnographic artefacts.
  • Magnificent "malagan" figure
    1/8
    Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland

    Magnificent "malagan" figure

    Provenance
    Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany Munich Private Collection
  • Kneeling female figure "malagan"
    1/7
    Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland

    Kneeling female figure "malagan"

    Provenance
    Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany Munich Private Collection
  • Female caryatid stool "kipona" ("kihona", "kikona", "lupona")
    1/9
    D. R. Congo, Luba

    Female caryatid stool "kipona" ("kihona", "kikona", "lupona")

    Provenance
    Leutnant Francis Richard von Parish (1870-1903), Falkenstein im Taunus Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1971) Munich Private Collection Francis Richard Parish, lieutenant in the Württemberg Queen Olga Dragoon Regiment, was transferred to the Schutztruppe for German East Africa at his request in the summer of 1901 and arrived in Dar-es-Salam in September of that year. He left the capital of the colony in December 1901 and travelled through its entire territory from east to west in order to take command of the Ishangani station on Lake Kivu after a march of around three months. Parish could not cope with the climatic conditions and fell seriously ill. He returned to Europe at the beginning of July 1903 and died just three weeks later.
  • Club "u'u"
    1/6
    Marquesas Islands

    Club "u'u"

    Provenance
    Johann F. Gustav Umlauff, Hamburg, Germany Ernst von Sieglin (1848-1927), Stuttgart, Germany Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany (1905) Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1969) Munich Private Collection
  • Rare friction drum "livika" or "lunet"
    1/8
    Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - New Ireland

    Rare friction drum "livika" or "lunet"

    Provenance
    Maximilian (“Max”) Franz Thiel (1865-1939), Hamburg, Germany Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany (1908) Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1970) Munich Private Collection Maximilian Franz Thiel was the son of Rosetta Albertina Hernsheim, the sister of Eduard and Franz Hernsheim, the founders of the trading company Hernsheim & Co. From 16 January 1884, he worked for the company on Jaluit (Marshall Islands). In 1886 he went to German New Guinea, where he lived on Matupi(t) near Rabaul and in the Bismarck Archipelago. He became a partner in Hernsheim & Co in 1892 and managing director by 1903 at the latest. On 16 May 1910, Thiel left German New Guinea and returned to Germany, where he managed the Hernsheim company as director until 1932. He died in Hamburg in 1939. Ethnographic collections were an important side business for Thiel and Hernsheim & Co. Objects from Thiel’s collections can be found today in many museums in Europe and the United States. Between 1911 and 1921, the Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg received over 450 objects from Germany’s Pacific colonies through Thiel, which the museum claims were “high-quality donations”. Felix von Luschan, who was responsible for the Africa and Oceania collections of the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, was also supplied with ethnographic artefacts by Thiel. Another of Thiel’s customers was Karl von Linden, whose ethnological collection was to lead to the founding of the Linden Museum in Stuttgart.
  • Rare buffalo mask "nyati" ("nyatti" / "nyadi") of the "koso-isango" society
    1/5
    Cameroon, Duala

    Rare buffalo mask "nyati" ("nyatti" / "nyadi") of the "koso-isango" society

    Provenance
    Hans Ziemann (1865-1939), Berlin, Germany Linden-Museum Stuttgart, Germany Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, Germany (1971) Munich Private Collection Hans Ziemann (1865-1939) joined the Schutztruppe for Cameroon in 1908, where he worked as head of the civilian and military medical services. After leaving the colonial service in 1912, he returned to Berlin and dedicated his life to tropical medicine research.
  • Large zoomorphic board mask "bedu" (male type)
    1/5
    Côte d'Ivoire, Nafana / Kulango / Hwela

    Large zoomorphic board mask "bedu" (male type)

    Provenance
    Munich Private Collection
  • Large bird sculpture "porpianong" ("poropia nong")
    1/6
    Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo

    Large bird sculpture "porpianong" ("poropia nong")

    Provenance
    Louis Pieter Cornelis (Lode) van Rijn, Galerie Kephri, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (ca. 1970) Munich Private Collection

Pre-Columbian ceramics from the Klaus Kalz Collection, Berlin, Part 1

Being out and about in the world – that could still have been an adventure even in the 1970s. Especially if you travelled like Klaus Kalz, Berlin (1935-2023).

Encountering foreign cultures, immersing himself in other worlds, this had been his dream since his youth, and he was able to fulfill much of it. In South America he followed the traces of past civilizations and explored the Amazonas River by boat. “He happily moved away from the group, who were relieved when he reappeared,” the family remembers. His willingness to venture off the beaten path often found him traversing remote landscapes, such as West Papua, „where because of or thanks to flooding, he moved further into the interior of the country than any missionary before him.”

Brimming with medication, Klaus Kalz always carried a large duffel bag on all his trips. As medical doctor specializing in urology he was always prepared to offer medical assistance to those in need, regardless of location or circumtances.

His passion for collecting was the pre-Columbian ceramics, especially those of the Chavin, Nazca and Moche civilizations, whose magnificent craftsmanship and design artistry particularly fascinated him.
To ensure the integrity of his acquisitions, he collaborated closely with esteemed institutions like the Berlin Ethnological Museum and the Rathgen Research Laboratory (TL dating), an institute of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Utilizing his medical expertise, he employed techniques such as endoscopic examination, to check hollow vessels for bonding and restorations. Objects that seemed questionable to him were sometimes subjected to a water immersion test overnight so that the next morning he was certain whether a vessel was completely original or had been assembled from several shards.

Klaus Kalz passed away shortly before his 88th birthday in 2023. At that time his collection of pre-Columbian ceramics numbered 120 works. It is a pleasure for us to be able to present the first part of this excellent collection (lots 61 to 99): figurine vessels and stirrup vessels as well as bowls and cups dating from 100 BC until 1000 AD.

Objects from Japan and Africa in the Collection of Werner Zintl, Worms (1938-2020), Part 2

Nearly two years ago, in March 2022, we had the pleasure and privilege of presenting the first part of the remarkable Werner Zintl collection, a collection that garnered noteworthy attention far beyond the circle of friends (Auction 98, on March 26, 2022, Volume I).

Today, we are delighted to feature another part of his legacy. Through lots 100 to 114, we provide another window into the world of Werner Zintl, a collector and psychiatrist whose deep-seated passion for art captivated all who crossed his path.

For further insights into Werner Zintl‘s collection, please refer to Auction Catalog 98, 2022, Volume I, or visit:
https://issuu.com/zemanek/docs/tribalart98
https://assets.tribal-art-auktion.de/downloads/catalogue216.pdf

  • Beautiful female face mask "okuyi" or "mukudji"
    1/5
    Gabon, Punu

    Beautiful female face mask "okuyi" or "mukudji"

    Provenance
    Lore Kegel, Hamburg, Germany Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany Joseph Christiaens, Brussels, Belgium Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 22 September 2001, Lot 534 Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany
  • Large "ntan" band or "ompe" band drum
    1/6
    Ghana, Akan / Fante

    Large "ntan" band or "ompe" band drum

    Provenance
    Rainer Berner, Berlin, Germany Christof Vonderau, Berlin, Germany Manfred-Michael Sackmann, Berlin, Germany Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 24 November 2012, Lot 200 Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany
  • Anthropomorphic face mask "mfon ekpo"
    1/5
    Nigeria, Ibibio-Anang

    Anthropomorphic face mask "mfon ekpo"

    Provenance
    Rolf Kunitsch, Münster, Germany Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 12 May 2001, Lot 344 Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany

African Goldsmith Art (Lots 162-178)

From Senegal to Nigeria - West Africa‘s gold wealth is legendary. Since the first European voyages of discovery in the 15th century and well into the 19th century, the gold fields of the coastal regions were described as rich – especially Ghana. The Akan region achieved extraordinary fame because, like no other, it stood for highly sophisticated blacksmithing. Pieces of jewellery and regalia were brought to artistic and craftsmanship perfection despite the most modest technical means possible. Shiny and flawless precious metal that, then as now, was highly coveted and in demand far beyond the borders.

This following publications provide a very clear insight into the history and development of traditional gold in West Africa - from gold mining to further processing and distribution:

- Timothy F. Garrard, Afrikanisches Gold, Barbier-Mueller Museum Genf, Prestel Verlag Munich, 1989
- Peter Baum, Doran H. Ross, Das Gold der Akan, ed. Liaunig Museum, Neuhaus 2008

Oceania and Africa from the Alexander Kubetz Collection, Munich (1946-2023), Part 2

After the very successful auction of African and Oceanic art works last November (Auction 101 on 11th of November, 2023), we are pleased to feature the second and final part of Alexander Kubetz‘s rich Oceanic and African Collection.

20 works come from Oceania, the region that first aroused his enthusiasm for non-European art and marks the beginning of his collecting.

To begin with, we present an outstanding piece from the Biwat people, once part of the well known Cornelis Meulendijk collection (Rotterdam, 1912-1979) (Lot 307), who was a very esteemed connoisseur of tribal art. This rare mask, auctioned at Christie’s in 1980, is characterised by its striking features: the almost naturalistic nose, the heavy, overhanging eyebrows and the protruding, open mouth.

With lot number 308 we offer another rare piece. An Ewa head sculpture that is stylistically very close to the carvings that were discovered in the 1960s in the caves and grottoes in the upper reaches of the Korewori River, and was considered at the time to be the greatest treasure of Oceanic art ever found.

His Oceania collection is completed by a carving work from the Solomon Islands (lot 309). An ancestral figure with dominating hairstyle that reveals its full artistic quality upon closer inspection: an effect aimed at severity and authority as well as an almost noticeable presence in the here and now. The artist skillfully manages to express all of this solely through the figure‘s posture and gestures, and completes it with a tiny detail: the shiny shell inlays in the eyes. More connection to the viewer in the here and now is hardly possible.

With the lots 327 to 397 we present his Africa collection of artistic shields and weapons, which would not have been conceivable without Kubetz‘s friendship with Manfred A. Zirngibl.

  • Battle axe "patiti"
    1/5
    New Zealand, Maori

    Battle axe "patiti"

    Provenance
    Christie’s South Kensington, 4 July 1990, Lot 269 Alexander Kubetz (1946-2023), Munich, Germany
  • Rare anthropomorphic face mask
    1/7
    Papua New Guinea - East Sepik Province - Yuat River, Biwat

    Rare anthropomorphic face mask

    Provenance
    Frederick North, London, Great Britain Cornelis Pieter Meulendijk (1912-1979), Rotterdam, The Netherlands Christie’s London, “The Meulendijk Collection of Tribal Art”, Part I, 21 October 1980, Lot 296 Alexander Kubetz (1946-2023), Munich, Germany
  • Stilt step "tapuva'e"
    1/5
    Marquesas Islands

    Stilt step "tapuva'e"

    Provenance
    Johann F. Gustav Umlauff, Hamburg, Germany Ernst von Sieglin (1848-1927), Stuttgart, Germany Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, Germany (1905) German Private Collection (1965) Alexander Kubetz, Munich, Germany

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