Ancestor spirit mask

Edmund Müller (1898-1976), Beromünster, Switzerland
Sotheby’s, New York, 22 November 1998, Lot 21
Important Viennese Collection
Dorotheum, Vienna, 4 December 2018, Lot 122

In the house “Zum Dolder” in the village of Beromünster, three generations of provincial doctors have amassed a wide-ranging art collection over a period of more than 100 years. Dr. Edmund Müller jr., who took over the practice in 1929, continued his family’s collecting activities and expanded the spectrum to include exhibits from all non-European continents. With great care he bought objects collected during early German expeditions.

The family lived with the collection. The mask is shown in a photo from the living area.

In order to preserve the precious collection from his family in Beromünster, Dr. Edmund Müller jun. established a foundation in 1969. At Dr. Müller’s death in 1976, the collection passed into the foundation.