Seated bowl bearer "kabila mboko", before 1920
Henri/Henry Pareyn (1869-1928), Antwerp, Belgium (1920)
Didier Claes, Brussels, Belgium (2004)
Property from the Estate of Shirley and Hy Zaret (1907-2007), Connecticut
Pierre Bergé, Brussels, 5 June 2008, Lot 1352
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 25 May 2013, Lot 376
Pareyn started collecting and dealing in African art (largely from the Congo) in the 1890s. Based in Antwerp, he amassed huge collections. Two major sales took place during his lifetime: in around 1910 and notably in 1920 when the City of Antwerp purchased 1600 “Congo objects of all kinds” which formed the basis of the Antwerp Ethnography Museum’s Central African collections. After his death his entire collection was put up for auction at the Grand Hotel, Antwerp in December 1928. This five day auction with almost 2000 lots raised 2000.000 Belgian Francs.
Description
wood, base
This bowl carrier was attributed to a “Kanda-Kanda workshop” of the Kanyok (Claessens). Kanda-Kanda was a colonial administrative post in the kingdom of Kanyok.
More precisely, it is probably a work by the artist Kadyaat-Kalool (or his workshop). Kadyaat was a native Kanyok who was able to develop his talents freely in the multicultural environment of Kanda-Kanda and its open market conditions at the end of the 19th century. His work was encouraged by the open-mindedness of his “employer”, Chief
Kabw-Mukalang(aa-Seey).
For another bowl bearer attributed to the master Kadyaat-Kalool, ex Adolphe Stoclet (1871-1949), see AHDRC 0155994.
Comparing literature
"The Kanda-Kanda workshop of the Kanyok", May 20, 2013, in: Bruno Claessens, African Art-Research. Publications. Exhibitions. Auctions. Discoveries. Opinions. Objects. (https://brunoclaessens.com/tag/kanyok/) Felix, Marc L., 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture, Brüssel 1987, p. 51, ill. 4Publications
AHDRC: 0017701