SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM - photo 1
SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM - photo 2
SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM - photo 3

SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM

Lot 12
22.06.2023 16:00UTC +01:00
Classic
Sold
€ 40 320
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationFrance, Paris
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 977533
Lot 12 | SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM
Estimate value
€ 20 000 – 30 000
SPATULE À CHAUX MASSIM

ÎLES TROBRIAND, PROVINCE DE MILNE BAY, PAPOUASIE-NOUVELLE-GUINÉE

Hauteur : 32.3 cm. (12 3/4 in.)

IRÈNE BEARD ET L’ART MÉLANÉSIEN



Harry Beran, 2018 : « en 2008, Sophie Camu, la fille d’Irène, attira son attention sur une spatule à chaux Massim. Je dis à Irène que la pièce était superbe, ancienne et hautement innovante : plutôt que de sculpter une petite figure humaine reposant sur l’extrémité en plateforme de la longue lame, l’artiste l’a représentée debout, la lame formant les jambes. Avec l’acquisition de cette œuvre, Irene débuta sa relation passionnée avec l’art mélanésien, et une collection qu’elle constitua pour Sophie Camu et son fils, Thomas Beard.



Ses nombreuses lectures lui permirent de développer ses connaissances sur l’art de la Mélanésie, mais lire ne lui semblait pas suffisant. En 2010, Irène entreprit avec sa famille un voyage dans la région Massim, sur un petit bateau de pêche, visitant les les îles pour approfondir sa compréhension des peuples ayant créé les œuvres de sa collection et en comprendre l’importance dans leur propre culture. Elle écrivit ainsi : « je ne crois pas en l’achat d’œuvres d’art pour l’acte de posséder. Je crois au plaisir qu’on éprouve à contempler des œuvres sans relâche, à apprendre d’elles, en les replaçant dans leur histoire et leurs cultures. »



IRENE BEARD’S JOURNEY INTO MELANESIAN ART



Harry Beran, 2018: “In 2008 Sophie Camu, Irene’s daughter, drew her attention to a Massim lime spatula. I told Irene that it was a superb, old, highly innovative piece. Instead of carving a small human figure on top of a platform and long blade, the artist had created a standing figure where the blade forms its legs. Irene bought the piece and so started her love affair with Melanesian art, forming a collection on behalf of Sophie Camu and her son Thomas Beard.



She taught herself about Melanesian art by avid reading. However, reading was not enough. In 2010 Irene travelled with her family through the Massim region on a small fishing boat, visiting the islands to deepen her understanding of the people who had made some of the artworks in her collection and why artworks are important in their culture. As she wrote: ‘I don’t believe in buying art for the sake of possession. I believe rather in the joy of looking at the pieces over and over again, learning from them, placing them in their history and their cultures.”





Provenance

Mathias Komor (1909-1984), New York

Collection Frieda (1921-2008) et Milton (1914-2005) Rosenthal, Harrison

Sotheby's, New York, The Collection of Frieda and Milton Rosenthal: African and Oceanic Art, 14 novembre 2008, lot 82

Collection Camu-Beard, Londres, acquis lors de cette vente



Special notice


ƒ: In addition to the regular Buyer’s premium, a commission of 5.5%
inclusive of VAT of the hammer price will be charged to the buyer.
It will be refunded to the Buyer upon proof of export of the lot
outside the European Union within the legal time limit.
(Please refer to section VAT refunds)



Post lot text

MASSIM LIME SPATULA, TROBRIAND ISLANDS, MILNE BAY PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Medium:Wood
Place of origin:Papua New Guinea
Auction house category:All other types of objects
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
9 Avenue Matignon
75008 Paris
France
Preview
22.06.2023
Phone +33 (0)1 40 76 85 85
Fax +33 (0)1 40 76 85 86
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@AGLSDAYQG1LYAK3YGRQ@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:00 – 00:00    00:00 – 18:00
Tu 09:00 – 00:00    00:00 – 18:00
We 09:00 – 00:00    00:00 – 18:00
Th 09:00 – 00:00    00:00 – 18:00
Fr 09:00 – 00:00    00:00 – 18:00
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.