13 - Cuillère Wakemia, Dan, Côte d’Ivoire

Cuillère Wakemia, Dan, Côte d’Ivoire 19th century Wood, metal, pigments L. 58.5 cm; W. 13.5 cm Of exceptional provenance, this Dan ceremonial spoon was collected in the 1930s by Hans Himmelheber, a pioneer in the study of Dan art and sculpture. Because it was collected in the field—prior to the major publications devoted to this art form—it serves as direct evidence of the earliest ethnographic research conducted among the Dan communities of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. Indeed, Himmelheber and Wowoa Tame-Tabmen were the first to provide detailed information on the function of the Wakemia in a study published in German in 1965. With its hieratic elegance, this Dan spoon captivates with the extreme simplicity of its silhouette and the silent power of its face. The long bowl, with its generous and perfectly executed contours, unfolds like a plant form, its dark, deeply patinated surface accentuating its sculptural density. It contrasts subtly with the delicacy of the handle, designed as a slender neck punctuated by its ringed “collars,” drawing the eye toward the anthropomorphic head with its highly refined features. The face, of great intensity, concentrates all the expressiveness of the work. The narrow, tapered almond-shaped eyes, with their slightly raised outlines, are magnified by the white of the kaolin, which contrasts sharply with the deep black patina. The contrast between black and white accentuates the power of the gaze and the symbolism of the narrowed, half-closed eyes, which forge connections between the visible and invisible worlds. Provenance - Collected in situ by Hans Himmelheber in the early 1930s - Formerly in the collection of German sculptor Friedrich Wield - Acquired from him upon his death in 1940 by Lore Kegel, Hamburg (Germany) - Boris Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg (Germany) Littérature Main bibliographic references cited: Hans Himmelheber and Wowoa Tame-Tabmen, “Wunkirle or Wakede, the Most Hospitable Woman: A Dignitary Among the Dan and the Wé (Guéré) in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire,” reprinted in French in *Dan*. La danse des cuillères / Dancing with spoons, exhibition catalog [Maastricht, TEFAF, March 2019], ed. Bernard de Grunne, 2019, pp. 11–26 (1st ed. in German: 1965) Eberhard Fischer and Hans Himmelheber, “Dan Spoons,” in Sculpted Spoons, exhibition catalog [Paris, Musée Dapper, January 31–April 28, 1991], Paris, Dapper, pp. 73–91