Zemanek-Münster

Half figure "iran otibago" ·  Guinea-Bissau, Bidjogo · ID: 3041823

sold EUR 3,500
Provenance
Robert Duperrier, Paris, France (1976)
South American Private Collection
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 26 November 2011, lot 149
French Private Collection, Paris
Size
H: 43 cm
H: 16.9 inch

Description

wood, encrusted dark brown patina, a quadrangular armless body, nearly entirely coated with a gauze-like red fabric, which is spread with a dark brown mass, the front side, where the fabric is missing, shows sacrificial traces (eggshells), the neck carved with rings supporting a narrow beautiful modelled head, eyes with metal tag inlay, a cap of fabric and blackish mass with inserted feathers on top, slightly dam., minor missing parts, cracks, paint rubbed off (nose), base;
such massive sculptures with the look of busts resting on a base, serve as receptacles for the souls of the ancestors. They encorporate spiritual beings, called “iran”. The highest spiritual being is the Big Spirit, called “iran grande”. The “iran” have various forms and bare various names according to their destination and geographic surroundings. The human “iran” were depicted in a seated posture, they were called “iran otibago”. “Iran” in creole means “object, loaded with sacred energy”, “otibago” means as much as “civilized”. The “iran otibago” are connected with terms like fertility, farming, nutrition and abundance.


The object Half figure “iran otibago” with the object ID 3041823 was last part of the auction 85th Tribal Art Auction at March 4, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 119 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,500.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.


Comparing literature

The Harry Eiteljorg Collection, Indianapolis 1976, p. 58 Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 81


Publications

AHDRC: 0138595


Subscribe to our newsletter

Join over 10,000 tribal art collectors. Don't miss out on upcoming news and auctions.

Subscribe today