African Art from the McNemar Collection IV 2021-03-13 Auction - 211 Price Results - Hilliard & Co. in VA
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Fine Guro Mask, Ivory CoastBwa Yehoti Butterfly Mask, Burkina FasoDogon Door Lock
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Madison, VA, United States
Auction Details

African Art from the McNemar Collection IV

Hilliard & Co.

Hilliard & Co.

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Virginia-born Thomas McNemar was in the British Museum researching his dissertation when he encountered his first piece of African art. From that moment he was mesmerized, returning daily to immerse himself in the museum's collection. In time he was noticed by the curator, who nurtured the passion that would change the course of McNemar's life. He moved to the Ivory Coast in the early 1960s and spent the next twenty years traveling, learning and collecting throughout West and Central Africa. He later moved to New York to open a gallery of African Art, eventually doing the same in San Francisco before returning to his home town of Lexington Virginia. McNemar sold African art to museums and public and private collections throughout Europe and the United States. This auction is the fourth of several presenting items from Thomas McNemar's large personal collection of African art.
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Bobo "Bolo" Helmet Mask, Burkina Faso: Zoomorphic mask with high round openwork crest atop head with long upright pointed ears, swooping nose and a long bill or snout. Fine leather upholsters a small section of the crest; possibly a
0001: Bobo "Bolo" Helmet Mask, Burkina FasoEst. $100-$400
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Small Mbole Ofika Hanged Male Figure: Ofika figure representing a hanged man. Hanged Ofika figures are used in Mbole initiation rites to encourage obedience to tribal laws. Concave, whitened heart-shaped face with closed eyes, split
0002: Small Mbole Ofika Hanged Male FigureEst. $100-$400
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Songye Nkisi Power Figure, D. R. Congo: Small figure with animal horn embedded in crown, the narrow, rather wedge-shaped head inset with hollow, tubular objects, their tops flush with the surface of the wood. The arms are bent at the
0003: Songye Nkisi Power Figure, D. R. CongoEst. $100-$600
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Ambete Mbete Reliquary Figure: Carved wood standing male figure with reliquary compartment. The mask-like face covered with beaten sheet brass, smooth contrast to the ridged coiffure on the back half of the head. The typically
0004: Ambete Mbete Reliquary FigureEst. $100-$500
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Bronze Yaure Mask, Ivory Coast: Bronze mask with rounded, curving horns joined at the tips above a heart shaped face with delicate features. The thin, arched brows over coffee bean eyes with slender nose and "o" shaped lips. The
0005: Bronze Yaure Mask, Ivory CoastEst. $100-$400
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Yoruba Ibeji Twin Figure: Female figure with peaked coiffure, the slightly bulging eyes enhanced by nailheads, with short, broad nose above parted lips, with parallel scarification lines on each cheek and low-set, c-shaped
0006: Yoruba Ibeji Twin FigureEst. $100-$400
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Mbole Ofika "Hanged" Figure: Large Ofika figure representing a hanged person. Hanged Ofika figures are used in initiation rites to encourage obedience to tribal laws. Concave, whitened heart-shaped face with closed eyes, split
0007: Mbole Ofika "Hanged" FigureEst. $100-$600
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Two Tutsi Pottery Vessels: Water pots with distinctive raised and pigmented decoration. Tutsi people, Rwanda, Burundi. Approx. 16" and 15" in height. Provenance: Estate of Thomas McNemar, (1931-2020.) McNemar lived and
0008: Two Tutsi Pottery VesselsEst. $100-$400
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Fante Akua Ba Fertility Doll, Ghana: Of medium brown wood, with fanning, wedge shaped head on long ringed neck over cylindrical body. Pleasing facial features and delicate scarification carved in low relief. Good oily patina and wear.
0009: Fante Akua Ba Fertility Doll, GhanaEst. $100-$600
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Senufo "Tugubele" Bush Spirit Figure: Small standing female figure with crested coiffure, prominent breasts and buttocks, bent elbows, somewhat hoof-shaped hands, the legs terminating in integrated carved base. Carved wood with black
0010: Senufo "Tugubele" Bush Spirit FigureEst. $100-$400
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Baule "bo nun amuin" Heddle Pulley: Large zoomorphic heddle pulley with finial in the form of a bo nun amuin (God of the Bush) mask, here with open mouth and protruding red tongue, facial scarification, twist carved horns. (The horns
0011: Baule "bo nun amuin" Heddle PulleyEst. $100-$200
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Mossi "Biga" Fertility Doll: With narrow, crested head, embellished with leather, string tassels, beads and shells. Women who hope to become pregnant wear such dolls wrapped within their garments. Mossi people, Burkina Faso. On
0012: Mossi "Biga" Fertility DollEst. $100-$300
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Fang Bieri Janus Figure: Fang reliquary double figure, carved wood enlivened with brass tack eyes, the forehead, shoulders and thighs with metal plates with relief pattern of chevrons. The joined figures appear seated or
0013: Fang Bieri Janus FigureEst. $100-$600
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Yoruba "Agere Ifa" Divination Bowl: Elaborate agere ifa vessel with multiple figures, part of a Yoruba diviner's ensemble, in this case carved as a lidded basket balanced on the head of a fertile young woman with large, ridged
0014: Yoruba "Agere Ifa" Divination BowlEst. $200-$600
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Binji Mask, Congo: Wicker frame supporting woven fiber face with carved wooden tubular eyes. Stamped or painted geometric embellishment, thick raffia beard and hair. Kuba/ Binji people, Democratic Republic of Congo.
0015: Binji Mask, CongoEst. $100-$400
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Goma / Bembe Mask, D. R. Congo: Round and somewhat flat mask with huge, heavy lidded eyes set in raised whitened ovals on either side of the long straight nose above the open mouth. The face with red pigment bordered by black and
0016: Goma / Bembe Mask, D. R. CongoEst. $100-$300
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Early 20th C. Bamana Doll, Mali: Scarce standing female figure of darkened wax, organic material and/ or clay over wood. Late 19th - early 20th C. Bamana people, Mali. On custom gallery base. Collection number in white at back near
0017: Early 20th C. Bamana Doll, MaliEst. $200-$600
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Fine Guro Mask, Ivory Coast: Anthropomorphic mask of marked delicacy, with lobed coiffure, half closed eyes under arched brows, slender nose and slightly pouting lips, with relief carved keloid scars on cheeks and temples. Old
0017A: Fine Guro Mask, Ivory CoastEst. $100-$300
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Yaure Mask, Ivory Coast: Superb Yaure mask with refined, delicate features, the upward slant of the coffee bean eyes beneath the arched brows and the upturned, slightly pouting mouth give an almost--but not quite--
0017B: Yaure Mask, Ivory CoastEst. $100-$400
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Bronze Torc Torque Neck Ring, Congo: Large bronze neck ring, the rectangular tag with incised geometric figures. Likely a currency / trade object from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Approx. 9 1/2" x 11" diameter.
0018: Bronze Torc Torque Neck Ring, CongoEst. $100-$200
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Large Tetela / Songye Mask: Square mask, the smooth, rounded forehead the only surface not relief carved with geometric patterns, the effect heightened with white kaolin. With reddish and black pigment. Approx. 21 1/2" H x 17"
0018A: Large Tetela / Songye MaskEst. $100-$400
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Benin Bronze Purse: Cast bronze container suspended by chain of threaded bronze beads, with fitted cover and with dangling beads and cast bronze objects. West Africa, likely Nigeria. Approx. 17 1/2" total length x 6
0019: Benin Bronze PurseEst. $100-$200
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Four Bronze Birds, West Africa: To include double headed bird with snake and smaller bird on its back, similar bird with one head and snake on its back, these two likely Ashanti. Also included, a solid bronze bird with a thick
0020: Four Bronze Birds, West AfricaEst. $100-$200
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Large Bamana / Bambara Chiwara Headdress: Northern style antelope headdress, with graceful and highly abstract three headed figure of an antelope with curved openwork body, the four long spiral-carved horns tipped with hide and animal hair
0021: Large Bamana / Bambara Chiwara HeaddressEst. $100-$600
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