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Description

Extremely rare round stool. Holoholo, D.R. Congo. H 44cm, ø 26.5cm. Supported by a pair of figures, standing back to back (inv. no. 8.800). With copies of the publication by M.L. Felix! Illustrated in: M. L. Felix, 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture (1987) p. 39 (no. 3, Holoholo) and p. 81 (no. 27, Luba Empire). Marc Felix confirmed that the two illustrations were made according to Ketterer's auction catalog. K.-F. Schaedler, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture (2009). The Holoholo are a small group united only by their common language, as they are not a single unit but rather a small collection of people of different ethnic origins. They live on both sides of central Lake Tanganyika, i.e. in the Democratic Republic of Congo in and around the town of Kalémie and in Tanzania in smaller settlements south of the town of Uiji. Their history is a sad one: as descendants of the Kuba (Bakuba), who originally came from the southwest at the end of the 18th century, they were driven out of their original territories by the Luba and then mixed with indigenous groups. At the end of the 19th century, the level of Lake Tanganyika dropped considerably and a number of different ethnic groups settled on the now available fertile land, forming the Holoholo entity. When the Arabs advanced across Lake Tanganyika into what was then Eastern Congo in 1841, they also introduced cotton, and the Holoholo were one of the first groups to weave it. Fishing, cattle breeding and rubber harvesting formed the basis for a relatively prosperous life during the rule of the Arab slave traders, who used the Holoholo to guard their harbors and warehouses on the lake. Artistically, different styles reflect the geographical location between the two art worlds: Holoholo sculpture combines stylistic elements from the eastern Congo, mainly from the Luba heritage, but also from Tanzanian sculpture schools to create some specific styles that reflect the diverse predecessors of the Holoholo. One of these has survived in some rare works of art attributed to the Master of the Slit Eyes, who probably also made this stool. A number of figures, staffs, power figures and stools have survived from his workshop, testifying to his genius, which is certainly influenced by the south-eastern Luba tradition, but also has a certain naturalistic component. Black, glossy patina with minor signs of abrasion, intact. Provenance: ex Ketterer, Munich auction 9.5.1981, lot 251; ex Bernd Hofmann, Munich May, 1990.

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Extremely rare round stool. Holoholo, D.R. Congo. H 44cm, ø 26.5cm. Supported by a pair of figures, standing back to back (inv. no. 8.800). With copies of the publication by M.L. Felix! Illustrated in: M. L. Felix, 100 Peoples of Zaire and their Sculpture (1987) p. 39 (no. 3, Holoholo) and p. 81 (no. 27, Luba Empire). Marc Felix confirmed that the two illustrations were made according to Ketterer's auction catalog. K.-F. Schaedler, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture (2009). The Holoholo are a small group united only by their common language, as they are not a single unit but rather a small collection of people of different ethnic origins. They live on both sides of central Lake Tanganyika, i.e. in the Democratic Republic of Congo in and around the town of Kalémie and in Tanzania in smaller settlements south of the town of Uiji. Their history is a sad one: as descendants of the Kuba (Bakuba), who originally came from the southwest at the end of the 18th century, they were driven out of their original territories by the Luba and then mixed with indigenous groups. At the end of the 19th century, the level of Lake Tanganyika dropped considerably and a number of different ethnic groups settled on the now available fertile land, forming the Holoholo entity. When the Arabs advanced across Lake Tanganyika into what was then Eastern Congo in 1841, they also introduced cotton, and the Holoholo were one of the first groups to weave it. Fishing, cattle breeding and rubber harvesting formed the basis for a relatively prosperous life during the rule of the Arab slave traders, who used the Holoholo to guard their harbors and warehouses on the lake. Artistically, different styles reflect the geographical location between the two art worlds: Holoholo sculpture combines stylistic elements from the eastern Congo, mainly from the Luba heritage, but also from Tanzanian sculpture schools to create some specific styles that reflect the diverse predecessors of the Holoholo. One of these has survived in some rare works of art attributed to the Master of the Slit Eyes, who probably also made this stool. A number of figures, staffs, power figures and stools have survived from his workshop, testifying to his genius, which is certainly influenced by the south-eastern Luba tradition, but also has a certain naturalistic component. Black, glossy patina with minor signs of abrasion, intact. Provenance: ex Ketterer, Munich auction 9.5.1981, lot 251; ex Bernd Hofmann, Munich May, 1990.

Estimate 2 400 - 3 000 EUR
Starting price 2 400 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
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For sale on Tuesday 16 Jul : 14:00 (CEST)
munich, Germany
Gorny & Mosch
+4989.242.264.30
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