25 JANUARY 1 FEBRUARY 2026

BRUSSELS EXPO | HEYSEL

Artworks

This section will be available this Autumn.

Galeries
Galeries Galerie AB - Agnès Aittouarès Franck Anelli Fine Art Ars Antiqua d'Arschot & Cie Art et Patrimoine - Laurence Lenne Arte-Fact Fine Art Artimo Fine Arts Galerie Ary Jan Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC Véronique Bamps Barbara Bassi Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Galerie de la Béraudière Galerie Berès Bernier/Eliades Galeria Bessa Pereira Galerie BG Arts Boon Gallery Galerie Alexis Bordes Bernard Bouisset Galerie Boulakia Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud Brame & Lorenceau Cabinet of Curiosities - Honourable Silver Objects Galerie Capazza Giammarco Cappuzzo Fine Art Carlucci Gallery Galerie Jean-François Cazeau Galerie Cento Anni Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM) Citadelles & Mazenod CKS Gallery Claes Gallery Collectors Gallery COLNAGHI Costermans Dalton Somaré De Brock De Jonckheere Galerie Bernard De Leye Galerie Oscar De Vos De Wit Fine Tapestries De Zutter Art Gallery Dei Bardi Art Thomas Deprez Fine Arts Patrick Derom Gallery Desmet Fine Arts Virginie Devillez Fine Art DIE GALERIE Douwes Fine Art b.v. Epoque Fine Jewels Finch & Co Galerie Flak A&R Fleury Galerie La Forest Divonne Galerie Christophe Gaillard Galerie des Modernes Gilden's Art Gallery Grusenmeyer-Woliner Galerie Hadjer Galerie Haesaerts-le Grelle Philippe Heim Heutink Ikonen Galerie Hioco Hoffmans Antiques Huberty & Breyne Galerie Hurtebize rodolphe janssen Francis Janssens van der Maelen Kunsthaus Kende Harold t’Kint de Roodenbeke Florian Kolhammer Hartford Fine Art - Lampronti Gallery Alexis Lartigue Lemaire Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge Francis Maere Fine Arts Maison D'Art Maisonjaune Studio Martins&Montero Martos Gallery MARUANI MERCIER MassModernDesign Galerie Mathivet Mearini Fine Art Galerie Greta Meert Meessen Galerie la Ménagerie Mulier Mulier Gallery Jan Muller Antiques Klaas Muller NARDI VENEZIA Nosbaum Reding Dr. Nöth kunsthandel Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/Brussels Objects With Narratives Galeria Jordi Pascual Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach Pauline's Jewellery Box Pelgrims de Bigard Galerie Alexis Pentcheff Christophe Perlès Galerie Perrin Guy Pieters Gallery Gallery de Potter d’Indoye Galerie de la Présidence Pron Van Pruissen Asian Art QG Gallery Maison Rapin Almine Rech Stéphane Renard Fine Art Repetto Gallery robertaebasta Romigioli Antichità Laurent Schaubroeck Serge Schoffel - Art Premier Segoura Fine Art Edouard Simoens Gallery Herwig Simons Fine Arts Stern Pissarro Gallery Stone Gallery Galerie Taménaga TASCHEN TEMPLON The old Treasury Galerie Patrice Trigano unforget Decorative Arts Univers du Bronze Vagabond Antiques Gallery Sofie Van de Velde Van Herck-Eykelberg Galerie Raf Van Severen Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery Maurice Verbaet Gallery Galerie von Vertes Axel Vervoordt Galerie Dina Vierny VKD Jewels Galerie Florence de Voldère N. Vrouyr Floris van Wanroij Fine Art Galerie Watteeu by Edouard & Andrea de Caters Victor Werner WHITFORD Willow Gallery
 

Grusenmeyer-Woliner

flute stopper Wunear Biwat (Mundugumor), Yuat River, late 19th - early 20th century Papua New Guinea Wood, feathers, shell H. 64 cm ( 85 cm including the base) Provenance: Charles Ratton; Kamer Gallery, acquired in 1966 by Emiel Veranneman; Emiel Veranneman; Thence by descent Literature: Rotary Club Sint-Niklaas, Oude Kunst uit Afrika en Oceanie, Exhibition catalogue, Sint-Niklaas, May 5-20, 1979, n° 31; Veranneman Emiel, Visie & Passie, 2002, pp. 72-73 Exhibition: Oude Kunst uit Afrika en Oceanië, Ex-Libriscentrum, Sint-Niklaas, 5–20 May 1979, Rotary Club Sint-Niklaas

 

Douwes Fine Art b.v.

emanuel de witte

Emanuel de Witte (The Netherlands, Alkmaar circa 1616-1691/2 Amsterdam) Interior of the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, the transept seen from the South Oil on canvas 64 x 71.5 cm Signed 'E. De. Witte' (c.r.) Provenance: Abraham Dijkman, Amsterdam; his deceased sale, Amsterdam, de Bosch/ Yver, 17-18 July 1794, lot 47; sale, London, Foster, 25 March 1931 (as 'unknown'); acquired at the above sale by Asscher & Welker, London; with D. Katz, Dieren; Dr. A. Welker, London, 1935; with J.D. Klaasen Jr., Rotterdam; P.M. Kerdel, Scheveningen, 1963; with Hans Cramer, The Hague by 1990; acquired by a Dutch Foundation, in 1998 Literature: Noach, 'Het Material tot de Geschiedenis der Oude kerk te Amsterdam', Amsterdam 1937, p. 81; E. Trautscholdt, in U. Thieme and F. Becker, 'Algemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler' Vol. 36, Leipzig, 1947, p. 125; I. Manke, 'Emanuel de Witte', Amsterdam, 1963, p. 92, n° 62 with ill. fig. 31; F. Duparc et al., 'Masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age', exhibition catalogue, Atlanta, 1985, p. 132-3, n° 60 with ill.; H.R. Leppien, 'In Blickfeld: Holländische Kirchenbilder', exhibition catalogue, Hamburg, 1995, pp. 56-7, 66-8, n° 20 Exhibitions: Rotterdam, Museum Boymans Van Beuningen, 'Vermeer, oorsprong en invloed Fabritius, de Hooch, de Witte, 9 July-9 October 1935, n° 116; Rotterdam, Museum Boymans Van Beuningen, Tentoonstelling van schilderijen, beeldhouwwerken en teekeningen uit particuliere verzamelingen in Nederland: onder auspiciën van de 'Stichting Museum Boymans' , December 1939-January 1940, n° 59; Atlanta, High Museum of Art, Masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age, 24 September-10 November 1985, n° 60, p. 132-3; Hamburg, Kunsthalle, In Blickfeld: Holländische Kirchenbilder, 1995/96, n° 20

 

Martins&Montero

maria thereza alves

Jimmie Durham (Texas 1940-2021 Berlin) for Labinac PINO (model 3), 2019 Epoxy resin, glass, iron, and bronze 100.5 x 66 x 50 cm 2/15 + 5 AP

 

Willow Gallery

Bernard Buffet (Paris 1928-1999 Tourtour) Chevalier d'Henri III, 1998 Oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm Signed and dated This painting is sold with a photo-certificate of authenticity from the Galerie Maurice Garnier, Paris Provenance: Galerie Maurice Garnier, Paris; private collection, Germany (acquired from the above 2000); sale, Christie's London, 21 June 2012; private collection, Hong Kong Literature: Y. Le Pichon & M. Garnier, Bernard Buffet, 1982-1999, vol. III, 2007, Switzerland, n° 1261 (ill. p. 552)

 

Galerie BG Arts

Georges Clairin (Paris 1843-1919 Clohars-Carnoët) Portrait of Suzanne Lalique Oil on canvas 140 x 80 cm Signed 'Á Suzanne Lalique son ami G. Clairin' Provenance: property of Suzanne Lalique-Haviland; private collection, France Literature: Maritch-Haviland, N. de Léobardy, C., Lalique-Haviland-Burty Family Portraits, Limoges, 2009, p. 29, ill. in a group photograph, taken at Cours-la-Reine in Paris, showing Suzanne Lalique wearing this same dress for a costume ball to mark her birthday in about 1913 Georges Clairin is best remembered as an orientialist and portrait artist. He was a close friend and advisor to René Lalique. They regularly had dinner together and shared an interest in oriental objects, as well as travelling together to Venice. Clairin belonged to the bohemian world and painted Sarah Bernhardt, the celebrated actress of the day, in her different roles on numerous occasions. He also introduced her to Lalique, and she became one of Lalique’s most significant patrons for whom he designed jewellery. For both men, women were a constant theme of their work. As a family friend it is not surprising that Clairin should have painted Suzanne, René Lalique’s daughter, in costume for her birthday ball in 1913.

 

MassModernDesign

max ingrand

Max Ingrand (Bressuire 1908-1969 Paris) Chandelier model 2128, 1960 Brass and glass. Produced by Fontana Arte H 93 x W 80 x D 28 cm Provenance: private collection, Torino Literature: Fontana Arte catalogue ca. 1960

 

Boon Gallery

antony gormley

strain ii

British School Executed in 2022 Unique work Cast iron 183 x 39 x 51 cm / 72 x 15.3 x 20 in Certificate of authenticity by artist Antony Gormley, 2024

 

robertaebasta

Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte (Bressuire 1908-1969 Neuilly-sur-Seine) Pair of wall lamps, Italy, 1950s Tapered brass fitting, blue beveled glass, frosted glass H 41.5 x W 17.5 x D 10 cm (each)

 

Bernier/Eliades

martina quesada

Martina Quesada (Argentina, Buenos Aires 1987) The verge was always there, 2025 Linen and wood 143 x 215 cm

 

Bernier/Eliades

thomas schütte

Thomas Schütte (Germany, 1954) Iroquois Double Head 7.10.24, 2024 Glazed ceramic, watercolours Sculpture: H 45 x W 28 x D 40 cm Framed watercolours: 49.5 x 38.5 cm Steel pedestal: H 120 x W 43 x D 30 cm

 

Gallery de Potter d’Indoye

Mantel clock depicting the fall of Phaeton Ormoulu bronze France, Consulat period, circa 1800 H 80 x W 53 x D 19 cm Provenance: collection of Robert de Balkany, Paris Literature: Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, pp. 354-355, n° 5.9.4.; Marie-France Dupuis-Baylet, L’Heure, le Feu, la Lumière, les Bronzes du Mobilier National 1800-1870, 2010, Ed. Faton, p. 26 n° 1; Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet, Napoléon 1er et les Arts décoratifs. Trésors des palais impériaux, exh. cat. 2013, Macao, Museum of Art, n° 1, pp. 34-35; Thierry Sarmant, Palais disparus de Napoléon : Tuileries, Saint-Cloud, Meudon [exhibition, Paris, Galerie des Gobelins, 15 September 2021 to 15 January 2022], Paris : In fine, 2021; Adrien Goetz, Ambroise Tézenas, Résidences présidentielles, Paris : Flammarion, 2021, p.173 The subject of this clock illustrates the episode in which Jupiter strikes Phaeton with a thunderbolt. Phaeton wanted proof that he was the son of the Sun, (Helios). Phaeton then asked his father to let him drive his chariot. Terrified by the height and the sky, Phaeton veered off course and descended so low that he scorched the Earth. The maddened stars complained to Jupiter, who struck the chariot and Phaeton. 'The terrified horses leap in a large circular movement with pin-wheel escapement mounted on the backplate, the pendulum crutch with fine-screw beat adjustment, and outside countwheel strike on a bell, the canthmechanism showing seconds with original hands'. The bronzier Pierre-Etienne Romain (1765- after 1821) deposited the drawing of a Clock representing the same subject in the cabinet of drawings of the National Library in March 1800. Related works: The Mobilier National keeps three clocks representing this subject: one found at the Tuileries Palace in 1809, another at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the third at the Palace of Saint Cloud in 1818, then at the Elysée Palace.

 

De Zutter Art Gallery

corneille

Corneille (Liège 1922-2010 Auvers-sur-Oise) Le rouge itinéraire de l'été, 1964 Oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm Provenance: Galerie Delta, Rotterdam; kunsthandel Lambert Tegenbosch, Heusden; collection Dr. Johan B.W. Polak (1928-1992), Amsterdam; Christie's, Amsterdam, 10 December 1992, lot n° 325; private collection, Switzerland Literature: Catalogue Galerie Cimaise Bonaparte (Patrick d'Elme and Daniel Templon), 1967, Paris Exhibition: Galerie Cimaise Bonaparte (Patrick d'Elme and Daniel Templon), 1967, Paris

 

Galerie Jean-François Cazeau

martial raysse

Martial Raysse (Nice, 1936) Green on green, 1964 Spray paint, xerography, collage, oil and cardboard mounted on canvas 33 x 22 x 7 cm Signed Martial Raysse, dated 64 and titled Green on green (on the reverse) This work is registered in the inventory 'l'Oeuvre de Martial Raysse' under n° IMR-0193 Provenance: William Copley collection, USA; Christie's, New York, Contemporary Art - Including property from the collection of William Copley, 8 November 1993, lot 8; private collection, Paris; acquired from the above by the present owner Exhibition: New York, Galerie Luxembourg & Dayan, Martial Raysse: 1960-1974, 11 May-13 July 2013

 

Pauline's Jewellery Box

Belle Epoque diamond tiara necklace, circa 1905 Platinum and diamonds Provenance: private collection, London An important Belle Epoque diamond tiara necklace, set with old European & rose cut diamonds. The estimated total diamond weight is approximately 12.00 carats. Estimated colour H-I on average. Estimated clarity VS-SI on average. The diamonds are bright & lively, mounted in platinum.

 

Galerie de la Présidence

Nicolas de Staël (Saint Petersbourg 1913-1955 Antibes) Composition, 1949 Oil on canvas 38 x 46 cm Signed lower left Provenance: Henriette Gomès collection, Paris; private collection, Paris; private collection, Luxembourg Literature: J-P Jouffroy, Nicolas de Staël, p. 161; Jacques Dubourg and Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël, Catalogue Raisonné des peintures, ed. Le temps, Paris, n° 195, p. 121; Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël, Catalogue Raisonné des peintures, ed. Ides et Calendres, Switzerland, n° 189, p. 259; Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël, Catalogue Raisonné des peintures, ed. Ides et Calendres, Switzerland, revised and expanded by Marie du Bouchet and Gustave de Staël, n° 189, p. 209 Exhibition: Nicolas de Staël, Musée Réattu, Arles, June-September 1958, n° 18 The year 1949 was a crucial period for Nicolas de Staël: he continued to explore and refine his style, marking an important transition towards painting that would become more fluid and expressive. Among his notable works this year is this 'Composition', which reflects his continued use of thick layers of paint and his extensive play with materials, moving from impasto to knife painting. For Nicolas de Staël, although abstract his paintings are 'images of life', his coloured masses generate vibrations. Lastly, this painting has always been kept in private hands until now, and was never presented at auctions.

 

Galerie Greta Meert

enrico castellani

Enrico Castellani (Castelmassa 1930-2017 Celleno) Superficie bianca, 2002 Acrylic on shaped canvas 200 x 200 cm

 

Stern Pissarro Gallery

maurice estève

Maurice Estève (Culan, 1904-2001) Untitled, circa 1953-1955 Gouache, watercolour and charcoal on paper 52.6 x 69.3 cm Signed lower left 'Estève' This work is registered in the archives of Mrs Monique Prudhomme-Estève under n° A.78 Provenance: private collection, UK This vibrant work by Maurice Estève dates from a pivotal moment in his career, when he was refining the style that would come to define his mature practice. A master of watercolor, this medium allowed him to develop a visual language characterized by subtle transparencies and rich chromatic nuances. The work features the bold colors and interlocking geometric forms that have made his oeuvre renowned, and its appealing format and quality make it a particularly attractive choice.

 

Douwes Fine Art b.v.

henri fantin-latour

Henri Fantin-Latour (Grenoble 1836-1904 Buré) Vase de Pivoines, 1902 Oil on canvas 41 x 37 cm Signed lower left 'Fantin' The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Sylvie Brame Provenance: Tempelaere, Paris; Tavernier, Paris; Colnaghi, London; Galerie Brame, Paris, 1978; Sotheby's London, 1978, lot 205; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1989, lot 2; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1996, lot 24; Noortman Master Paintings, Maastricht, bought at TEFAF 2004; private collection, Belgium; Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam Literature: Mme Fantin-Latour, Catalogue de l'oeuvre complet de Fantin-Latour, Paris, 1911, n° 1937, p. 206

 

Vagabond Antiques

Pair of Roman console tables Roman Neoclassical period, circa 1770 Veneer, Sienna marble, Breccia Africana marble H 90 x W 112 x D 56 cm Provenance: previously in the collection of Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli (1836-1930), Dean of the College of Cardinals; thence by descent; collection of the fashion designer Stefano Gabbana Each with a rectangular top butterfly veneer in richly figured Siena marble, edged in a contrasting band of Breccia Africana marble. The frieze is crisply carved with classical laurel swags, centres by rosettes and anthemion motifs and set against a punched ground to catch the light. The square corner blocks are decorated with stylised sunflowers. The tapering fluted legs are carved in three sections, with boldly gadrooned collars and stiff-leaf details above toupie feet. The carving is of sharp quality throughout, with well-preserved original gilding enhancing the architectural lines of the design.

 

Kunsthaus Kende

Takahiro Iede (Japan, 1962) Ayaori-gane vase 'Rhythm', Saitama 2019 Shakudo, Shibuichi, silver H 23 cm - Ø 27.3 cm The gracefully curved body widening towards the waved upper rim. The body composed of woven strips of shakudo, shibuichi and silver. Spectacular, large work by Japanese artist Takahiro Iede, crafted with brilliant skill using the so-called Ayaori-gane technique. “To set myself free, I test the limits of myself and metal.” – the Japanese artist metalsmith Takahiro Iede Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan in 1962, the artist and metalsmith Takahiro Iede now lives and works in Saitama. The metal artworks of Takahiro Iede combine traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. With every hammer stroke, he explores and expands the possibilities of his material. His works take a special status in Japanese art and are perceived as avant-garde, sculptural and transcending all formal limitations imposed by the technical feasibility of traditional metalworking. Takahiro Iede has enriched Japanese metalwork with a deeply impressive technique known as Ayaori-gane ('metal weaving'). This technique is characterised by various types of copper alloys with gold and silver, which are woven into patterns and then hammered and soldered together with silver. The braided creations of the Ajiro weaving technique in the bamboo craftsmanship of his home region and the woven tapestries of the Native Americans inspired the artist to develop this very difficult technique. In the Ayaori-gane technique, a plate is made by weaving metal strings. In the next step, the fine cavities within the pattern are filled with melted silver. This fills the individual metal strands of the pattern to form a coherent plate, and the resulting workpiece is shaped into three-dimensional forms using various metalworking techniques, primarily hammering. In some cases, the artist deliberately refrains from filling the spaces between the strands to leave the woven formation unfinished. There are no comparable techniques to the Ayaori-gane technique in Japanese art or other cultures that preceded it. For his outstanding achievement, Takahiro Iede received the highly prestigious Medal with Purple Ribbon for artistic merit in 2016, the awarding of which usually precedes a later designation as a future Living National Treasure.

 

Citadelles & Mazenod

Honzo Zufu Illustrated album in five volumes of the 'materia medica', completed in 1828 by Iwasaki Kan'en H 29 x W 25 x D 19.5 cm Limited and numbered edition of 999 copies Published by Citadelles & Mazenod in 2025

 

Galerie Greta Meert

john baldessari

John Baldessari (USA, 1931-2020) The Purple Series: Periwinkle, 2016 Varnished inkjet print on canvas with acrylic paint 240.7 x 111.4 cm

 

Galerie Greta Meert

carla accardi

Carla Accardi (Trapani 1924-2014 Rome) Frammenti, 1984 Acrylic on canvas 50 x 60 cm Frammenti, a work from 1984, ‘Fragments’; the work affirms Carla Accardi’s place as a voice of innovation in an Italian art scene dominated by male voices. In this 50 x 60 cm painting using only black paint on the untreated material of the canvas, the artist constructs a rhythmic interplay of signs animating recognition and illegibility, an evocation of a writing that dissolves into abstraction. The work embodies the tension that characterises her oeuvre: a subtle intertwining of classical painterly discipline and the radical openness of the avant-garde, resulting in a visual language that is as rigorous and experimental as it is personal.

 

Desmet Fine Arts

giovanni & giacomo zoffoli

Giacomo (Italy, 1731-1785) & Giovanni Zoffoli (Italy, 1745-1805) Capitoline Flora, late 18th century Bronze H 34 x W 10 x D 7 cm Signed 'G.Z.F' (base) After the antique model (Capitoline Musea, Rome) Accompanied by Art Loss Register certificate: S00247973 Other versions: Victoria & Albert: Museum inv. n° A.14-1974; Saltram, National Trust, 871621.4; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Acc # 1978-70-139; Oxford, Ashmolean Museum: Acc # WA1899.CDEF.B449

 

Art et Patrimoine - Laurence Lenne

Reliquary 'in the form of a sarcophagus with a hinged roof' Limoges, mid-13th century Gilt copper plates, champlevé enamels H 11.8 x W 27.5 x D 9.5 cm Literature: Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France. Emaux limousins du Moyen Age. Correze/Creuse/Haute-Vienne, under the direction of Paul-Édouard Robinne, Éditions de l’Inventaire, Images du Patrimoine, 1995; Emaux de Limoges XIIè-XIXè siècle, under the direction of Jacques Toussaint, Museum of Ancient Arts of Namur, 1996; Valérie & Thomas Becket, De l'influence des princes Plantagenêt dans l'Oeuvre de Limoges, Municipal Museum of the Bishop’s Palace-Museum of Enamel, Limoges, 1999 A reliquary, without a wooden core, taking the shape of a sarcophagus with a hinged roof. It is made of gilt copper plates and decorated with champlevé enamels depicting sixteen half-length angels emerging from clouds against a white enamel background. The decoration consists of two superimposed registers of three engraved gilt angels set within round medallions. The medallions stand out against a blue enamel ground adorned with gilded Gothic foliage and interlace patterns. This reliquary belongs to a series of standardised reliquaries known from the Limousin region, all dating from the 13th century. Its dimensions make it one of the largest examples of this 'sarcophagus with movable roof' type. It is closely related to the exceptional large reliquary of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, classified as part of the Treasure of the French Historic Monuments.

 

Klaas Muller

paul de vos

Paul De Vos (Hulst 1595-1678 Antwerp) Deer hunt, circa 1645 Oil on canvas 203 x 215 cm Authenticated by Prof. F.G. Meijer as an original painting by Paul de Vos

 

Bernier/Eliades

berta fischer

Berta Fischer (Germany, 1973) Gragama, 2024 Acrylic glass H 320 x W 80 x D 50 cm

 

Victor Werner

carl johan bonnesen

Carl Johan Bonnesen (Aalborg 1868-1933 Copenhagen) African elephant, 1924 Bronze with green patina H 54 x W 78 x D 34 cm Signed and dated CARL J. BONNESEN 1924 Provenance: Professor Karl Meyer, board member of Villadsens Fabrikker; donated Nov. 9th, 1932, to the company director Christian Villadsen and his wife Ingeborg (as inscribed on the base); gifted by Christian Villadsen’s grandson to the previous owner

 

Lemaire

Pair of potpourri vases in Paris porcelain Patinated and gilt bronze mounts with handles adorned with intertwined serpents and openwork lids decorated with acanthus leaves Locré manufactory, circa 1785 H 41 cm Signed with crossed torches

 

Claes Gallery

Dan 'deangle' Mask Ivory Coast, Dan people Presumed early 20th century Wood and pigment H 25 cm Provenance: Hubert Goldet (1945–2000), Paris, until 1972; Lucien Van de Velde (1933-), Antwerp, from 1972 to 1975; René (1901-1998) & Odette (1925–2012) Delenne, Brussels Literature: Arts d’Afrique Noire 34, 1988, p. 49; Utotombo, Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, de Heusch, Brussels, 1988, p. 148, fig. 59; A ‘Harley Mask’ at the Cleveland Museum of Art: More on Masks among the Mano and Dan Peoples, Petridis, African Arts, Vol. 45, n° 1, 2012, p. 31, fig. 8; Trésors de Côte d’Ivoire, Neyt, Fonds Mercator, Brussels, 2014, p. 44-45, fig. 18 (indication: H. 26 cm); The Language of Beauty in African Art, Petridis, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2022, p. 207, fig. 164 Exhibitions: Utotombo. Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 25 March-5 June 1988; The Language of Beauty in African Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 20 January 2022-27 March 2023 Originating from the northwest of Côte d’Ivoire, near the borders of Liberia and Guinea, the Dan are an agricultural people who primarily cultivate rice and cassava. Their way of life, complemented by hunting, fishing, and gathering, is rooted in a patrilineal society without a central authority, structured around clans led by chiefs chosen for their prestige, bravery, or agricultural success. Relations between clans, often marked by rivalries, gave rise to a rigorous social organization: young warriors ensured the group’s defense, while chiefs reinforced their influence through feasts and gifts. Local power rested on a balance between the chief, the council of elders, and the male associations, which upheld discipline, guided the initiation of young men, and preserved community cohesion. The Dan distinguish between two worlds: that of the village - a humanized and social space - and that of the forest, the realm of spirits and natural forces. It is within this duality that their art takes root, renowned for its independence and for the diversity of its styles from one village to another. In their pursuit of formal perfection, Dan artists express through their works an ideal of beauty that is both spiritual and harmonious. A symbol of this aesthetic quest, the Dan 'deangle' mask is characterized by its regular oval shape, polished surface, narrow eyes, short nose, and full, slightly parted lips. The raised scarifications emphasize the geometry and graphic strength of the composition. Of an elegance imbued with softness and femininity, it embodies the Dan ideal of beauty. Used within the Leopard secret society (go), associated with the pacifying spirit zlan, this mask served as an intermediary between young initiates and the village community. First exhibited and published for the general public in 1988, this exceptional work was most recently presented (in 2022) at the Chicago Museum. The mask’s deep gaze, highlighted by a fine band across the eyes, captures the viewer’s attention. Its patina, with warm brown reflections, and its concave form lend it a presence that is both powerful and serene.

 
{image}

{dealerName}

{caption}