World Art

A conopa mortar representing an alpaca, used to prepare lime or ashes for coca chewing. Llamas and alpacas have long been domesticated in the high plateaus and valleys of the Andes (with the exception of vicuñas and guanacos, which remained wild), notably for their wool, which was essential to life in the high plateaus, but also fundamental to the economy of pre-Hispanic cultures in Peru. This type of stone mortar in the shape of a llama or alpaca is often described in literature as a conopa, but this term actually describes small stone sculptures illustrating the daily life of the Incas. This type of mortar was quite common at the time, and the one in the Jean Roudillon collection is one of the finest examples, and a classic of Inca art. Underneath the base, there are deep traces of ancient cut-outs, testifying to the practices of its owner during the Inca period, which in no way detract from the object's beauty. Culture, Inca, 1450 to 1533 A.D., Cuzco region, Peru Black stone, old nicks under the base, minor wear and minor old accidents, large ash or lime residues inside the mortar, very fine old patina from use H. 8.2 cm and L. 13.6 cm See for another comparable mortar p. 121 n° 352 in Ancien Pérou Vie Pouvoir et Mort, musée de L'Homme, Ed. Nathan 1987, or two other very fine examples, including a very close one n° 38 in: Peru Sun Gods and Saints, exhibition catalog, André Emmerich, New York 1969 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Kichizô INAGAKI known as Yoshio (1876-1951) An inkwell sculpture of a sparrow on a lacquer base. Kichizô Inagaki, son of a great sculptor and master lacquerer, worked with his father, a palace carpenter, and won third prize in the master lacquerer competition in May 1899, confirming his talent and skills in the traditional arts. After graduating in July 1904 from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, renowned for its conservatism, he moved to Hong Kong until 1906, where he worked for an antique dealer, mounting sculptures on wooden pedestals. He then set off to discover Europe, settling in Paris. Speaking little French, he survived by selling small sculptures of animals, fish or shells, such as this one, on the sidewalk, and quickly made a name for himself. Then came the great career we know him for, with prestigious collaborations such as with Rodin or Eileen Gray, and work with the greatest antique dealers from Paul Guillaume to Joseph Brummer, who nicknamed him "the Japanese", Charles Ratton, or Jean Roudillon, to whom he gave this splendid sparrow sculpture, characteristic of an ancient tradition of sculpture on burnt and brushed wood (Shou Sugi Ban) and the art of lacquer. A gesture he seems to have made to his best customers and friends. Wood and lacquer, signed with his stamp applied to the inside of the bird sculpture, also in lacquer (see photo on previous page). H. 6.6 cm and W. 9.8 cm See p. 96 to 105 for an article about Kichizô Inagaki by C.W. Hourdé in: Tribal Art n° 66 Winter 2012. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Un emblème du Roi Glèlè (1858-1889), goldsmith's work representing a lion. Intimately linked to its divinatory sign, the lion was the emblem of King Glèlè, tenth king of the ancient kingdom of Abomey, and father of King Béhanzin. King Glèlè, whose fame and the pomp of the official ceremonies held in his palace had already reached the entourage of European and American leaders during his lifetime, bore various "strong names" during his lifetime, such as kinikinikini "lion of lions" or kinikini ahossu "king of lions". The image of the lion can therefore be found on a multitude of works of art produced during his reign, of a splendor rare for an African king at the time, such as numerous pieces of jewelry, or topkon parasols, royal hangings and hammocks and other regalia, but also asen and the numerous royal recades called kinikinikpo "lion's staff". It's difficult to say with any certainty what type of object originally adorned this silver lion sculpture in a beautiful antique style, confirmed by rare details such as the inserts for the ears, eyes, fangs and tongue, all of which contribute to the "accentuation of features characterizing power and aggressiveness". It's possible that this lion sculpture was used to decorate a royal gift or, more simply, a piece of furniture commissioned by the king, such as a box or lighter. In fact, in the photographic archives of the Musée de l'Homme, which at one time housed some of Abomey's royal treasures, there is a photo of a copy of a silver lighter that belonged to Glèlè, whose lions are reminiscent of our sculpture. Fon, former kingdom of Abomey, Benin, 19th century. Silver, old oxidation and very fine old patina. H. 11 cm and L. 16 cm See for an entire chapter on Glèlè by Suzanne Preston Blier p. 89 to 143 in: Magies, Musée Dapper, Ed. Dapper 1996, and p. 132 for a silver box decorated with animals. For a photo of a copy of a silver lighter that once belonged to King Glèlè, see: musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac online archives, management no. PP0113422. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

A mbulu ngulu reliquary figure. Also known as mboy or omboye in Kota country, the reliquary figure in the Jean Roudillon collection is a superb classic example of Kota Obamba or Bawumbu art. Featuring a face with concave and convex volumes, and using two colors of metal, this reliquary figure enriches the corpus that falls into category number nine according to the classification of the reference work known as "le Chaffin" L'Art Kota Les Figures de Reliquaire, of which a fairly close example can be found in the collections of the British museum in London, as well as the famous Kota with round eyes in the Barbier-Mueller collection. Here, the expressive, singing open mouth is adorned with small dots all around, and similarly all around the crescent and wings. At the back, the lozenge is supplely sculpted, with a slightly convex vertical bar carved in relief, another fine example of the ancient style. Jean Roudillon, who was very attached to this work from the former Albert Sarraut collection, commissioned Louis Perrois to make a study for this superb reliquary figure, which connoisseurs know to be in an ancient, even archaic style, and which is also very well preserved here. Louis Perrois' well-documented study compares this work to other reliquary figures in the former collections of Paul Guillaume, Helena Rubinstein, Arman, Madeleine Rousseau and George Gershwin. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Africa, Gabon, Kota Reliquary figure in wood covered with brass and copper leaf. Former collection of Albert Sarraut, Minister of Colonies in a government of the Third Republic. Exhibited at the International Sporting Club de Monte Carlo, Antiquaires et Galeries d'Art from July 25 to August 11 1975 and reproduced in the catalog, p. 73. Kota Obamba or Bawumbu, Gabon Wood, brass, red copper, old wear and erosion, very fine old patina. H. 37 cm See p. 146 to 158 for category 9 in: Art Kota Les Figures de Reliquaires, Alain et Françoise Chaffin, Ed. Chaffin Meudon 1979 See: a study by Louis Perrois commissioned by Jean Roudillon and given to the purchaser. Provenance: - Albert Sarraut Collection (collected in the 1920s) - Jean Roudillon Collection (acquired in Paris in the 1950s) Exhibition and publication: Première exposition internationale des antiquaires et des galeries d'art, Sporting Club de Monte Carlo, July 25-August 11, 1975, reproduced in catalog p. 73.

Figure of Bembe in Kingwe style (acc. Rahoul Lehuard), Central Africa/ Congo (DRC), wood with paint residues, red toenails and batch in the rectum, the lighter wood coloration below mid-body indicates a here formerly located cotton skirt, h. 17cm, signs of age and wear, patina, rubbed, 1 foot missing, provenance: Hamburg collection, publications: Ao-0012685

Oscillum depicting, after a Hellenistic model, on one side the three standing Graces - Thalie, Euphrosyne and Aglaé - and on the reverse the three bathing Graces, one squatting to wash her hair, another pouring the contents of a hydria and the third presenting her with an alabaster of perfumed oil, as well as a strigile. The sculptor's work is particularly well executed and balanced, with many details. These female figures, representing abundance, joy and splendor, are directly linked to Bacchic cults, since each of them is the fruit of the union between Bacchus and Venus. Marble (minor dents, particularly at the border). Roman art, 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D. Diameter: 45 cm Provenance : Acquired from Galerie KOUTOULAKIS, Paris.

Aryballistic terracotta lekythos with black glaze and red figure decoration on the body of a dove. Lateral handle. Minor wear to glaze. Magna Graecia, Apulia, 4th - 3rd century B.C. Height: 10 cm

A Zaouli mask, the ancestor There are two categories of Gouro masks. First, there are the more secular entertainment masks, managed by artists' associations, such as the Gyela lu Zaouli (Gyela daughter of Zaouli) mask created in the 1950s, whose art is constantly evolving with society, and whose prodigious dance is now known the world over. And then there are the masks of ancient traditions such as Zaouli, Gu or Zamble, placed under the responsibility of a family lineage, owned by a specific individual, associated with ancestral cults, and requiring sacrifices, feeding "deities" or "nature genies", to ensure their protection. In the past, these spiritual entities implied the notion of trance for the mask wearer, who could be joined or "inhabited" by one of these entities, which the lineage's earliest ancestors had once encountered, hence the worship paid to them. During these trances, the Zaouli mask could detect sorcerers and drive them away, but there is little information in the literature on the ancient tradition of the Zaouli mask, which is quite rare in European collections. However, there is a consensus that Zaouli is the opposing force to Zamble, Gu's husband, when Zaouli is not present. Zaouli is originally Gu's husband, but he is above all the ancestor, and is found mainly in northern Gouro country, as well as among the Wan. Described and even sculpted today as an ugly mask, the origins of the founding myth of Zaouli "the ancient" seem to have been lost, the practices of a vanished cult. Its ancient tradition was certainly forgotten in the course of the complex migratory history of the Gouro, who were already driven westwards in the 18th century by the Baoulé, who borrowed the mask tradition from them. Or it may have been totally lost later, during the colonial conquest, when the Gouro "valiantly resisted the soldiers who massively burnt down their villages". To date, two fine Zaouli masks have stood out in the history of collections and in the literature, both having finally joined two institutions, one in the collection of the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and the other at the Art Institute of Chicago, both recently exhibited and reproduced side by side, p. 178 in the exhibition catalog The Language of Beauty in African Art. The discovery of this masterpiece, undoubtedly the oldest and most beautiful of all, overturns preconceived ideas and preconceptions about Zaouli masks, and unquestionably downgrades those hitherto used as references. It sets a new standard in our knowledge of Ivorian artistic heritage, and Gouro in particular. Here, we rediscover the very origin of a transverse opening between the two superimposed planes of the mask, a characteristic of early Zaouli masks, and a sculptural concept no doubt also behind the creation of the glin masks of the goli Baoule. Also the triangle for the eye opening, here with white contours the color dedicated to the ancestors, reminiscent of the mask in the former W. Mestach and L. Van de Velde collections now at the Smithsonian. A superb engraved crest links the sharp-fanged mouth of the leopard to the elegant horns of the harnessed guib, as on the mask from the Art Institute of Chicago. But the notion of the hidden-shown by two successive openings on two superimposed planes for the gaze is treated here in an absolutely unique way, inducing the very narration of the trance, the idea of a being visible beneath the mask, who "dwells" within it. Many ancient masks have been rightly called "mother masks" by certain specialists, and while this term has often been overused, it is indeed the case here. The oldest masks trace the lines that define the archetype and serve as models for subsequent generations; they are the bearers of secrets and codes, and generally carry within them an intrinsic language, a real narrative. The oldest and most beautiful of Zaouli masks is reappearing today after decades. It emerges not from a sacred grove, but from a secret garden, that of Jean Roudillon's collection, and even if it cannot fully bear witness to its history, it bears witness to a past and bygone history, it is history. Gouro, Ivory Coast Wood, polychromy, restoration to one horn (broken and glued), original part, wear, small missing parts on the back.

Ancient figure of Lulua, Central Africa/ Congo (DRC), early 20th c., wood, head, face and coiffure scarified, h. 16 cm, signs of age and use such as heavy rubbing and patina, scarification marks, old label under the base, 1 foot damaged, provenance: acquired in 1953 in Congo by Lore Kegel, Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Galerie Kegel-Konietzko & Dorn, publications: AHDRC.EU 20-0205955

A representation of a raft with a dignitary seated in the center flanked by four other figures. It was Sebastian Mojano de Belalcazar, one of Pizarro's lieutenants, who heard in Quito this legendary account of a ceremony involving the Muisca lord of Guadavita, one of the smaller Muisca states that had been absorbed by a larger neighbor shortly before the Spanish conquest. Like the Inca lords, the lord of Guadavita claimed to have descended directly from the sun, and in a sacrificial ritual, adorned with all his gold jewels, he was led on a raft by four dignitaries to the center of the lake "at the top of the mountain", where he was sprinkled with gold powder, and receiving the sun's rays, he stood upright like an idol, shining brightly before the gaze of his people gathered on the shores of the lake. It was this legend, then, that motivated Mojano De Belalcazar to set out with two hundred of his intrepid and rapacious co-religionists to conquer the gold of El Dorado. André Emmerich writes: "In 1856 an extraordinary gold object was discovered in Lake Siecha, long present in German museum collections, but lost during the Second World War. It consisted of five Tunjo-type figures on a raft representing a chief and his companions". This obviously echoes the legend, but the drawing based on a photograph of the object in question, published by André Emmerich in his seminal work Sweat of The Sun and Tears of The Moon, Gold and Silver in Pre-Columbian Art (p. 88 fig. 107), does not correspond to his description of the object, but to that of a dignitary surrounded by at least nine figures on a circular raft. Our raft, on the other hand, features five figures. Could this be the famous raft described by Emmerich, or another legend? Jean Roudillon, a history enthusiast, having certainly followed this lead, had the Muisca raft in his collection tested by a laboratory specializing in the scientific analysis of ancient or supposedly ancient objets d'art. The results of these analyses appeared to be consistent with the ancient manufacturing techniques of an authentic piece and are described as such by the people who carried out the study (see this analysis report sold with the object). André Emmerich reminds us that for a long time, the watermarks on tunjos misled many authors who misrepresented the manufacturing techniques of these objects, which are in fact always cast in a single piece with no watermarks added later. Muisca, presumed period 1000 to 1550 A.D. (no guarantee), Colombia Tumbaga (alloy of gold, copper and agent) H. 4.5 and L. 6 cm See pp. 83-88 for Tunjo figurines, and p. 88 fig. 107 for a drawing of a work from the corpus lost during the war and originally in German museum collections in: Sweat of The Sun and Tears of The Moon, Gold and Silver in Pre-Columbian Art, André Emmerich, Hacker Art Book, New York 1977. See: a CIRAM analysis report, dated 02 / 08 / 2018, concordant according to its authors with ancient manufacturing techniques and compatible again according to its authors with the presumed period. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Jewelry set: - A pair of silver hoop earrings adorned with a polyhedral garnet bead. - A silver and garnet fibula ornament featuring a rosette with a missing central button. - A silver and garnet bezel ring with rosette motif. - An enameled bronze fibula ornament, with enamel remnant Silver, garnet, bronze and enamel Merovingian period, 5th-7th century. D. between 2.5 and 4.5 cm Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

An ipu ehi coconut vessel with engraved decoration. We reproduce here in full Jean Roudillon's listing in his second sale, after the historic one of December 4-5, 1961 at Hôtel Drouot with Maurice Rheims, of another part of the Voyage de la Korrigane collections on Monday May 31, 2010 in Rennes at Bretagne Enchères: "Lot 47. An engraved and polished coconut vessel, decorated with faces and splintered elements of the tiki also found on tattoos that sometimes covered the entire body. Used to store water or liquid foods. Various cracks. Marquesas Islands Height 12.5 cm - Diameter of opening 8 cm Private collection, not listed in the Musée de l'Homme Similar to no. 1, p. 86 of the catalog "Le voyage de la Korrigane dans les mers du sud", Musée de l'Homme Editions Hazan, Paris 2001". In addition, our ipu ehi vessel is incredibly similar to another engraved coconut vessel of the same type, with strictly the same iconography and style. Exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York as part of the exhibition Adorning The World - Art of the Marquesas Islands (reproduced no. 75 p. 108 and 109), it is said to have been collected by the famous Captain David Porter (commander of the frigate USS Essex), who settled on the island of Nuku Iva in 1813 to, among other things, repair damage, and even attempted to take possession of the island on behalf of the United States. The "korrigans", as they liked to call themselves, were also on the island of Nuku Iva, but between September 1 and 8, 1934, over a century later. In any case, these two vessels are certainly not "curios" or objects intended for passing sailors, but real artifacts bearing witness to the very rare arts originating from the Marquesas Islands. Marquesas Islands Coconut, cracked, broken-glued (original piece), minor trace of glue, small chip, an old label inside indicating GV and another label lot 47 of the aforementioned sale. H. 12.5 cm and D. 15.5 cm See: p. 108 & 109 n° 75 for another similar ipu ehi vessel from the Blackburn collection in Adorning The World, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ed. TMMOA & Yale University Press New York 2005 See: p. 287 n° 85 for the same aforementioned ipu ehi vessel in Polynesia The Mark and Carolyn Blackburn Collection of Polynesain Art, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Ed. M. & C. Blackburn 2010 See: p. 72 to 77 for the voyage calendar in Le Voyage de la Korrigane dans les mers du Sud, Musée de l'Homme, Ed. Hazan Paris 2001 Provenance : - Collected during the Voyage de La Korrigane (between August 20 and September 7, 1934) - Bretagne Enchères sale, May 31st 2010, lot 47 - Jean Roudillon Collection Exhibition and publication : Sale Bretagne Enchères in Rennes from May 28 to 31, 2010, reproduced on p. 8 lot 47 of the catalog.

A Ouénite coin-bead necklace from La Korrigane's voyage. Ouen Island, south of Grande Terre in New Caledonia, was traditionally renowned for the exploitation of "jade", which is more precisely nephrite throughout New Caledonia, and from which are carved the blades of axes, adzes and the famous Kanak monstrance axes. We know, thanks to the Société des Océanistes, which has carried out several research campaigns and confirmed this in a detailed study on the subject, that the beads on the coin necklaces are not carved from nephrite but from a different, softer stone. This is a crystalline rock composed mainly of anorthite, with a small component of amphibole, ranging from pale to darker green with white veins and small emerald-green flecks, specific to Île Ouen and also identified in the Rivière Bleue basin, called Ouénite (1911, Lacroix). It is oral tradition, essential to Kanak culture, that recalls the importance of Ouen Island as one of the high points and historical source of the exploitation of this stone for pearl coins, and that led the oceanists on their way to this island. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Collier de femme de chef. Serpentine from Île d'Ouen, New Caledonia Reported by Madame de Ganay, who offered it to me (voyage of the Korrigane March 28, 1934 - June 1936)". Kanak, New Caledonia Carved and polished Ouénite beads, very fine old patina. L.: 39 cm See : The Kanak "jade cycle". An archaeological reappraisal of a traditional trade network in Southern Melanesia. Journal de la Société des océanistes n° 144-145, 2017. Provenance: - Collected during the Voyage de La Korrigane - Collection of Madame De Ganay - Collection Jean Roudillon (offered by the latter)

A stone sculpture of ten figures. This astonishing sculpture, reminiscent of the tiki friezes of the Austral Islands, is in fact a sculpture from the Marquesas Islands. We know the subject of several tiki carvings aligned horizontally across the putaiana female ear ornaments carved in marine ivory or human bone, but this rare sculpture in grey volcanic tuff is part of a corpus of Marquesan carvings that has been little studied until now, but does exist. It is comparable to another sculpture published by Karl Von den Steinen in 1925, also representing ten figures, photographed on the island of Hivaoa and described by K. Von den Steinen as a family consisting of an eldest son and nine children. Although not exactly identical, the positioning of the figures on the sculpture reproduced by K. Von den Steinen is relatively similar to that of the sculpture in the Jean Roudillon collection. It includes two figures on either side carved laterally and four figures carved on each side, so some of the "tiki" have their arms folded over their bodies in the same way as this other sculpture described as a Hivaoa family. Another sculpture, this one with four tiki carved back to back, in the collections of the Stuttgart Museum, is also reproduced in Von den Steinen's book on the same plate. Examination of the surface and patina of this rare sculpture bears witness to its authenticity. Marquesas Islands Stone (gray tuff), small visible chips and old accidents, oxidation, very fine patina and old erosion H. 18 cm - L. 25 cm For two other sculptures with several tiki (or figures), see Vol. 3, Plate C, nos. 7 and 8 in Die Sammlungen de Die Marquesaner und ihre Kunst, Karl Von den Steinen, Ed. Dietrich Reimer / Ernst Vohsen 1925. Many thanks to Vincent Bounoure for his invaluable help with this work. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

A calabash bowl encircled by a silver mounting and engraved with superb idyllic scenes from the colonial era in a lavish setting, and destined for a "sub-prefect of Lucanas", one of the eleven provinces of the Ayacucho region of Peru. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Pre-Hispanic America, 16th / 17th century Peru Bowl cut from a gourd, engraved with a Renaissance-inspired décor of flowering branches, birds, monkeys, Indians shooting birds with bows, Europeans picking fruit and Europeans following a heavily laden mule. The background features a rose window and the border is inscribed in Spanish with the words "dedicado pa el sr dr jose manuel caceres sub prefeto de lucanas". Silver mount with cut edge and pearl band, two movable rings in the mouth of a lion in high relief. Former Boban and Le Kalevala collection. Probably 18th century or earlier Calabash, silver, old oxidation, excellent condition D. 20 cm and H. 6 cm Provenance: - Eugène Boban Collection (the oldest French dealer in early American art, born in 1834 and deceased in 1908, whose provenance has become mythical) - Le Kalevala Collection - Jean Roudillon Collection

Figure of the Hemba, so-called "Kabeja Makua", Central Africa/ Congo (DRC), early 20th c., wood, janus-shaped depiction of a couple, symbolizing fertility and ancestor worship as well as the authority of the chief, remains of magical charge in the formerly closed cavity on top of the head, h. 35cm, dull and shiny patina with encrustations, drying crack and insect caused damage (underside), signs of age and usage, provenance: acquired in the 1950s by Lore Kegel and Boris Kegel-Konietzko, 1961 Dieter Blume, 2023 Kegel-Konietzko & Dorn

An ikhoko pendant representing one of two mbuya jia kifutshi masks, either fumu or pumbu. Fumu or pumbu, these two masks from the mukanda initiation and circumcision ritual embody masculine power. The three-pointed headdress, representing the three plaits of raffia that adorned the headdress of these initiation masks, is still visible despite the heavy wear and extreme patina of this very old specimen. The piercing for the pendant attachment is transverse and takes place at the level of the headdress, without altering the readability of the sculpture. Delimited by a finely engraved zig-zag diadem (or water line), the presence of the mask is obvious. The arched forehead is powerful, the large, closed eyelids are serene, the half-open mouth reveals the carved teeth - everything here embodies strength and serenity, but also beauty. An insider's protective charm of the finest antiquity, the ikhoko from the Jean Roudillon collection is one of the ivory jewels in his collection and an exceptional example, an insider's masterpiece. Pende, Democratic Republic of Congo Ivory, old oxidation, deep wear, small missing parts (old breaks) on the central braid, sublime old patina. H. 5.5 cm For comparable specimens, see pp. 82-87 in Treasures 2008, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, ed. Migs Grove, 2008. See: for other specimens and concerning the Mukanda p. 63 to 72 in Initiés Bassin du Congo, Musée Dapper, Ed. Dapper 2013. Provenance: Jean Roudillon Collection

A feminine wakasona statuette The Baule statuette in the Jean Roudillon collection, of superb age, is an example of its kind. She stands proudly, arched and haughty, her hands resting on either side of her superbly scarified, slightly rounded belly, implying the idea of maternity. Her temples and entire body are adorned with ancient-style, squared-grain scarification. The sculpture of her braided chignon hairstyle is a thing of beauty, expressing, as is rarely the case, the tension of pulled hair and the voluptuous curve of the chignon. Her large arches give her a heart-shaped face, and her beauty as much as her disdainful pout embodies a feminine ideal that indicates she must undoubtedly have embodied a bride from beyond (blolo bla). Sifted by Kichizô Inagaki, it's not surprising that Jean Roudillon kept only this one. Baule, Ivory Coast Wood, cotton cord, age cracks, superb patina, mounted on a tenon base signed by Kichizô Inagaki H. 30 cm Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Small terra cotta Péliké with black glaze and red figure decoration of a female profile to the left. Two side handles. Magna Graecia, Apulia, 4th century B.C. Height: 11.5 cm. With red wax seal below.

Guro buffalo mask, "Glo" or "Zewe" mask, West Africa/ Ivory Coast, 1st half 20th c., wood, traces of ultramarine, kaolin and reddish pigment, used bite stick, one of the most important masks in the Guro complex, 61x22cm, rest. crack, signs of usage and age, rubbing and patina, provenance: acquired in Africa in 1958 by Lore Kegel and Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Kegel-Konietzko & Dorn

Anthropomorphic oil lamp featuring a head with an open mouth (wick hole) stretched out, and two applied ears on either side. Similar lamps with zoomorphic subjects have been found in the Pompeii region. Bronze, fine patina and age-old oxidation Rome, imperial period, 1st century. L.: 8.5 cm - H.: 3 cm Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

A votive figurine called Tunjo by the Muisca Indians. Flat Tunjo figurines such as this one, which could represent a variety of subjects, were buried in jars before burial, or thrown into lakes before the enthronement of a new ruler. Found in large numbers, and present today in numerous public and private collections, this corpus has long been considered a major one in Colombia, due to the importance given to this culture by ancient Spanish chronicles. André Emmerich, one of the world's leading experts on pre-Hispanic art, rightly reminds us that this is a regional style that is ultimately rather poor when compared to other cultures and traditions of pre-Hispanic goldsmithing in Colombia. But they do constitute a corpus of "unfortunately" mythical objects, the source of the fantasies and appetites of the conquistadors - the famous myth of the gold of El Dorado. Indeed, the Muisca Indians, long known as Chibcha after their linguistic group, who worshipped a god Chibchachun, the god of trade as well as the god of goldsmiths, are the only Colombian culture described in detail by the Spanish conquerors in ancient chronicles. Living in a temperate valley, ideal for agriculture, the Muisca lived at the time of the conquest in the prosperous highland basin of Bogota, but unfortunately still organized at the time of the conquest into several small competing states. André Derain, whose collection Jean Roudillon appraised at the sale of his collection in 1955, owned an entire collection, and it is possible that this Tunjo, long present in Jean Roudillon's collection, may also have belonged to him. Muisca, circa 1000 to 1550 A.D., Colombia Gold-rich Tumbaga (alloy of gold, silver and copper). H. 7.5 cm For Tunjo figurines, see pp. 83-88 in: Sweat of The Sun and Tears of The Moon, Gold and Silver in Pre-Columbian Art, André Emmerich, Hacker Art Book, New York 1977. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection before 1960

Beige sarcophagus mask. It is adorned with a blue and yellow striped tripartite wig. Stuccoed wood on fabric (accidents and missing parts). Egypt, Late Period, c. 664-332. Height : 28 cm

A woven and embroidered headband depicting six figures, each with a trophy head attached to their waist and a sacrificial weapon on their left arm. The subject is classic Nazca, with armed warriors holding trophy heads, and could also be sacrificial priests. Here, the figures are dressed in fringed ponchos and wear high headdresses that resemble feather crowns. The sacrificers' weapons, attached by a strap and hanging from their left arm, answering to each trophy-head, also resemble birds. The hidden, double meaning of things is widely observed in Peru's ancient arts, and particularly appreciated in the Wari culture. Particular attention is often required to the different levels of reading, allowing us to catch a glimpse, and better enlighten us, of the subtle spirituality of the artists and the spirit of the beliefs of these past civilizations. However, it's difficult to pinpoint the period and region of origin of this beautiful fragment, which was probably part of an ancient burial mantle or headdress, given the successive and overlapping styles and contributions from one culture to another in the great textile arts, which undoubtedly represent an essential and often founding art of pre-Hispanic art in Peru. Nazca or Proto Nazca, 100 BC to 800 AD, or Wari 600 to 1000 AD, Peru Fabric, llama or alpaca wool, probably minor restorations, framed and mounted under glass. 37 x 13.5 cm (for the weaving) and 50 x 26 cm (for the frame under glass) See : Animal Myth and Magic, Images from Pre-Columbian Textiles, Vanessa Drake Moraga, Ed. Ololo Press 2005 or Pre-Columbian Art Of South America, Alan Lapiner, Ed. Harry Abrams New York 1976, See for an example of a double-reading Wari motif p. 42 and 43 in La Sculpture en Bois Dans L'Ancien Pérou, André Emmerich, Johann Levy and Sergio Purini, Ed. Somogy & Johann Levy Art Primitif Paris 2006. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection before 1960

Royal blue blown glass amphora. The ovoid body is decorated in the center with a frieze of volutes, framed by a gadroon motif on the shoulder and lower part. Two small handles applied to the shoulder and folded under the mouthpiece. Small cylindrical foot. Royal blue glass, one handle broken and glued. Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon, probably Sidon. H. 7 cm Note: Sidon is located in present-day Lebanon and has been a center of glassmaking for several millennia, probably the birthplace of glass. In Roman times, Sidon continued to be active in the production of glass vases. These small blown-molded vessels, which can have various colors or decoration, have been found in the region and can be dated to the 1st century. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

A cane knob, a badge of authority, representing an important figure. Representing a seated dignitary, ornamented and scarred on the face, neck and body, he holds a young girl in front of him by the waist, described in the literature as either an assistant or a child. With her arms raised and holding an object on her head, in this case a casket or footrest evoking wealth and prestige, she is both an assistant and a child. Embodied by a prepubescent girl who has not yet settled down, this "spiritual messenger" protects this dignitary from witchcraft "by the mystical force of her purity" and opens the way for him by introducing beauty into the assemblies. Timothy Garrard explains that the headdress, which may have contributed to the confusion and is often described as a Western contribution, as is the treatment of the moustache and beard, is in fact a woven straw boater that the Akyé made before the arrival of Europeans. It is therefore undoubtedly a very ancient Akyé chief, not a representation of a Portuguese or other Westerner, and certainly the portrait of an eminent historical or legendary figure whose memory has been sadly lost over the centuries of the history of the Akyé people. Indeed, this ivory cane knob, undoubtedly the oldest in a series (constituting a corpus of a dozen works according to François Neyt), the carving of which spans several centuries, is the source of all the others, the "mother object". This corpus of well-identified objects carved in ivory, with its characteristic typology, has long attracted the attention of many specialists and art historians. Of the three examples exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington during the Treasures exhibition in 2008, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, and although they are not as old as the one in the Jean Roudillon collection, the ones from the Laura and James Ross collection are particularly noteworthy, forming a male and female pair and thus completing the information on a couple and not just on the portrait of a former dignitary whose memory these knobs commemorate. It must have been an important personage, historical or mythological, for this archetype to serve as a model for other cane knobs carved over as many generations, and a careful reading of the oldest of them all allows us to remove certain doubts and attempt to trace the thread of history. It's hardly surprising that this knob from the Jean Roudillon collection previously came from the Roger Bédiat collection, the source of so many masterpieces and the most important early collection of Ivory Coast art. This collection was inventoried and appraised by Jean Roudillon in 1962. This sculpture is fascinating in more ways than one, sublime in its detail and antiquity, it not only radiates beauty, it illuminates the past and the future, and is unquestionably one of the finest jewels in Jean Roudillon's collection. Attié (Akyé), Ivory Coast. 18th century or earlier. Ivory, significant age desiccation of the ivory, small visible lack at the cap (old breakage) and probable restoration of a small breakage at the front of the canotier, slight age cracks, visible restoration of a small lack at the front of the base of the pommel, otherwise excellent condition, superb old patina, presented on a red stone base. H. 13.6 cm See pp. 75, 78-79 and 81 for three examples from the same corpus in: Treasures 2008, Sharon F. Patton Brina M. Freyer, Smithsonian - Ed. National Museum of African Art Washington 2008. For two other examples from the former Joseph Mueller collection, both acquired before 1939 and 1942, see pp. 175 and 176 in: Arts de la Côte d'Ivoire Tome 2, Ed. Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva 1993. Provenance : - Roger Bédiat Collection - Jean Roudillon Collection Publications : - Art d'Afrique No. 53 Spring 1985 p. 53 for an advertisement by Jean Roudillon - Tribal Art magazine n° 82, Winter 2016 p. 43 for an advertisement by Jean Roudillon.

Haut de harpe - depicting a standing nude figure with marked musculature. Wood, metal, old brown patina and wear marks Fang, Gabon 21.5 x 5.5 cm

A kaolin-coated sculpture of a bird. This rare and beautiful sculpture is most certainly a lumbr bird, a Lobi cult sculpture representing a turtle-dove, although Jean Roudillon in a few rare notes found in his archives concerning his collection attributed it rather to the Senufo. If it is a Senoufo sculpture, it is certainly not a representation of the mythical porpianong bird which, by self-fertilizing, gave birth to the Senoufo people, but rather that of a black guinea fowl associated with fertility. No matter, in reality, this sculpture is superb and incredibly modern, and if you look at it carefully, its kaolin coating, a sacrificial patina, bears witness, like the wood, to a magnificent age and an unmistakable traditional character. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Africa, Ivory Coast, Senufo Mythical bird in wood covered with a light layer of white clay Height: 33.5 cm Lobi or Senufo, Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso Wood, sacrificial kaolin patina, wear, old oxidation and very fine old patina. H. 33.5 cm See: for a very fine example of a lumbr bird now in the collections of The Art Institute of Chicago from the former Thomas Wheelock collection (inv.2019.716) reproduced in the Sotheby's Paris sale catalog of June 15, 2011 lot 55. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

An insider's cane from the Poro society or an escort's stick, possibly the cane of a chief and historical figure in the person of King Babemba. Smaller in size than the large tefalipitya canes that celebrate the sambali (champion of the cultivators) who will be "rewarded" by a young unmarried woman at the peak of her beauty represented seated at the top of these canes, the Senoufo cane from the Jean Roudillon collection is adorned with a female figure sculpted in a standing position, well poised, like a deblé statue. This is almost certainly an initiate's cane from the Poro society, or an escort's cane whose feminine image evokes the supernatural powers of women, such as those of the sandobele, the witch-women, who perceive hidden dangers and pass by to ward off the spells cast by sorcerers. This magnificent cane with its lacquered patina is in the grand old style, with its large, stylized arms, powerfully arched shoulders and cylindrically sculpted ears, unequivocally reminiscent of the finest Déblé statues from the so-called masters' workshop of Sikasso. In 1964, it was exhibited in three American museums as part of the traveling exhibition Senufo Sculptures from West Africa, organized by Robert Goldwater, director of the Museum of Primitive Art in New York. The provenance of this cane, lent by the Le Corneur Roudillon gallery at the time, links it in the exhibition catalog to King Babemba, a historic figure if ever there was one in Mali, who in 1893 succeeded his brother Tiéba Traoré, fourth king of Kénédougou, who had led the kingdom to its apogee and set up his capital in Sikasso, where he had his palace built to resist the attacks of Samory Touré. King Babemba Traoré committed suicide in 1898 rather than be caught, preferring death to shame, after fighting the colonial army. It must have been Olivier Le Corneur and Jean Roudillon who passed on this provenance to Robert Goldwater, a provenance they had acquired with the object. Real or not, Goldwater, a serious man and art historian, must have considered this provenance to be authentic in order to validate and publish it, even though no other document can really attest to it. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Africa, Ivory Coast, Senufo Cane of King Babemba of Sikasso Reported by a French officer in 1898. Published fig. 135 in "The Museum of Primitive Art" by Robert Goldwater, New York, 1964. Sénoufo, Ivory Coast Wood, iron, old oxidation, wear, small accident to the tip of the right breast and a native iron restoration to the right arm, very fine old patina. H. 113 cm For statues of the Sikasso masters workshop, see pp. 117-137 in: Senoufo Massa et les statues du Poro, Burkhard Gottschalk, Ed. Verlag U. Gottschalk Düsseldorf. Gottschalk Düsseldorf 2006 Provenance : - Former Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon collection - Jean Roudillon Collection Exhibitions and publication : - Senufo Sculpture from West Africa, Robert Goldwater, Ed. The Museum of Primitive Art, New York, 1964, p. 90 n° 135 - Senufo Sculpture from West Africa, 1963, traveling exhibition in : - New York, NY The Museum of Primitive Art, February 20 - May 5, 1963 - Chicago, IL, Art Institute of Chicago, July 12 - August 11, 1963 - Baltimore, MD Baltimore Museum of Art, September 17 to October 27, 1963.

JAPAN, Meiji period (1868-1912). A black patina bronze floriform vase with hemmed neck, decorated in low relief with an elephant in the reeds. H.28 cm. Slight marks and wear. Expert : cabinet Ansas-Papillon-De Léry.

A large kava kumete or tanoa bowl This large kava cup was collected by Count Rodolphe Festetics de Tolna during his eight-year epic journey across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, through Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Indonesia, before landing on an islet in the Maldives, This voyage, too often romanticized as a honeymoon, was indeed a voyage of adventure, but also of collecting, where Count Festetics was in some places in real competition with other professional collectors who supplied German museums in particular. From a very early collection, the presence of its stylization, the elegance of the curved lines of its crucible and its rebounded belly, its size testifying to a community life, everything here testifies to the most beautiful ancient style of this large kava bowl. Fiji Islands or Samoa, 19th century. Wood, rattan, native restoration of a visible old crack, very fine old patina. D. 73.5 cm and H. 20.5 cm Provenance : - Collection of Count Rodolphe Festetics de Tolna, collected by him before 1896 - Collection of Dr. Stéphen Chauvet (acquired at auction, closed case, no inventory) - Jean Roudillon Collection Exhibition: L'Aristocrate et ses Cannibales Le voyage en Océanie du Comte Festetics de Tolna (1893-1896) at the Musée du Quai Branly, from October 23, 2007 to January 13, 2008.

Alabastron in opaque blue-black glass. It is decorated with white and turquoise blue horizontal fillets on the top of the body, continuing in a "sawtooth" pattern from the handles. The lip is outlined on the outside with a turquoise blue fillet. It is adorned with two applied handles forming duck heads. Glass paste. Superb glazing. Phoenician or Greek art, 5th century B.C. H. 12.5 cm Note: these vases, fashioned on clay cores, were mostly found in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

An anthropomorphic monolith sculpture, representing a cross-legged figure with his hands resting on his knees, wearing a so-called winged headdress. This monolithic sculpture from the Jean Roudillon collection is part of a corpus of well-known sculptures, quite numerous, but very rare in private collections. Another of these sculptures, however, existed in the former collection of Joseph Mueller, a very old acquaintance and client of Jean Roudillon. Perpetuating a tradition of Chavin lithic art, none of these monoliths have been discovered in their original context, and the attribution of this stone sculpture tradition to the Recuay culture is arbitrary, even if none of the specialists who have studied these sculptures dispute it. There are two main styles of two carving traditions that would have coexisted over three periods. The Huaraz style, whose presence is reported throughout the Callejon de Huaylas, and the Aija style, on the western slopes of the Cordillera Negra. Despite the surface erosion caused by centuries of weathering, this sculpture, like the one in the Joseph Mueller collection, features a distinctive headdress with engraved decoration, as well as a clearly sculpted sex figure, still clearly visible between its crossed legs, in a ceremonial posture. These enigmatic figures, seated cross-legged or not, feet turned inwards or outwards, sculpted naked or wearing scarves and pectorals, were they guardians, representations of ancestors, votive or funerary sculptures, their mystery accompanies them. Recuay, Aija style, early intermediate 400 BC to 300 AD, Peru Stone, age-related oxidation of the stone, small accidents, beautiful patina and significant age-related erosion H. 47 cm See pp. 4, 5, 100 and 101 in: Inca-Peru 3000 Ans d'Histoire, S. Purini, Musée Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels, Ed. Imschoot uitgevers 1990. See for the copy from the Joseph Mueller collection acquired before 1952 (inv. 532-54) p. 92 and 93 fig.235 of Vol 2 of the Sotheby's catalog of the sale of the Barbier-Mueller collection on March 22, 2013 lot 295. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection before 1960

Beau masque de danse “Kplékplé” - It features a highly stylized lunar face set in a balanced disk, with projected eyes and mouth in relief. It is surmounted by the horns of the solar buffalo, an animal dedicated to the great cosmic divinity "Miamié". This mask stands out for the modernity of its forms and its age. Wood with brown and white polychromy, slightly gouged on the sides. Significant internal wear marks. Baule, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire 45 x 27 cm Unsocketed Provenance: Collection of Madame Jacqueline Vallotton, acquired in the 1970s from auction houses and specialized dealers.

A poporo lime container depicting an owl resting on a branch, with the removable head forming the lid. This receptacle was most likely an ancient poporo, containing lime, the active ingredient needed to chew coca. Note the pierced fastenings at the back to hang it around the neck, and a fine loop at the tip of the beak to which was attached a chain that linked the head to the bird's body, and must have been connected to the branch between its legs. The two legs and the claws gripping the branch so finely crafted, as well as the filigree braid work, testify to the talents and extreme dexterity of the work of the silversmiths of the ancient Muisca, Quimbaya, Sinù and Tairona cultures. The owl theme appears on scepter tops in the Sinù culture, and must have been associated with nobility. Sinù, or Taïrona, circa 600 to 1550 A.D., Colombia Tumbaga (alloy of copper, gold and silver), wear, small dents and old piercings, superb old patina from use H. 4 cm See p. 80 fig. 91 for a scepter top representing a Sinù owl in: Sweat of The Sun and Tears of The Moon, Gold and Silver in Pre-Columbian Art, André Emmerich, Hacker Art Book, New York 1977 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection before 1970

A Baroque communion chalice on a six-panelled foot with rich cartouche relief and 3 amorphous cartouches each with "Arma Christi" and "Waffen und Geräteschaften" on the foot and bowl, central baluster with 3 sculpted angel heads, probably Eastern Europe, 2nd half 17th century, vermeil silver, 490g, h. 24.5cm, small hole to the shaft, pressure marks, provenance: Hermann Delker Collection, Hamburg, then Hamburg private ownership

Personnage accroupi - with the face symbolically pointing to the ground. Wood, old honey-red patina, Lobi, Burkina Faso 17.5 x 5 x 10 cm

A loom pulley stirrup bearing a mask. Adorned with ancient incised geometric motifs that are still visible despite handling that has partially erased them, and with sculpted scarification marks well in relief on the neck, this pulley stirrup is adorned with a mask and not a head. Its forward projection and size at the back attest to the fact that it is indeed a mask in a very fine old style, with a stylized heart-shaped face, that is carved on this stirrup, a figure of style of Baule sculptors. Suggesting the idea of a mask worn by this stirrup bust, the magic of the sculpture is further enhanced. Baule, Ivory Coast Wood, iron (nails) and cotton scraps, cracks, visible old breaks and chips, visible native restorations, very fine old patina from use H. 22.5 cm Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection Exhibition : Die Kunst von Schwarz-Afrika, Kunsthaus Zürich, October 31, 1970 to January 17, 1971, listed p. 376 no. G50 in the catalog (exhibited but not reproduced).

A classic anthropomorphic and zoomorphic statuette, representing a man and an amphibian. This statuette, a classic of Colima art and a fine example of its kind, depicts a seated male figure, with arms and hands resting heavily on his knees and a hallucinated facial expression. When lying down, it clearly and unequivocally represents a batrachian, a frog. It's the theme of individual transformation in ancient shamanic cultures that is addressed here, a theme often over-fantasized. The taking of mushrooms (well known and often depicted in Colima art) or other hallucinogenic psychotropic drugs, obviously sacred and certainly religiously supervised in these ancient times, sends the patient or simple dripper back to his or her innermost nature. Active elements such as psilocybin awaken the ancestral connections that make a human being a full-fledged being of nature. It's more a question of nature reigning within us, and the notion of a "great whole" to which we all belong, than of a so-called shamanic transformation per se. In pre-Hispanic Indian cultures, taking a psychotropic drug was often therapeutic and supervised by a shaman, enabling a psychologically ill person to reconnect with his or her social environment, offering a real rebirth, and thus a transformation could indeed result. The bufotoxins contained in the mucus of certain toads and psilocybin provide access to deep memories, and it's not surprising that the amphibian was chosen as a theme to evoke our origins. Colima, 100 BC to 250 AD, Mexico White speckled green stone, small old erosion on the right foot, very fine old oxidation, and very fine old polished patina. H. 7.8 cm For other fine examples, see pp. 164 and 166 in: Chefs-d'œuvre Inédits Art Précolombien Mexique Guatemala, G. Berjonneau and J.L. Sonnery, Ed. Art 135 1985. Provenance: Jean Roudillon Collection before 1970

Baule figure, presumably successor to the so-called Maitre d'Ascher, West Africa/ Ivory Coast, 1st half 20th c., wood, h. 28 cm, signs of age and wear, partial encrustations, shiny patina, drying cracks and old wood scars, foot tips missing, mounted on base, provenance: Hamburg private collection, 2021 Kegel Konietzko & Dorn

A bust-shaped anthropomorphic amulet-whistle. Carved as a bust, this very ancient amulet, a pendant attached by a cord that has left its mark around the neck of the figure holding a stylized object in front of it, was certainly also a whistle. It is much rarer than other classic and easily recognizable Luba amulets. So old as to be virtually obliterated, the still visible volumes of two quadrangular bulges of ancient temporal scarification still stand out under its superb honey-colored patina, as do its large closed eyes engraved in a half-moon shape, so characteristic of the ancient Luba and Hemba kingdoms. The figure is carrying an object with his arms folded in front of him, and his hairstyle ends in a braid that falls to the back and echoes the shape of the object held in front. According to Allen F. Roberts and Mary Nooter Roberts, these Luba amulets are real portraits carved in honor and memory of venerated ancestors. The position of the arms folded forward embodies respect, quiet strength, and the preservation of traditional and sacred secrets. Luba, Democratic Republic of Congo Ivory, significant old oxidation, wear, small accidents (old breaks and a more recent tinted one visible on the front), seems to be repolished on the underside, superb old patina. H. 6.4 cm See pp. 108-110 for other amulets and a Luba anthropomorphic whistle in: Memory, Luba Art and The Making of History, Ed. The Museum for African Art New York, Prestel 1996. Provenance : - Galerie Robert Duperrier - Henri Bigorne Collection - Jean Roudillon Collection

BACTRIANE. Bronze, with green and red crusty patina and soil inlays. Rhyton, of elongated conical shape, decorated at the base with a goat's bust. Geometric motif in relief on the rhyton and also on the goat. Presumed period: Bactrian civilization, ca. 4th century B.C. Height: 15.3 cm

Mixed creature with bird's body and human head, carried in processions for the Ashura festival as a bird of the soul, probably an adaptation of the Garuda into the Shiite faith, Indo-Persian 19th century, iron with silver-inlaid ornaments, finely chiselled, hollow-worked, 36x32cm, cf. exhibits in the MKG/Hamburg and Museum 5 Kontinente/Munich

A set of two gold weights, representing an antelope and a pangolin. Very old, both very expressive, rich in fine detail for the antelope and pastilted for the pangolin, with a superb patina, one of these two weights belonged to Tristan Tzara, who exchanged it with Jean Roudillon, who kept it in memory of the latter. Akan, Ghana or Ivory Coast Bronze, lost-wax casting, very fine patina. H. 3.3 and L. 6 cm Provenance : - Tristan Tzara Collection (for at least one of the two weights in this lot) - Jean Roudillon Collection

A davenibürau food bowl or priest's dish. Carved from the sacred wood known as vesi, with incised decoration around the rim, this bowl may have been a food dish, but it was most certainly a davenibürau priest's dish used to hold perfumed coconut oil, as evidenced by a clear mark of ancient impregnation of the wood inside its crucible. In addition to its superb patina, which reveals the veins of this red wood, the bowl has two holes which were used to hang it in the spirit house once it had been used. This bowl, turned upside down, shows a particular curvature, and its shape (not completely circular) clearly evokes the shell of a turtle, a final clue to identify this bowl as a priest's dish for scented coconut oil. Fiji Islands Wood, two old holes, superb old patina. D. 24.5 cm See: p. 220 and 221 for other Fiji priest dishes in Polynesia The Mark and Carolyn Blackburn Collection of Polynesian Art, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Ed. M. & C. Blackburn 2010. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Statuette - depicting a figure with arms crossed over his torso Wood, russet and brown patina, marks of use Vili, Republic of Congo 8 cm

A crocodile-shaped pendant with filigree and openwork. Among the Akan, lost-wax casting and filigree work reached technical levels at least equal to the social status enjoyed by the artisan founders. Gold is sacred to the Akan, and in addition to its political and economic importance, with the control of gold-mining sites that were exploited by slaves, it has great symbolic and religious importance. Jewelry - rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants - was worn on special occasions by kings and notables, and kept in the dja for the rest of the time. From the beginning of the 20th century, the possession of gold extended from customary power to the individual, who could use it to prove his social ascension. Among the Ebrié, for example, during the andimantchi festival, the family and clan treasure is taken out of the dja and displayed for all to see for one or two days in the patriarch's courtyard. Pendants, such as this fine example, were hung from the neck, arm, headdress or even from a ceremonial sword, and are a classic art form of Akan culture. Each subject carries a symbol, and the crocodile represents the queen mother. Akan, Ghana or Ivory Coast Gold alloy (13.07ct) with copper and silver, old accident and small visible lack. H. 11.3 cm See p. 216 to 223 in: Corps Sculptés Corps Parés Corps Masqués, Galerie nationale du Grand Palais Paris, Ed. Association Française d'Action Artistique 1989 Provenance : - Roger Bédiat Collection - Jean Roudillon Collection

An enigmatic sculpture in the form of a monumental pearl. This monumental pearl in the Jean Roudillon collection, which appears to be one of the largest in his corpus, along with another from the William Spratling collection in Taxco El Viejo, are far too heavy to be worn. According to Carlo Gay, who published them both in his book Mezcala, they are not objects of use or manufacture, but symbolic sculptures for magico-religious use, i.e. votive sculptures. Still according to Carlo Gay, other symbolic sculptures with similarities and reciprocities to this corpus also existed in Olmec culture, and would thus be intimately linked throughout history. Other comparable beads, known as metamorphic stone beads, were also discovered in offering 16 of the Templo Mayor archaeological zone, within a "cosmogram", a quadrangular box where they would symbolize the four horizontal regions of the universe. It was therefore much later, in the time of the Mexica (formerly Aztecs), that these beads were rediscovered, and they seem to have crossed all the eras of pre-Hispanic Mexico, as Carlo Gay suggested. Mezcala, Guerrero region, 300 BC to 300 AD, Mexico Stone, green porphyry, small age-related dents and erosions, fine polished surface and age-related traces of oxidation. Max. diameter 14.8 cm See : Mezcala Ancient stone sculpture from Guerrero, Mexico Ed. Balsas Publications 1992, pp. 204-206. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection before 1970 Publication and exhibition : Reproduced p. 238 n° 238 in: Mezcala Ancient stone sculpture from Guerrero Mexico, Carlos Gay and Frances Pratt, Ed. Balsas 1992 Exhibited and published on the back cover, Rennes Enchères sale catalog October 28, 2018 lot 204.

A Maro painting Paintings on maro bark were once made by elderly women (or, a priori, women of a certain age), and are generally painted with curvilinear motifs, waves and volutes inside a frame, and with stylized flowers and plants, figures, birds, lizards and fish, which also recur frequently. Painted motifs can also be found outside the frame, as is the case here with this bizarre chameleon, reminiscent of another painted on a maro collected in Tobati in Humboldt Bay by Jacques Viot, then donated to the Musée de l'Homme in 1930 by Pierre Loeb and now in the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac (inv.71.1930.48.1). Humboldt Bay, Irian Jaya, West New Guinea Bark and pigments. 153 x 92 cm approx. 111.5 x 172.5 cm for the frame. See p. 127 n° 47 for the maro collected by Jacques Viot in the Musée du Quai Branly collections in Ancestors of the Lake Art of Lake Sentani and Humboldt Bay, Ed. The Menil Collection Houston & Yale University Press, 2011 Provenance: - Probably collected by Jacques Viot - Jean Roudillon Collection

Jean-Baptiste CARPEAUX (1827 - 1875) Christ crucified Bronze proof signed on the perizonium Height: 30.4 cm