Lot 23
KUBA TEXTILE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 19TH CENTURY
African & Oceanic Art and Antiquities | 556
Auction: 1 May 2019 at 12:00 BST
Description
raffia palm fiber, cut pile embroidery, two seperate panel stiched together, decorated with geometric patterns, framed
Dimensions
145x82cm (including frame)
Footnote
Provenance:
Emil Torday, London
Private collection, United Kingdom
Chester Jones, London
Note:
The noted anthropologist Emil Torday was originally posted the Congo Free State as a colonial offical. However, having returned to the United Kingdom in the early 20th century Torday began to act as an agent for the British Museum on subsequent expeditions. As well as significant field collecting Torday undertook significant research on the peoples of the Kwango-Kwilu river basin and of the Kasai, he became a particular authority on the Kuba.
At his death the British Museum estimated his collection numbered over 3000 objects, the vast majority of which had been gifted to the institution. A small group of Kuba textiles remained in the possesion of his agent, who subsequently dispersed them - the present item is from that group and represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a piece of classical Kuba art from this famous collection.