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Lot 85 - BAMILEKE, West Cameroon. Tsema 'bu" or "Batcham" mask. Wood, natural patina and fiber remnants. 69 x 60 x 17 cm. Expert : Christian NJIENSI This mask can be viewed by appointment only. Please contact the office for further information. TO BID ON THIS LOT, PLEASE CONTACT THE AUCTION HOUSE TO REGISTER A DEPOSIT. Provenance : Succession Tourangelle. Note: The prairie region of western Cameroon, populated by the Bamiléké, is one of the greatest centers of art and culture in Black Africa, which was organized according to a highly structured hierarchy based on royalty and secret societies. The "Tsema'bu" mask of the "Msop" brotherhood is commonly known as the "Batcham" mask. This name refers more to the Kingdom of Batcham, where the first of these masks was discovered and collected in 1904. Our example is close to the characteristics of the Bandjoun region. Tsema 'bu" masks are an instrument of social control, expressing or representing the power and position in the social hierarchy of the great notables and the Fo' ô. They belong to the "Msop", a powerful and ancient society whose grand initiates, the only ones authorized to wear them, are the true pillars of political and religious power in Bamiléké country. The "Tsema 'bu" only comes out on rare occasions, such as the funerals and enthronements of the king and the nine notables, or brotherhood meetings. As we still don't know everything about the rare Batcham masks, we have to observe them to make them speak for themselves, beyond their origin, their history and their traceability. This one is luminous thanks to its light-colored wood, majestic thanks to its overall allure and iconic thanks to its powerful expressionist vein and the exceptional plastic solutions it suggests, invented by the creative genius of the master sculptor, here anonymous. Finely highlighted, the eyes with their multiple pupils seem to see beyond reality, to pierce who knows what mystery. The whole face, pressed down and even slightly crushed, serves as a pedestal for a large, symmetrical, carefully grooved form that resembles a sun disk and a shadowy palm. Slightly curved, it falls just right. A little further back, it would be stiff; a little further forward, it would be unbalanced: the relationship between full and empty finds the right balance here. The back of the mask is equally remarkable. A chiselled crest ensures unity, running across the entire surface, linking top and bottom. The mask worn was thus an object exalting the entire plant and animal kingdom, intended to be viewed from all sides, including in profile. A regal object, it presents itself at its best from every angle. In traditional terms, this mask represents the head of a hippopotamus "Dzetshe" emerging from the waters and which is the Pi, the animal double of a great dignitary or chief (Fo' ô), enabling the individual to have a double existence and to appropriate the qualities of the chosen animal to act more effectively in community life and to protect himself. Carbon-14 dating analysis of the wood yielded a 95.4% confidence level for dating between (1806-1926), with a presumed period of the 19th century (Scientific Report 0224-OA-265J, CIRAM). This analysis was followed by a xylological study to identify the wood species, which belongs to the Boraginaceae family of the Cordia genus and most probably to the platythyrsa species. Commonly known as Ebe, this species is found in tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone to Cameroon (Scientific report 0224-OA-265J, CIRAM). The felling of this type of wood (Ebe) was regulated by the Fo' ô and accompanied by various rites. In particular, the carver, guardian of the tradition, observes sexual continence and food taboos during his operations. To this day, only around twenty "Batcham" masks are known to exist in the world, and our example is one of the last so-called Batcham masks in private hands. Contributions : - Bettina VON LINTING: article on request [email protected] -Gérard MACÉ, writer and poet, author of the book Chefferies Bamilékés. -Hugues DUBOIS, photographer. -CIRAM, materials analysis laboratory. Literature: -" Batcham", sculptures from Cameroon. Nouvelles perspectives anthropologiques by Jean Paul NOTUE. Musée de Marseille, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1993. -" La Panthère et la Mygale", kings and sculptors of West Cameroon. Louis PERROIS and Jean Paul NOTUE. Éditions Karthala-Orstom, 1997. -" Chefferies Bamilékés" Gérard MACE. Éditions Le Temps Qu'il Fait, 2014. -" Les Masques dits 'Batcham' "', Pierre HARTER. Arts d'Afrique Noire, no.

Estim. 20 000 - 30 000 EUR

Lot 87 - PAVEL BUHRÉ. Gift from Tsar Nicholas II to Christian A. REINBERG. Soap pocket watch in 14K (583 thousandths) yellow gold with applied guilloché decoration of the Russian imperial eagle surmounted by a blue enameled ribbon (slightly missing), mechanical movement with manual winding, white enameled circular dial with hours in Roman numerals and minutes in Arabic numerals. Slight dents. In original red leather case with imperial eagle. By Pavel BUHRÉ, with engraved mention of Supplier to the Imperial Court, Nicholas II period (1896-1917). Numbered 98164. Diameter: 5 cm. Gross weight: 87.1 g. (glass missing). Provenance: - Gift from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (1896-1917) to Christian A. Reinberg (1871-?) in 1907. - Then kept by the recipient's descendants. History : This watch was presented by Tsar Nicholas II to Christian A. Reinberg in 1907, in recognition of the service rendered in August 1903: at the time, Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna were stopping over on their yacht at the Alexander III harbor in the fortress of Liépava, in present-day Latvia. Christian Reinberg was in charge of the port's telecommunications at the time, and ensured the yacht's constant communication with land throughout the imperial couple's stay. Four years later, Tsar Nicholas II expressed his gratitude by presenting the watch. Literature: Similar watches are shown in "The Russian Imperial award system", U. Tillander-Goldenheim, Helsinki, 2005, p. 208 (N°86 & 88). Expert : Maxime CHARRON

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR