Les arts premiers magazine

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1 Les arts premiers magazine Tribal Art MIAMI Show Review more Paris auctions 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 3,1 - WINTER 2012 feature: ESKIMO ART AND SHAMANISM Exclusive by Rahul Patel Art Tribal Newsletter, LLC 2012 All information and images included are property of Art Tribal Newsletter and shall not be reproduced or used in any way without the proper expressed written consent.

2 cassera ARTS PREMIERS more Auction price CONFUSION?!? As soon as we thought we had things figured out Sotheby s goes and confuses the entire world once again. There are no words to describe the auction results from December s Paris sale. The buyers of these objects are clearly not interested in art, they are not investors and provenance is obviously not a factor. So who are these buyers who pay $1M for a 3 inch ivory pendant? How does a failed auction that sells less then 20% of the lots still achieve a total of almost 10M EUROS? I guess we will never know the answer to these questions. Until then we invite you to ponder the following, enjoy. What s the difference? LOT 42 LOT ,000 EUROS! Two Mbum scepters from Cameroon, identical provenance, a 1 inch size difference, Lot 42 sold for 216,750 EUR, Lot 43 sold for 48,750 EUR. Skagit Squadeelish (Speakers Staff) Origin: Northern Washington State Circa: Mid to Late 19th Century Height: 29 in (74cm) Materials: Wood, shell, pigment Provenance: Private WA Collection NEW YORK CITY & LACONNER WASHINGTON 719 1st Street Laconner, wa Phone: Mobile: COMBIEN????? 780,750 EUROS! Over $1M USD!!!! Hungaan ivory pendant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 3 1/8 in tall, NO PROVENANCE! Sold for over $1M USD, VERY CONFUSING! <---- ACTUAL SIZE!!!! Does provenance REALLY matter? Lot 21 A nice Senufo mask from the Ivory Coast, Provenance: Frédérick H. Lem entre 1934 et 1935, Collection Helena Rubinstein Paris - New York! This piece sold for the humble price of 15,000 EUR!

3 10th - 13th May Bohemian national hall 321 E 73rd St. New York, NY (3 blocks from Sotheby s) During the 3rd Annual NYC Tribal Art Week For more info visit or call

4 ESKIMO ART AND SHAMANISM BY RAHUL PATEL Shamanism is an anthropological range of belief and practices which communicate with the spirit world. Shaman comes from the Tungus word called shaman - who can see in the dark. The word shaman originates from Sanskrit language Srama, meaning religious exercises, which became shamen in Chinese, meaning Buddhist monk. In Eskimo culture Shamans are called Angakoq; they are messengers between human world and spirit world. They treat illness by mending the soul, alleviating traumas affecting the soul or spirit, restoring the physical body and soul to wholeness. Alaska, the hub of Eskimo art in the contemporary age, was indeed the center where prehistoric Eskimo art reached its zenith. The North Alaskan art of the last 2000 years was the inspiration from which the contemporary Eskimo culture of Alaska, Japanese boxwood okimono depicting Ashinaga and Tenaga, Meiji Period ( ) Canada, as well as Greenland, grew. According to the Eskimo belief system, every object, the universe and cosmos is throbbing with life force called inua. Inua can transform into a multitude of physical forms. A person may catch just a glimpse of the human-like face of inua Horton Street, Emeryville, CA USA zentner@zentnercollection.com, P: Acquiring and Selling Tribal Artifacts from a wide range of sources including; regional, national, and international galleries, private dealers, and works for resale from auctions, individuals and corporate clients. stacey@tribalarthunter.com Phone: (954) Image 1: cover and right - Eskimo Polychrome Wood Maskette is a prime representation of such inua. It was acquired in 1923, Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation and later by Smithsonian Institution. Later this coveted maskette was acquired and gave tremendous inspiration to surrealistic artist, Enrico Donati, in New York, who lived to the ripe age of 99 years, surrounded by Eskimo and Hopi figures in his studio to bring mystery Image 1: Eskimo Polychrome Wood Maskette /4 in. Ex 1923, Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, Ex Smithsonian Inst. Ex Studio of Enrico Donati, Ex Sothebys

5 and magic of the unknown. I believe such Eskimo mystical masks kept him excited with joie de vivre. The celebrated artist, Donati, used to say, I believe it s another world. This is my world and the one outside I don t even think about when I work. In Eskimo culture Masks were worn far more in festivals dancing than in shamanistic activities, However, masks were widely used for curing in the North, though apparently reserved only for cases that had wider implications than a simple illness. The shaman most commonly used masks to consult with spirits at a time of crisis, wearing a spirit mask to investigate the cause Dorothy Jean Ray, Eskimo Masks; Art and Ceremony, pp The common myth among the connoisseurs and experts of Eskimo art is that the magical powerful figures called Dolls, are playthings for the children, which according to my research are not playthings but have apotropaic purpose, such beautiful pieces cannot have been used simply as children s dolls in the manner described They were protecting against disease, serving as fertility and birthing amulets, and acting as general household guardians and deities. Gifts from the Ancestors Ancient Ivories of Bering Strait, Fitzhugh, Hollowell, Crowell, pp. 292, Figure 3. figure, Okvik. shaman and his helping spirits to help remove illness, Jeffrey Myers, one of the world s foremost Eskimo art authorities, believes. The shamanic ability of Eskimo art to soul travel, going to the moon and back, shaman s ability to fly in different worlds and times, their connection with cosmology, makes Eskimo art a unique gift to world culture. It is recently coming to be recognized as one of the most original, pioneering and visionary arts. There is no becoming. It is just being where all the multitudes co-exist together in their inuas. I can experience their spirit world of Eskimo art where Angakoq is not only the master of space, but indeed, master of spirits! All Art Objects From The Collection of Rahul Patel Photographs: Okvik figure, Shamanic Ipiutak Amulet, by Maureen Clark Eskimo Polychrome Wood Maskette, courtesy Sotheby s. Image 2 is such a depiction of this powerful anthropomorphic Okvik ivory figure, 250B.C. 100A.D., excavated on St.Lawrence Island, Alaska and acquired from Cassera Arts Premiers Gallery in LaConner, WA. The ethnographic information, coupled with the figure s remarkable beauty and surrealistic style suggest a complex and important role for Okvik human figures in ancient Bering Strait culture. Another unique Eskimo art form comes from Ipiutak culture, which is deeply connected with Shamanism. Their magical abilities to transform from humans to animals and animals to humans is astonishing. The epitome of this shaman s transformative art was recently acquired by prolific and pioneering Eskimo art expert and field collector, Jeffrey Myers of New York. It is an important shamanic object excavated at Point Spencer, Seward Peninsula. The object is a walrus ivory apotropaic effigy consisting of five distinct faces and a rendering of a shaman in flight. This rare healing object is from the Ipiutak culture, A.D. in the 30 years of my field collecting, I have never seen an effigy object so shamanic in nature. - Jeffrey Myers. Images 3, 4, 5 are a visual, study in transformation the shaman in various human forms and animal interchanges of inuas, transitions, passages and boundaries. This Ipiutak object is undoubtedly a curing piece, bringing together the power of the Image 2: Okvik Ivory Anthropomorphic human figure excavated on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, 250 B.C.-100 A.D., 4.5 inch. height, provenance ex Bill Caskey, ex Cassera Arts Premiers, New York & LaConner, WA Image 3: Rare Ipiutak Excavated Shamanic Eskimo Ivory Amulet A.D. 2 3/4 inch. Provenance Jeffrey Myers, New York. Image 4: Shaman transforming into polar bear on bottom of this Eskimo effigy and on the top is Shaman s head in profile. Image 5: On the back of this apotropaic piece, shaman interchanging his human form into wolf Inua and wings to fly.

6 AOA Tribal art: Hottest ticket in miami first ever tribal art show during Art basel makes it s mark The first tribal art show ever to happen in Miami during Art Basel officially opened on schedule, Wednesday November 30th, the same night as Art Basel. While it was a small crowd in comparison to the major shows in Miami, AOA Tribal Art Miami only seemed to attract local collectors, famous artists, curators and press. Also attending over the four day show were actors, doctors, architects, engineers and other professional types, each noting the impressive venue and unique layout specifically designed for the Carnival Studio Theater inside the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Participating dealers included; Wayne Heathcote - UK, Throckmorton Fine Art - NY, Luz Miriam Toro - NY, David Cassera - NY/ LaConner, James Stephenson - Brooklyn and Tribal Art Hunter - South Florida. Opening night sales were recorded by David Cassera and James Stephenson. Nine sales were recorded on day one with a staggeringly low attendance of just over 25 people. Attendance increased days two, three and the final Sunday and so did the sales. An African art collector attending from North Carolina was asked how he was enjoying the Art Basel festivities, when he sharply replied, I only came to Miami specifically for this Tribal Art show. While the other major established shows recorded tens of thousands of visitors, Tribal Art Miami remained very exclusive. Those attending remarked about the convenience of the show location, the free parking and lack of frustrating traffic and crowds experienced at the other shows like Art Miami, Scope and Red Dot. Overall the organizers, participants and patrons were very happy with the outcome. I had a great time and you guys did a great a job on making this show, said James Stephenson. The organizers have already joined forces with local museums and organizations to increase the publicity and programming for next years event. Co-owner Isaiah Fox said, this was the first time anyone has ever successfully organized and produced a Tribal Art Show in Miami. The fact that we did it during Art Basel with so much going on was a major accomplishment. We are eager for next year and are confident our brand will grow here in South Florida which is very exciting! IMAGES: Above - View of Tribal Art Miami from the control room above. Opposite Top Left - Attendees admire Songye mask from Cassera Arts Premiers Opposite Top Right: Spencer Throckmorton with visiting medical doctors interested in collecting tribal art Opposite Lower Left: James Stephenson from Brooklyn with an ancient iron currency which was sold to a couple from Miami/NY Opposite Lower Right: A pair of fern figures presented by UK based dealer Wayne Heathcote.

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