Art | Bonhams
Bonhams - Power and Form: London Private Collection triumphs at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr
| 2025-09-29 |     |
From an exceptional private collection, a yipwon figure from the Inyai-Ewa people of the Korewori River region of New Guinea, sold for €190,900, more than six times its estimate, at Bonhams' African, Oceanic & Pre-Columbian Art online sale ending on 25 September in Paris. Carved to provide a dwelling place for the spirit which would aid men in their hunt by capturing the souls of the animals they hunted, these figures were almost unknown to western collectors until the 1960s. This fine example was collected by a missionary from The Society of the Divine Word in New Guinea and was acquired by the Dutch dealer, Edward (Eddy) Hof, in the mid-1960s. From the same provenance, two smaller figures, called aripa, from the same area, sold for €30,720 and €28,160. The sale achieved a total of €425,716 with prices exceeding their estimates.
Émilie Jolly, Head of the African and Oceanic Art department, commented: "This auction included many high-quality works from a discerning London collection that were fresh-to-the-market, including the yipwon figure and the aripas, which were rare examples still in private hands. We were particularly happy to offer this collection at auction in Paris, a city which has become a hub for art lovers and where international collectors meet. I am not surprised by the price achieved by the exquisitely carved Baule figure from Lucien van de Velde sold for €12,800 and by the Wasco stone mortar sold for €11,520. We very much look forward to the next selection from the same collection to be held in London in November: Beauties, Beasts and Blossoms: An Important London Private Collection of Japanese Paintings.”
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A fine Baule figure, acquired circa 1980 from Lucien van de Velde sold for €12,800, three times its estimate of €4,000 to 6,000.
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Another Baule figure from Josef Mueller of Solothurn on a base executed by the renowned maker, Kichizo Inagaki, who worked for the most famous collectors and dealers in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century sold for €7,680.
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From the Americas a Wasco stone mortar found before 1956 and purchased from the Donald Ellis Gallery sold for €11,520 against an estimate of €4,000-6,000.
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Several bowls and dishes from the Pacific include a small bowl from Hawaii which sold for €10,240 against an estimate of €600-800 and an exceptional large shallow dish from Fiji achieved €5,120.
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A fine and unusual Iroquois false face mask comes from the Brussels dealer, Emile Deletaille and retains its medicine bundle sold for €7,680, twice its estimate of €3,000-5,000.
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A small Teotihuacan alabaster mask which was in the collection of Alan Wurtzburger, Baltimore, before 1958 sold for €4,096. (estimate: €2,000-3,000).
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A rare Tsonga headrest from South Africa was formerly in the collection of the Belgian painter, Frits Van den Berghe, and was included in the iconic 1937 Antwerp exhibition, Tentoonstelling van Kongo-Kunst sold for €3,328.
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.