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Jean Roudillon Collection

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Salle 9 - Hôtel Drouot - 9, rue Drouot 75009 Paris, France
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140 results

Lot 102 - 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

Estim. 1 800 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 103 - A nkama ntinu scepter of authority A rare object, this nkama ntinu scepter of authority depicts a chief sculpted in bust form in the extension of the tip of the tusk, holding in both hands, with both arms folded over the umbilicus in a traditional gesture, a scepter of authority of the same type. This nkama ntinu is all the rarer for the fact that it is always embellished with its bilongo, "magic charge", here perfectly preserved. It is this bilongo, whose ball of black plant resin is only visible from the outside, containing various plant and mineral elements, which gives this scepter its supernatural power and reinforces the mystical power of its owner and of the royal power. In particular, it is known that earth from an ancestor's grave could be added to add to its strength. The claw of a burrowing animal embedded in the dried resin has been preserved at its tip, along with a circular painting of white pigment, a color dedicated to the ancestors. Also visible are the ochre-orange stigmata of kola nut sacrifices to meet the demands of its owner. An alert dog is carved below the figure looking towards him. The dog is considered to have many eyes among the Bakongo, and has the power to be a bridge between the realm of the ancestors and the living. A beautiful frieze of cowrie shells is carved all around the upper part of the scepter. Once used as currency, cowrie shells symbolize the kingdom's wealth and prosperity. Such scepters could have been entrusted to dignitaries on their travels or diplomatic missions, to represent and attest to royal authority, or entrusted to and held by notables serving judicial authority. Emblematic of royal authority, the carving of nkama ntinu scepters ceased in Bakongo country long ago. They were subsequently passed down through the families of their former owners as family relics. This previously unpublished work from the Jean Roudillon Collection is one of a limited corpus of some fifty works to date. Bakongo or Yombe, Democratic Republic of Congo Elephant ivory, old oxidation and significant desiccation at the tip (small lack, old breakage and crack visible), vegetable resin, white mineral pigment, claw and various elements making up the charge, superb old patina. H. 35 cm See: for other nkama ntinu scepters in Art Bakongo Insigne de pouvoir-Le sceptre, R. Lehuard, Art d'Afrique Noire, Arnouvillle1998 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 8 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lot 104 - A nkama ntinu sceptre of authority Mainly carved with hexagonal facets in the central part of the tip of a tusk, and carved in relief in its upper part with a frieze symbolizing cowrie shells. Once used as currency, cowrie shells symbolize the Kingdom's wealth and prosperity. The bilongo charge is missing, as is the case on the majority of Nkama Ntinu authority scepters that have come down to us. The black discoloration and small solid remnants of resin, stigmata of its former charge, leave no doubt that this was an ancient scepter of authority and not the handle of an old fly swatter. An emblem of royal authority, this type of scepter ceased to be carved in Bakongo country a long time ago, and constitutes a limited corpus of around fifty works to date. Such scepters might have been entrusted to dignitaries on their travels or diplomatic missions, to represent and attest to royal authority, or entrusted to and held by notables serving judicial authority. This scepter probably originated from the same discovery by Jean Roudillon as the nkama ntinu scepter in the previous lot. Bakongo or Yombe, Democratic Republic of Congo Elephant ivory, deep resin relics and very fine old patina, old oxidation of the ivory revealing bluish veins in the ivory, small old crack visible at the tip and beginning of old desiccation. H. 37.5 cm See for other nkama ntinu scepters in: Art Bakongo Insigne de pouvoir - Le sceptre, R. Lehuard, Art d'Afrique Noire, Arnouvillle 1998 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 800 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 105 - 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

Estim. 4 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lot 106 - 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

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 107 - An ikhoko pendant representing the mbuya jia kifutshi mask of the muyombo type. The muyombo dance mask depicts a portrait of the deceased lying face up, so these masks were worn horizontally during dances. What at first glance appears to be a long beard with engraved motifs, here adorned with two circled dots characteristic of these pende ivory productions, is in fact a stylization of the recumbent's body, not a beard. Gikhoko pendants are undoubtedly insider emblems, but also objects with a protective and therapeutic role. Given or transmitted to the initiate at the end of the mukanda circumcision initiation ritual, this charm also symbolizes the transmission of the vital principle of a deceased person to one of his descendants in a matrilineal lineage. In other words, the granting or transmission of the pendant not only marked the passage of the young initiate to adulthood, but also completed a process by which a maternal uncle was "reincarnated" into one of his uterine nephews. The mukanda ritual declined sharply in Pende country from 1931 onwards, when a revolt against forced labor and higher taxes broke out, and was severely repressed by the Belgian colonial administration. Pende, Democratic Republic of Congo Ivory, nice old oxidation of the ivory, nice patina of use H. 7 cm See for other gikhoko (among other publications) pp. 82-87 in Treasures 2008, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Ed. Migs Grove, 2008. See for other ikhoko specimens and concerning the Mukanda p. 63 to 72 in: Initiés Bassin du Congo, Musée Dapper, Ed. Dapper 2013. Provenance: Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 800 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 108 - An iroke ifa divination knocker carved with an imposing kneeling female figure with a scarified body holding her breasts and engraved decoration. These divination knockers (iroke ifa) were used by the diviner, tapping the edge of the carved wooden tray (opon ifa) to call and invoke Orunmila, the deity (Orisha) of destiny and wisdom. The bells, made up of bars attached to the upper, hollow part by a lateral tenon, are still partly present here and are also carved in ivory. The large scarification marks on the abdomen of the figure, representing a devotee of the Ifa cult, are similar to a rare terracotta work from the former Barbier-Mueller collection acquired by the Musée du Quai Branly (inv. A97-4-70). The very characteristic treatment of the character's ears, using a Y shape to represent the inside of the ear design, is an archaism that can be seen on very ancient sculptures from the ancient Kuba kingdoms, but also in numerous sculptures from Egyptian antiquity. The ancient Kingdom of Owo, located between the Kingdom of Edo and the ancient Yoruba capital of Ile-Ife, renowned for its famous bronze and terracotta sculptures, specialized in the carving of ivory objects. Yoruba, Owo region, Nigeria Ivory, minor wear and rubbing from use, restoration of a small old break at the neck, otherwise excellent condition, very fine old oxidation, very fine old patina from use. H. 34.5 cm See pp. 18-24 for other Yoruba ivory sculptures and another Iroke Ifa in: Treasures 2008, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Ed. Migs Grove, 2008, pp. 18-24. For these specific scarifications, see Arts du Nigéria Collection du Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Ed.RMN, 1997, n° 125 p. 82. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 1 500 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 111 - A bow adorned with four small lateral masks and rich abstract geometric decorations. This bow was probably a ceremonial object and thus a regalia, an emblem of power, much more than a bow carved for war or hunting. Its chiselled motifs are so meticulous, engraved or in relief, that one can't help but think of the interlacing patterns characteristic of ancient weavings or the finest sculptures from the Bakongo kingdoms of the Woyo or Yombe of the Loango or Cabinda coasts. The four small masks adorning the two ends of the bow, protecting and guarding the archer's two lateral flanks, seem to be typical of Lwena or Tchokwe art. A pattern of dots and lines (twenty-two and twenty-three double lines enclosing double dots, on either side of the hand slot in the center of the bow) carved in relief on the inside of the bow is another rarity, and adds to the mystery of this unique bow. It is conceivable that these may have been sighting marks, or may have served some other purpose, such as counting, for its former owner, certainly a powerful and illustrious man, given the singular refinement of this extremely rare bow. Probably Tchokwe, Lwena, or Songo, Angola Hardwood, small accidents and missing ends (old breaks), very fine old patina. H. 132 cm See Sotheby's Paris sale December 2, 2015 lot 73 for another very rare Tchokwe bow, the drawing of which was reproduced on p. 52 in: Art Et Mythologie, Figures Tchokwe, Fondation Dapper, Ed Dapper 1988. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 2 500 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 112 - A pigment bowl decorated with a crocodile head and a human head. The handle is carved with a beautiful crocodile head, the top of whose skull extends into the bowl's crucible. Its right eye still retains a mother-of-pearl inlay. The sculpture is nervous, expressive and detailed. At the back of the bowl is a superb male head in a very archaic style. His arms, carved in relief and folded under the head, form a bust like the stern of a boat, through which a perforation at neck level serves as a bélière. An egg-shaped bead is carved underneath to stabilize the cup. This is a true masterpiece of Middle Sepik art, a "pre-contact" work, an expression dear to Sepik art specialists. This bowl was published and commented on as a "godet à pigments" by Maurice Leenhardt in his book Arts de l'Océanie, published in 1947. A work published in the Arts Du Monde collection under the direction of Georges de Miré, whose eye is certainly no stranger to the selection of this work for this publication. Our cup had already been exhibited at the Musée de l'Homme during the Voyage de la Korrigane en Océanie exhibition between June and October 1938, and can be seen photographed in one of the showcases of this exhibition in brilliant company, notably with the Sawos skull hook that Jacques Kerchache had chosen for his original selection of the Pavillon des Cessions, first version... What a journey this cup, this "pigment bucket", has taken from the banks of the Sépik River and its collection in 1935 by Régine and Charles van den Broek, whose photos and documentation of their brief foray on the Sépik River remain to this day, according to specialists, an irreplaceable testimony. Not surprisingly, it was this object from the Korrigane's voyage that Jean Roudillon, its "inventor", kept the longest. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Oceania, New Guinea Wooden paint container in the shape of a crocodile with an elongated snout, one eye inlaid with a marine shell. This piece is exceptionally carved at the tail of a human head, with a hole at neck height for hanging the container. From the voyage of the Korrigane, D393 1660. Probably Iatmul or Sawos, Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea Wood, mother-of-pearl, very slight traces of white pigment in the crocodile's mouth, beautiful old oxidation and superb patina from use, stone-cut object known as "pre-contact". Old Musée de l'Homme inventory numbers inscribed under the crocodile's mouth: D.39.3 / 1660, and another number inscribed in red under the base. Length: 30.5 cm See p. 31 fig. 19 in Arts de l'Océanie, Maurice Leenhardt, Collection Arts du Monde (ed. Georges de Miré), Les Éditions du Chêne, 1947. 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 of La Korrigane (1934-1936), and certainly in October 1935 by Régine and Charles van den Broek during a brief excursion up the Sépik River. - Jean Roudillon Collection Exhibition and publication: - Voyage de la Korrigane en Océanie, June to October 1938 musée de l'Homme, Paris - Visible lower left in a display case at the Musée de l'Homme, photo by Henri Tracol (see reproduction on previous page). - Arts de l'Océanie, Maurice Leenhardt Collection Arts du Monde, Les Éditions du Chêne, 1947. Reproduced fig.19 p. 31.

Estim. 12 000 - 15 000 EUR

Lot 114 - 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.

Estim. 800 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 115 - 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)

Estim. 400 - 600 EUR

Lot 119 - A tu'a (or kihi) ring, an ornamental fingering for dancing. In ancient times, tu'a finger rings were worn by both male and female dancers at traditional banquet dances called koina. Today, they are the sole preserve of women, who wear a contemporary version for the bird dance. The preservation and transmission of an ancient tu'a ornament such as this one, which is extremely fragile, is an exception bordering on the miraculous. These ancient tu'a ornaments became famous and almost mythical through two drawings by Eugène Fauque de Jonquières, often reproduced, the originals of which are kept in the Chartres museum. Made from a wickerwork of braided coconut pericarp fibers forming the ring, the tu'a from the Jean Roudillon collection is also adorned with human hair, and six Phaeton tail feathers, all still present as on another rare specimen preserved at the Musée de Nouvelle Calédonie in Nouméa (inv. MNC 86.5.155) and also featuring six feathers. This other tu'a, in excellent condition but with no human hair, was collected between 1830 and 1880. Two other tu'a (or kihi) fingerstalls, formerly in the collections of the Musée de la Marine and the Musée l'Homme and now in the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac (inventory numbers 71.1930.54.152D and 71.1930.54.144D), are two other great rarities. These are adorned with Phaeton feathers, but also with old men's beard hair aigrettes pavahina and a human bone. These ornaments are obviously much more than extremely rare ethnographic documents, bearing witness to a vanished age and era, but also, because of their fragility, to a poetry and delicacy at least equal to their extreme rarity. Marquesas Islands Hair, coconut pericarp, Phaeton tail feathers, old oxidation and very beautiful old patina, excellent condition. H. 39.5 cm See for the other three fingertips in the online collections of the Musée de Nouvelle Calédonie in Nouméa and the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac in Paris. Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 2 500 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 122 - 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

Estim. 2 500 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 123 - A drum (pahu) adorned with flat tiki incised decorations, having retained its sharkskin stretched by a complex rope of coconut fiber braids. The generic name for Marquesan drums is pahu, but there were no less than sixteen different types of drum to set the rhythm for the various sacred and religious ceremonies, songs (uta) and dances (haka) during banqueting celebrations (koina), fundamental to ensuring the cohesion and vitality of ancient Marquesan society. Drums thus play an essential role in Marquesan culture, and as Véronique Mu-Liepmann rightly writes in the catalog for the Mata Hoata exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly, quoting the indispensable Karl Von den Steinen, physician and anthropologist sent by the Berlin Museum to Nuku Iva in 1897, author of the mythical work Les marquisiens et leur art: "without the drum, the world has no value... and that it has something human about it". These words have a particular resonance here, especially if you take the time to admire the superb tiki motifs carved and incised in flat tattoos that adorn the fenestrated pedestal of this drum. Viewed from the side, the soundbox flares slightly downwards, and its entire perimeter is carved with parallel, horizontal grooves carved with a slight indentation, as evidenced by ancient tradition. This wave-like pattern is like a narration of the waves of the drum's sounds. The bottom of the soundbox bowl is carved in a rounded form hidden by the fenestrated pedestal, which is entirely adorned with these superb "exploded", flat carved tiki motifs, two of which are set in a kind of "cartouche". The carving is lively and energetic, all varied and non-repetitive, a further testament to great Marquesan art. Published in 1951 in L'Art Océanien No. 38, a now legendary special issue of the Le Musée Vivant collection, for which Madeleine Rousseau's special involvement must be remembered. Note on the photo of this publication that the ivipo which was originally attached to it and adorned it, and whose beautiful old style can still be admired on the photo in the archives of the Le Corneur Roudillon gallery, has unfortunately been mislaid, but it will certainly reappear one fine day, like this superb drum today. Marquesas Islands, 19th century. Wood, shark skin (part of the skin is missing), coconut pericarp fibers, very fine old oxidation and patina. H. 53 cm (and noted as 60 cm in its 1951 publication, as it was measured diagonally along its greatest length, as was apparently the rule). See: p. 175, 196 and 197 in Mata Hoata Arts et Société aux Iles Marquises, Musée du Quai Branly, Ed. Actes Sud 2016. L'art Océanien - Sa présence - No. 38 in the Collection "Le Musée Vivant", presented by Madeleine Rousseau, introduction by Paul Rivet and texts by Guillaume Apollinaire and Tristan Tzara, APAM (Association Populaire des Amis du Musée) 1951. Provenance : - Collection of Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon - Collection Jean Roudillon Publication: Le Musée Vivant-L'art Océanien Sa présence n° 38 de la Collection Le Musée Vivant, APAM (Association Populaire des Amis du Musée) 1951, reproduced p. 98 fig. 177. Exhibition: "Art du Pacifique" Indonesia-Oceania, galerie Le Corneur Roudillon, 51 rue Bonaparte, Paris, January 24-February 15, 1951 (visible in an exhibition photo, see page 194).

Estim. 40 000 - 60 000 EUR

Lot 124 - A lime spatula from the Master of Oral Projection. Harry Beran, the great specialist in the art of the Massim region, in his book Mutuaga has identified ten lime spatulas and eight betel nut mortars from this workshop known as the Master(s) of Oral Projection, which undoubtedly included several sculptors. The lime spatula in the Jean Roudillon collection, collected by Count Festetics de Tolna, is unquestionably at the top of the chain of creation of these works if we compare them, and undoubtedly by the hand of the master. As Harry Beran has noted and written, on the finest examples in the corpus, the projection that joins the bust clearly emerges from the mouth, while on other examples it appears behind the mouth at chin level. It is tempting to interpret this protrusion as a tongue, but according to a Kitava informant, it could be the mucus that emerges from a magician's mouth and nose at the moment of death. It is interesting to note that this protrusion also appears at mouth level, creating a loop with the bust, on a very fine mortar also collected by Count Festectics de Tolna, and deposited by him in the collections of the Budapest Museum of Ethnography (Neprajzi Museum) along with sixteen hundred other objects acquired during this same legendary voyage. The spatula in the Jean Roudillon collection depicts a female subject, with superbly balanced, detailed and precise carving, such as the intertwined fingers of the hands resting on the belly between the umbilicus and the sex, or the ears sculpted in high relief in harmonious volutes. The face is adorned with three-pointed engraved motifs, still filled with lime and characteristic of the corpus, placed under each of the eyes engraved in circles, as well as for the umbilicus like a third eye. The concentric engraved motifs that wrap around the areola of the breasts create another hallucinatory gaze, or hidden animal, and are transposed in the same way to the back at the level of the shoulder blades. In the lower back, another engraved waterline motif undulates. The sculpture's volumes are impressive, its expression as serene as it is ecstatic, its proportions incomparable to most of the corpus, as is its exceptional patina, lacquered and covered with residues of soot patches. A hypnotic masterpiece among masterpieces, published in Le Musée Vivant, it is undoubtedly one of the jewels in the Jean Roudillon collection. Massim, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, 19th century Hardwood (ebony), pigment, wear and small visible lack on the left arm (old breakage) sublime and old patina of use lacquered with smoke deposits, base by Inagaki in 1942 or 1943 (base unsigned). H. 28 cm See p. 199 in Mutuaga A Nineteeth-Century New Guinea Master Carver, Harry Beran, Ed. The University of Wollongong Press 1996 For a mortar collected by Festetics from the collections of the Budapest Museum of Ethnography, see no. 26 in the catalog for the exhibition Massim, The Museum of Primitive Art, New York 1975. See : L'art Océanien - Sa présence - N° 38 de la Collection "Le Musée Vivant", presented by Madeleine Rousseau, introduction by Paul Rivet and texts by Guillaume Apollinaire and Tristan Tzara, APAM (Association Populaire des Amis du Musée) 1951, reproduced p. 76 fig. 131. Provenance : - Collection of Count Rodolphe Festetics de Tolna, collected by him before 1896. - Collection of Dr. Stéphen Chauvet (acquired at auction in closed cases, without inventory) - Collection of Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon - Jean Roudillon Collection Publications - Le Musée Vivant-L'art Océanien sa présence n° 38 de la Collection Le Musée Vivant , APAM (Association Populaire des Amis du Musée) 1951, reproduced p. 76 fig. 131. - Tribal Art-Le Monde de l'Art Tribal N° 4 December 1994, Spatules à chaux de la région Massim P. Bourgoin, p. 36 fig. 2. - Tribal Art-Le Monde de l'Art Tribal N° 4 Hiver 2003, Dossier " À la rencontre des collectionneurs ", Jean Roudillon : l'histoire de l'œil jusque dans ses murs, PH. Pataud Célérier, p. 88. Exhibition: - Art du Pacifique" Indonesia-Oceania, Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon, 51 rue Bonaparte, Paris, January 24-February 15, 1951. - 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.

Estim. 40 000 - 60 000 EUR

Lot 127 - A ceremonial bowl with anthropomorphic handles. This type of double-handled, four-legged bowl was used in ceremonies dedicated to the ancestors, and the carved handle figures may represent clan ancestors rather than mythological ones, according to Douglas Newton. Admiralty Island art is described in specialist literature as "solidly elegant", but also "leaving a rather neutral emotional impression" or its figures as "static", so perhaps it has long remained relatively impenetrable to Western eyes. This very old bowl, collected by Count Festetics de Tolna, is, for all intents and purposes, of solid elegance. Its handles, in the shape of figures of clan ancestors, are by no means static, mysterious and magical with their prognathic heads, recalling the importance of zoomorphic iconography in the Admiralty Islands and the wider Bismarck archipelago. An old inventory number (282) is still glued to the underside of the bowl. On the occasion of the exhibition L'Aristocrate et ses Cannibales Le voyage en Océanie du Comte Festetics de Tolna (1893-1896) at the Musée du Quai Branly, which featured this bowl, Roger Boullay didn't glorify Dr. Chauvet for the scant care he seemed to have taken with the (richly informative) inventory numbers and labels originally attached to each of the objects brought back by Count Festectics, And this despite the fact that he was a man of science and, what's more, had donated some eight hundred and fourteen objects to the Musée de l'Homme, five hundred and thirty-seven of which might have come from the Festetics de Tolna collection. In Jean Roudillon's notes: "Oceania, Iles de l'Amirauté 19th century Wooden "Man" cup or dish, with two figures as handles. For ceremonial or daily use to receive Sagou, the starch extracted from the sago palm. Former collection of Docteur Stephen Chauvet, from the collection of Comte Rodolphe Festetic de Tolna, 1893. Îles de l'Amirauté, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, 19th century. Wood, old inventory label inscribed 282, small visible chips (old breaks) on the legs of one figure, old crack on one handle, superb old patina. W: 55 cm and H.: 27.5 cm See pp. 238-239 in: Arts des Mers du Sud, Collections du Musée Barbier-Mueller, Ed. MBM & Adam Biro 1998 See for other cuts in: Bismarck Archipelago Art, K. Conru, Ed. Kevin Conru & 5 continents 2013 Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea Provenance: - Collection of Count Rodolphe Festetics de Tolna, collected by him before 1896 - Collection of Dr. Stéphen Chauvet (acquired at auction in closed cases, without inventory) - Le Corneur Roudillon Gallery Collection - 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.

Estim. 8 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lot 129 - A coin consisting of a small charonia tritonis conch shell and a large braid of dogfish hair. In Kanak culture, coins have a high symbolic and spiritual value. It is designed to be used in a ceremonial setting for political, social and religious purposes, to seal an agreement or a union, and to bind the word. Before a currency can be used, it must be acquired, and both its acquisition and manufacture require a complex process and procedures that must engage the acquirer in thinking in terms of human relationships and alliances, even if it will also require certain material goods (yams or pottery) or some other service in exchange. Giant tritons were used as calling conches and are the very symbol of the sacred breath and the word of the chief. They were threaded onto the tip of the ridge arrows that adorned the large chief's huts, thus redoubling the symbolic importance given to the word of the chief embodied in the arrow. The moment of the offering of a coin such as this, constituted as a calling conch and including a triton in its manufacture, necessarily implied a strong commitment of the word going well beyond solemnity and sealing this moment as a magical and sacred moment. Kanak, New Caledonia Conch (charonia tritonis) , fabric, and braids of dogfish hair. H. 16.5 cm for the triton and approx. 43 cm for the braid. See for a calling conch with dogfish hair braid and triton n° 62 page105 in: Kanak L'Art est une Parole, musée du Quai Branly, Ed. Actes Sud 2013 For Kanak coins, see p. 85 to 93 in: L'art Ancestral des Kanak, Ed. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Chartres 2009 Provenance : Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 600 - 800 EUR

Lot 133 - A lime pin with a carved head and engraved decoration. Three overlapping notched circles, carved two-thirds of the way up this ancient pin, were used to block and seal the opening of the gourd containing the lime needed to chew betel nuts. Above these three notches are superb incised and engraved motifs of circles interspersed among lines of tension, motifs of rare beauty that could almost evoke Art Deco for us. At the top, above this neck, or abstract body forming the handle, is sculpted an oblong head, with a busted nose and meticulously carved ears, serene and smiling, also of rare beauty. It's the same serene smile that adorned the face of the large Lake Sentani statue brought back by Jacques Viot in 1929, and which Jean Roudillon and his associate Olivier Le Corneur loaned to the Museum of Primitive Art in New York in 1959. J. E. Carlier reminds us, concerning the legend of another superb anthropomorphic pin from this region, that "only the chiefs of the main clans and their families were allowed to possess lime spatulas in the shape of a human figure, to be used for ceremonial purposes only". The previously unpublished lime spatula in the Jean Roudillon collection is undoubtedly a masterpiece of the arts of this region. Lake Sentani or Humboldt Bay region, Irian Jaya, Western New Guinea Wood, minimal lime residue, superb patina. H. 30 cm For the statue on loan from Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon, see catalog no. 38 of : The Art of Lac Sentani, Museum of Primitiv Art, New York 1959 See for another anthropomorphic lime pin commented by J.E. Carlier in: Du Lac Sentani au Village d'Aitape, Voyageurs et Curieux, Paris 2022 Provenance: - Probably collected by Jacques Viot - Jean Roudillon Collection

Estim. 5 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 136 - 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

Estim. 6 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 137 - Paul COLIN (1892-1985) The Black Tumult, [1925] Oil on panel. Signed and dated lower right. 156 x 116 cm Provenance : - Paul Colin sale, Maître Claude Robert, Hôtel Drouot, March 19, 1970, Paris, n° 1. - Jean Roudillon Collection. Acquired from the latter. As a young man from Nancy, he moved to Paris to gain recognition as a painter, and was fortuitously chosen in 1925 to design the poster for the Revue Nègre and its star Joséphine Baker: overnight, he became the leading poster artist and decorator for Parisian shows. After the Liberation, he devoted himself to post-war commemorations, and received advertising commissions from major national companies, which became increasingly rare over time... He returned to his brushes to reinterpret the posters that had made his name, exhibited them and organized public sales, notably with Maître Claude Robert on March 21, 1969 and March 19, 1970. The most successful were, of course, the portraits of Josephine Baker, which he always dated to 1925, his favorite year. Ours is No. 1, as indicated on the back, from the 1970 sale, entitled "Le tumulte noir" (an album that actually dates from 1927!), of which he reinterprets one of the best plates. It's far from a nostalgic whiff: he reinvents Joséphine with a totally new breath; the cold, flat colors of art-deco are replaced by free form, substance and bold colors. The black silhouette is vividly stylized, the white outline random, the gray background vibrant. This is undeniably Colin at his best.

Estim. 15 000 - 20 000 EUR