Twin birds with comb-like crowning
Karlsson & Wickman Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
Swedish Private Collection
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 5 November 2016, Lot 129
Helmut Bruchner, Munich, Germany
Description
wood, colour pigments, handwritten labelling ‘373 N. M.’, rest.
This object was exhibited at the National Museum in Stockholm in 1953 as part of the ‘Negerkonst’ exhibition. It is listed in the exhibition catalogue under the number 373. It is described as follows: ‘Two toucans riding on a crocodile or lizard and wearing a comb-like crown’. The exhibition was organised in collaboration with the National Ethnographic Museum, the Ethnographic Museum in Gothenburg and the Museum in Malmö.
It is an extremely decorative object, from the figural composition to the filigree design.
Headpieces in the shape of a large bird were very popular at young men’s mask dances. They were called “a-bemp” or “a-bämp”, which simply means “the bird” (Lamp, 1996, p. 110).
For a comparable object of twin birds carrying a boat with a house-like superstructure, see AHDRC 0199810.
Comparing literature
https://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-vkm/web/object/2332900;jsessionid=1TY1qXVlQFwCT7AABcb0h3S6L-yyQi5dgstIAzx3.webcarl03 Lamp, Frederick, Art of the Baga, New York 1996, p. 110 f.Publications
Nationalmusei Utställningskatalog, Nr 201: "Negerkonst", Nationalmuseum Stockholm, 1953, p. 60, no. 373 (as Dualla and without illustration)AHDRC: 0136205