Archives
Parcours des Mondes 2025
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Parcours des Mondes 2025
Julien Flak
Ibeji
Archives | Nigeria
Ibeji
Nigeria
Ere Ibeji twin figures
Yoruba, Omu Aran style
Igbomina region, Nigeria
Early 20th century
Carved wood, beads
Height: 27 cm – 10 ½ in.
Provenance
Collection Mareidi & Gert Stoll, Munich
Collection Nina & Henrikus Simonis, Düsseldorf
Collection Hilde & Dieter Scharf, Hambourg, acquired from the above in the 1990s
Publications
“Ibeji. Zwillingsfiguren der Yoruba – Twin Figures of the Yoruba”, Stoll, G. & M., Munich, 1980, p. 319, n° 219
“Sehen lernen. Eine Sammlung afrikanischer Figuren”, Heymer, K. & Thompson, J., Cologne, 1999, pp. 58 & 59, n°19
“Figuren Afrikas. Meisterwerke einer Privatsammlung”, Rochard, P. & al., Ingelheim-am-Rhein, 2002, pp. 28 & 29, n°2
“Afrika und die Kunst. Einblicke in deutsche Privatsammlungen”, Hecht, D. & Kawik, G., Berlin, 2010, pp. 358 & 359
Exhibition
“Figuren Afrikas. Meisterwerke einer Privatsammlung”, Ingelheim-am-Rhein, Altes Rathaus, April 28th – July 7th 2002
Sold
The statuettes linked to twin worship, are called ere ibeji in the Yoruba language: ere signifying a sacred image, ibi born and eji a double. Symbols of prestige, wealth and fecundity, ere ibeji figures also guaranteed the perpetuation of future generations. These effigies of ancestors were an integral part of everyday activities, punctuating the family life of the Yoruba. Subject to very codified rituals, ere ibeji figures were pampered, with their care including feeding, washing and oiling.
They were considered to be living beings, a reincarnation of ancestor-twins. Representations always showed them at the peak of their strength and power in adulthood.
They were considered to be living beings, a reincarnation of ancestor-twins. Representations always showed them at the peak of their strength and power in adulthood.
Publication
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Archives
Dance ornament
Archives | New Ireland
Dance ornament
New Ireland
Hornbill Mouth Ornament for Malagan Rituals
New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century or earlier
Carved wood, pigments, beads, shells
Length: 25 cm – 9 ¾ in.
Provenance
Collection Georges Goldfayn (1933- 2019), France
Collection Dr. Jean-Philippe. Beaulieu, France
Sold
This bird figure (hornbill) is a dance ornament that was held between the teeth by a dancer or sometimes placed in the mouth of a mask during the ritual ceremonies of the Malangan (Malagan).
Regarding the provenance: George Goldfayn (1933-2019) was an author, publisher, man of letters and cinema. Passionate about art, he was closely associated with the Surrealist circle in Paris from 1950 onwards. A close friend and confidant of André Breton, Georges Goldfayn participated in the launch of the gallery À l'Étoile scellée, 11 rue du Pré-aux-Clercs in Paris at the end of 1952. Breton was the artistic director while Goldfayn was the gallery administrator.
Under the aegis of André Breton, he began collecting ancient Oceanic and North American art in the 1950s and continued to do so until his death.
Regarding the provenance: George Goldfayn (1933-2019) was an author, publisher, man of letters and cinema. Passionate about art, he was closely associated with the Surrealist circle in Paris from 1950 onwards. A close friend and confidant of André Breton, Georges Goldfayn participated in the launch of the gallery À l'Étoile scellée, 11 rue du Pré-aux-Clercs in Paris at the end of 1952. Breton was the artistic director while Goldfayn was the gallery administrator.
Under the aegis of André Breton, he began collecting ancient Oceanic and North American art in the 1950s and continued to do so until his death.
Documentation
The dancer holding a Hornbill mouthpiece.
Photograph, 1909
© Institute of Historical and Cultural Anthropology – Universität Tübingen.
Courtesy Jean-Philippe Beaulieu archives
Publication
Documentation
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Archives
Okvik (OBS I) figure
Archives | Alaska
Okvik (OBS I) figure
Alaska
Human figure
Okvik, Old Bering Sea I culture
Archaic Eskimo
St. Lawrence Island, Alaska
200 BC – 100 AD
Marine ivory
Height: 6.5 cm – 2 ½ in.
Provenance
Private collection, Sante Fe, USA
Collection Chester BC Dentan, Sante Fe, USA
Okvik figure 6.5 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
This hieratic figure in fossilized ivory constitutes an extremely rare, archetypal example of archaic Eskimo art. It belongs to the very small corpus of the great classic art of the Okvik culture (Old Bering Sea I) which was born and developed on St. Lawrence Island at the southern part of the Bering Strait more than 2,000 years ago.
Okvik figures in marine ivory were used during ceremonies linked to fertility as well as for ensuring successful hunting expeditions.
Objects used to transmit knowledge and as aides for shamanic practices, these sculptures constituted a privileged channel for communicating with the invisible world of the spirits.
This human figure is distinguished by the purity and elongation of its lines. The treatment of the face vividly evokes the work of certain 20th century artists, such as Amedeo Modigliani or Constantin Brancusi.
Okvik figures in marine ivory were used during ceremonies linked to fertility as well as for ensuring successful hunting expeditions.
Objects used to transmit knowledge and as aides for shamanic practices, these sculptures constituted a privileged channel for communicating with the invisible world of the spirits.
This human figure is distinguished by the purity and elongation of its lines. The treatment of the face vividly evokes the work of certain 20th century artists, such as Amedeo Modigliani or Constantin Brancusi.
Publication
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Archives
Malagan figure
Archives | New Ireland
Malagan figure
New Ireland
Malagan effigy
New Ireland
Early 20th century
Carved wood, pigments and shells
Height: 145 cm – 57 in.
Provenance
Galerie Le Corneur Roudillon, Paris
Collection Roberto Matta (1911-2002), New York / Paris
Gifted by the artist to his son, Ramuntcho Matta, Paris in 1976
Acquired from the above in 2025
Sold
Surrealist artists such as Roberto Matta, to whom this figure once belonged, Max Ernst, and André Breton were fascinated by the arts of Oceania, and of New Ireland in particular. They saw in these works a source of “poetic sublime” that resonated with their quest to liberate the imagination and to pursue poetic expression beyond the bounds of reason.
This sculpture represents a standing figure and includes various animal representations.
This carving was ritually displayed during Malagan ceremonies. These ritual cycles constituted the final stage of mourning for important ancestors. Malagan performances aimed at restoring social balance and harmony.
Acting not as a portrait of the departed, « but rather as a representation of the vital energy which engendered and animated him » (see "Arts Rituels d’Océanie, Nouvelle-Irlande", Michael Gunn, 1997, p. 49), the statue illustrates ancestral motifs specific to the individual or the clan. Philippe Peltier notes in "New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific" (quai Branly museum, 2006, p. 78) that the Malagan aims at picking up the ancestor's energy, channeling it and sharing it out among the members of the clan to tighten social bonds within the community.
The sculpture presented here is redolent with power and poetry. It constitutes a superb example of the classic arts of New Ireland.
This sculpture represents a standing figure and includes various animal representations.
This carving was ritually displayed during Malagan ceremonies. These ritual cycles constituted the final stage of mourning for important ancestors. Malagan performances aimed at restoring social balance and harmony.
Acting not as a portrait of the departed, « but rather as a representation of the vital energy which engendered and animated him » (see "Arts Rituels d’Océanie, Nouvelle-Irlande", Michael Gunn, 1997, p. 49), the statue illustrates ancestral motifs specific to the individual or the clan. Philippe Peltier notes in "New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific" (quai Branly museum, 2006, p. 78) that the Malagan aims at picking up the ancestor's energy, channeling it and sharing it out among the members of the clan to tighten social bonds within the community.
The sculpture presented here is redolent with power and poetry. It constitutes a superb example of the classic arts of New Ireland.
Publication
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Archives
Vuvi mask
Africa | Gabon
Vuvi mask
Gabon
Early 20th century
Carved wood, pigments and raffia
Height: 34 cm – 13 ¼ in.
Provenance
Private collection, France, since the 1970s
Collection Renaud Vanuxem, Paris
Vuvi mask 34 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Also known as Pubi, Vouvi, or Puvi, the Vuvi of central Gabon performed masked ceremonies in which each mask, bearing a distinct name and personality, revealed itself through ritual. As Charlotte Grand-Dufay notes in "Tribal Art", 2013, the Vuvi were part of a broader cultural milieu alongside the Fang and Tsogho, with their abstract “white masks” reflecting these connections.
Characterized by a flat, shield-shaped face with features concentrated in the upper part, they depict mythical entities—such as the moon—and are linked to the Bwete Disumba and Mureli initiatory societies.
See "Les forêts natales – Arts de l’Afrique équatoriale atlantique" (musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, 2017, p. 324) for a closely related mask, in the collections of the Musée National d’art moderne, (Centre Pompidou, Paris, inv. AM 1984-349).
Characterized by a flat, shield-shaped face with features concentrated in the upper part, they depict mythical entities—such as the moon—and are linked to the Bwete Disumba and Mureli initiatory societies.
See "Les forêts natales – Arts de l’Afrique équatoriale atlantique" (musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, 2017, p. 324) for a closely related mask, in the collections of the Musée National d’art moderne, (Centre Pompidou, Paris, inv. AM 1984-349).
Publication
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Africa
Hemba Figure
Africa | Democratic Republic of the Congo
Hemba Figure
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Singiti Commemorative portrait of a chief
Hemba
19th century or early 20th century
Carved wood
Height: 86.5 cm – 34 in.
Provenance
Collected by Jo Christiaens in the 1970s
Collection Mia van Bussel, Amsterdam
Collection Kevin Conru, Brussels
Collection Adrian Schlag, Brussels
Collection Guilhem Montagut, Barcelona
Publication
“Lexikon der Afrikanischen Kunst”, Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler, Munich, 1994, page 242
Hemba figure 86.5 cm / Galerie Figure
Price: on request
This 86.5 cm (34 in.) tall sculpture originates from the northern Hemba region, near the Kusu and Bassikasingo. Its composition combines both power and harmony.
A hieratic quality and a remarkable impression of inner spiritual presence emanate from this major commemorative figure.
As stated by François Neyt in "La grande statuaire Hemba du Zaïre", Hemba ancestor effigies were carved to honor the legacy of important chiefs. The concept of lineage protection and survival played a central role in Hemba beliefs. « The Hemba clans, relatively independent of each other, had their own history. Their family trees dating back to eight, ten or even fifteen generations were perfectly known, and were essential in particular to justify ownership of the land ». These commemorative portraits of chiefs were genealogy markers. They also served as protectors of the clan.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York notes that Hemba artists emphasized two bodily passages of such representations – the head as the site of one’s intellect where knowledge is taken in through the eyes and the stomach where the umbilicus is the point of connection with one’s extended lineage. A Hemba chief inherited a series of such works that were housed in a dedicated structure centrally located in the community adjacent to his residence.
A hieratic quality and a remarkable impression of inner spiritual presence emanate from this major commemorative figure.
As stated by François Neyt in "La grande statuaire Hemba du Zaïre", Hemba ancestor effigies were carved to honor the legacy of important chiefs. The concept of lineage protection and survival played a central role in Hemba beliefs. « The Hemba clans, relatively independent of each other, had their own history. Their family trees dating back to eight, ten or even fifteen generations were perfectly known, and were essential in particular to justify ownership of the land ». These commemorative portraits of chiefs were genealogy markers. They also served as protectors of the clan.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York notes that Hemba artists emphasized two bodily passages of such representations – the head as the site of one’s intellect where knowledge is taken in through the eyes and the stomach where the umbilicus is the point of connection with one’s extended lineage. A Hemba chief inherited a series of such works that were housed in a dedicated structure centrally located in the community adjacent to his residence.
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Africa
Katsina doll
Archives | Arizona
Katsina doll
Arizona
Corn Katsina doll
Carved by Hopi Chief Wilson Tawaquaptewa, Oraibi (1873-1960)
Hopi, Arizona, USA
Circa 1930
Carved wood (cottonwood), pigments
Height: 29 cm – 11 ½ in.
Provenance
Collection Enrico Donati (1909-2008), New York
Sotheby’s New York « Important American Indian, African, Oceanic and other Works of Art from the Studio of Enrico Donati », 14 May 2010, lot 5
Collection Sheikh Saud Al-Thani, Qatar, acquired from the above
Sold
Katsina dolls (or Katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, Katsina dolls constituted a pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
This Katsina doll is the work of a Hopi master carver, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960).
Oraibi chief W. Tawaquaptewa was both a prominent a spiritual and political Hopi leader; he is also celebrated as one of the greatest Katsina doll carvers.
A major exhibition of W. Tawaquaptewa's works was notably presented a few years ago at the Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA).
The color palette on this doll is typical of this artist's works.
For more information on this artist, please refer to the chapter “The Unique Katsinam of Wilson Tawaquaptewa” in the book "L'Appel des Kachinas - Katsina Calling", pages 60 to 72 (B. Walsh, J. Flak, 2024).
This Katsina doll was part of the collection of the artist Enrico Donati (1909–2008), a prominent figure of the Surrealist movement. Of Italian origin, Donati first trained in sociology and music before turning to painting. After settling in Paris and later in New York, he joined the close circle of André Breton and other major Surrealist figures, bringing new vitality to the movement with works imbued with mystery and organic forms.
In the 1930s, Donati developed a genuine passion for Native American art. Fascinated by ritual objects and the magical dimension of Indigenous creations, he visited Indian reservations in the American Southwest and northern Canada, spending several months among the Apache, Hopi, Zuni, and Inuit. During these stays, Donati exchanged European objects for Katsina figures, baskets, and masks, building a rich collection that left a lasting mark on his imagination.
This immersion did not lead Donati to a formal imitation of Native aesthetics, but rather to an embrace of a “primal” and magical spirit. Through matter and texture, he sought to reveal what lies beyond the visible. For him, Native American art acted as a catalyst of mysterious forces—an approach he strove to transpose into his own Surrealist works, where myths, enigmas, and symbols are in constant dialogue with the unknown.
For further insight into the importance of Native American art for Enrico Donati, see Marie Mauzé’s chapter “Surrealism and Hopimania” in « L’Appel des Kachinas – Katsina Calling » (Éditions l’Enfance de l’Art, 2024).
This Katsina doll is the work of a Hopi master carver, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960).
Oraibi chief W. Tawaquaptewa was both a prominent a spiritual and political Hopi leader; he is also celebrated as one of the greatest Katsina doll carvers.
A major exhibition of W. Tawaquaptewa's works was notably presented a few years ago at the Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA).
The color palette on this doll is typical of this artist's works.
For more information on this artist, please refer to the chapter “The Unique Katsinam of Wilson Tawaquaptewa” in the book "L'Appel des Kachinas - Katsina Calling", pages 60 to 72 (B. Walsh, J. Flak, 2024).
This Katsina doll was part of the collection of the artist Enrico Donati (1909–2008), a prominent figure of the Surrealist movement. Of Italian origin, Donati first trained in sociology and music before turning to painting. After settling in Paris and later in New York, he joined the close circle of André Breton and other major Surrealist figures, bringing new vitality to the movement with works imbued with mystery and organic forms.
In the 1930s, Donati developed a genuine passion for Native American art. Fascinated by ritual objects and the magical dimension of Indigenous creations, he visited Indian reservations in the American Southwest and northern Canada, spending several months among the Apache, Hopi, Zuni, and Inuit. During these stays, Donati exchanged European objects for Katsina figures, baskets, and masks, building a rich collection that left a lasting mark on his imagination.
This immersion did not lead Donati to a formal imitation of Native aesthetics, but rather to an embrace of a “primal” and magical spirit. Through matter and texture, he sought to reveal what lies beyond the visible. For him, Native American art acted as a catalyst of mysterious forces—an approach he strove to transpose into his own Surrealist works, where myths, enigmas, and symbols are in constant dialogue with the unknown.
For further insight into the importance of Native American art for Enrico Donati, see Marie Mauzé’s chapter “Surrealism and Hopimania” in « L’Appel des Kachinas – Katsina Calling » (Éditions l’Enfance de l’Art, 2024).
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Archives
Kachina doll
North America | Arizona
Kachina doll
Arizona
Umtoinaqa Katsina – Making Thunder Katsina doll
Carved by Hopi Chief Wilson Tawaquaptewa Oraibi (1873-1960)
Hopi, Arizona, USA
Circa 1930
Carved wood (cottonwood), pigments
Height: 47.5 cm – 18 ¾ in.
Provenance
Collection Enrico Donati (1909-2008), New York
Sotheby’s New York « Important American Indian, African, Oceanic and other Works of Art from the Studio of Enrico Donati », 14 May 2010, lot 6
Collection Sheikh Saud Al-Thani, Qatar, acquired at the above auction
Exhibition and Publication
“The Surreal World of Enrico Donati », Timothy Anglin Burgard, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, de Young Museum, June-September 2007, p. 53.
Making Thunder Katsina doll Tawaquaptewa Donati 47.5 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Katsina dolls (or katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, katsina dolls constituted a pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
This Katsina doll is the work of a Hopi master carver, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960).
Oraibi chief W. Tawaquaptewa was both a prominent a spiritual and political Hopi leader; he is also celebrated as one of the greatest Katsina doll carvers.
A major exhibition of W. Tawaquaptewa's works was notably presented a few years ago at the Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA).
The color palette on this doll is typical of this artist's works.
For more information on this artist, please refer to the chapter “The Unique Katsinam of Wilson Tawaquaptewa” in the book "L'Appel des Kachinas - Katsina Calling", pages 60 to 72 (B. Walsh, J. Flak, 2024).
This Katsina doll was one of the highlights of the collection of the artist Enrico Donati (1909–2008), a prominent figure of the Surrealist movement. Of Italian origin, Donati first trained in sociology and music before turning to painting. After settling in Paris and later in New York, he joined the close circle of André Breton and other major Surrealist figures, bringing new vitality to the movement with works imbued with mystery and organic forms.
In the 1930s, Donati developed a genuine passion for Native American art. Fascinated by ritual objects and the magical dimension of Indigenous creations, he visited Indian reservations in the American Southwest and northern Canada, spending several months among the Apache, Hopi, Zuni, and Inuit. During these stays, Donati exchanged European objects for Katsina figures, baskets, and masks, building a rich collection that left a lasting mark on his imagination.
This immersion did not lead Donati to a formal imitation of Native aesthetics, but rather to an embrace of a “primal” and magical spirit. Through matter and texture, he sought to reveal what lies beyond the visible. For him, Native American art acted as a catalyst of mysterious forces—an approach he strove to transpose into his own Surrealist works, where myths, enigmas, and symbols are in constant dialogue with the unknown.
For further insight into the importance of Native American art for Enrico Donati, see Marie Mauzé’s chapter “Surrealism and Hopimania” in L’Appel des Kachinas – Katsina Calling (Éditions l’Enfance de l’Art, 2024).
This Katsina doll is the work of a Hopi master carver, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960).
Oraibi chief W. Tawaquaptewa was both a prominent a spiritual and political Hopi leader; he is also celebrated as one of the greatest Katsina doll carvers.
A major exhibition of W. Tawaquaptewa's works was notably presented a few years ago at the Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA).
The color palette on this doll is typical of this artist's works.
For more information on this artist, please refer to the chapter “The Unique Katsinam of Wilson Tawaquaptewa” in the book "L'Appel des Kachinas - Katsina Calling", pages 60 to 72 (B. Walsh, J. Flak, 2024).
This Katsina doll was one of the highlights of the collection of the artist Enrico Donati (1909–2008), a prominent figure of the Surrealist movement. Of Italian origin, Donati first trained in sociology and music before turning to painting. After settling in Paris and later in New York, he joined the close circle of André Breton and other major Surrealist figures, bringing new vitality to the movement with works imbued with mystery and organic forms.
In the 1930s, Donati developed a genuine passion for Native American art. Fascinated by ritual objects and the magical dimension of Indigenous creations, he visited Indian reservations in the American Southwest and northern Canada, spending several months among the Apache, Hopi, Zuni, and Inuit. During these stays, Donati exchanged European objects for Katsina figures, baskets, and masks, building a rich collection that left a lasting mark on his imagination.
This immersion did not lead Donati to a formal imitation of Native aesthetics, but rather to an embrace of a “primal” and magical spirit. Through matter and texture, he sought to reveal what lies beyond the visible. For him, Native American art acted as a catalyst of mysterious forces—an approach he strove to transpose into his own Surrealist works, where myths, enigmas, and symbols are in constant dialogue with the unknown.
For further insight into the importance of Native American art for Enrico Donati, see Marie Mauzé’s chapter “Surrealism and Hopimania” in L’Appel des Kachinas – Katsina Calling (Éditions l’Enfance de l’Art, 2024).
Publication
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North America
Songye figure
Africa | Democratic Republic of the Congo
Songye figure
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Nkisi power figure
Songye
19th century or early 20th century
Carved wood and metal
Height: 12 cm – 4 ¾ in.
Provenance
Collection Karel Plasmans, Belgium
Collection Guilhem Montagut, Barcelona
Songye figure Plasmans 12 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
The Songye reside in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the Lomami River in Central Africa. The political organization of the Songye is centered around the personality of their chief, a holy, benevolent figure endowed with magical-religious power. Secret societies also ensure social, political and religious stability.
Fetishes, amulets (boanga or nganga) and power figures (nkishi) are omnipresent among the Songye. These ritual figures are said to bring wealth, fertility and success. They also serve as a form of protection against hostile forces, such as lightning or diseases. The antelope horn at the top of the head of the carved figure was the receptacle for the « medicine », transmitting strength and magical power to its owner.
Fetishes, amulets (boanga or nganga) and power figures (nkishi) are omnipresent among the Songye. These ritual figures are said to bring wealth, fertility and success. They also serve as a form of protection against hostile forces, such as lightning or diseases. The antelope horn at the top of the head of the carved figure was the receptacle for the « medicine », transmitting strength and magical power to its owner.
Publication
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Africa