Bonhams 101 New Bond Street the south african sale London Wednesday 19 March 2014 W1S 1SR +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 +44 (0) 20 7447 7400 fax the south african sale Ӏ New Bond Street, London Ӏ Wednesday March 19 2014 21431 International Auctioneers and Valuers – bonhams.com lot 15 Irma Stern Zanzibar Woman the South afrIcan Sale Wednesday 19 March at 2pm New Bond Street, London PhyI S cal condItIon of Vw Ie Ing enquIrIeS lotS In thIS auctIon Sunday 16 March Giles Peppiatt MRICS 11.00 to 15.00 +44 (0) 20 7468 8355 PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS Monday 17 March NO REFERENCE IN THIS 9.00 to 16.30 Hannah O’Leary CATALOGUE TO THE PHYSICAL Tuesday 18 March +44 (0) 20 7468 8213 CONDITION OF ANY LOT. 9.00 to 16.30 INTENDING BIDDERS MUST Wednesday 19 March Elizabeth Callinicos SATISFY THEMSELVES AS TO 9.00 to 12 noon +44 (0) 20 7468 8216 THE CONDITION OF ANY LOT AS SPECIFIED IN CLAUSE 14 PreVIew of hIghlIghtS [email protected] OF THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS 580 Madison Avenue, New York CONTAINED AT THE END OF 19 - 21 February Jonathan Horwich THIS CATALOGUE. 10.00 to 17.00 Global Director, Picture Sales +44 (0) 20 7468 8280 As a courtesy to intending Sale number [email protected] bidders, Bonhams will provide a 21431 written Indication of the physical South Africa condition of lots in this sale if a catalogue Penny Culverwell request is received up to 24 £25.00 +27 71 342 2670 hours before the auction starts. [email protected] This written Indication is issued IlluStratIonS subject to Clause 3 of the Notice Front cover: Lot 17 Please see page 6 for bidder to Bidders. Back cover: Lot 42 information including after-sale Inside front cover: Lot 100 collection and shipment cuStomer SerVIceS Opposite page: Lot 15 Monday to Friday 8.30 to 6.00 Inside back cover: Lot 103 +44 (0) 20 7447 7448 bIdS Please see page 2 for bidder +44 (0) 20 7447 7448 information including after-sale +44 (0) 20 7447 4401 fax collection and shipment. To bid via the internet please visit bonhams.com Please note that bids should be submitted no later than 4pm on the day prior to the sale. New bidders must also provide proof of identity when submitting bids. Failure to do this may result in your bid not being processed. Live online bidding is available for this sale Please email [email protected] with ‘live bidding’ in the subject line 48 hours before the auction to register for this service. Bonhams 1793 Limited Bonhams 1793 Ltd Directors Bonhams UK Ltd Directors Registered No. 4326560 Robert Brooks Chairman, Colin Sheaf Deputy Colin Sheaf Chairman, Jonathan Baddeley, Andrew McKenzie, Simon Mitchell, Jeff Muse, Registered Office: Montpelier Galleries Chairman, Malcolm Barber Group Managing Antony Bennett, Matthew Bradbury, Harvey Mike Neill, Charlie O’Brien, Giles Peppiatt, Montpelier Street, London SW7 1HH Director, Matthew Girling CEO UK and Cammell, Simon Cottle, Andrew Currie, David Peter Rees, Julian Roup, Iain Rushbrook, Europe, Geoffrey Davies, Jonathan Horwich, Dallas, Paul Davidson, Jean Ghika, Charles John Sandon, Tim Schofield, Veronique +44 (0) 20 7393 3900 James Knight, Patrick Meade, Caroline Graham-Campbell, Miranda Grant, Robin Scorer, James Stratton, Roger Tappin, +44 (0) 20 7393 3905 fax Oliphant, Hugh Watchorn. Hereford, Asaph Hyman, Charles Lanning, Shahin Virani, David Williams, Michael Wynell- Camilla Lombardi, Fergus Lyons, Paul Mayow. Maudsley, Gordon McFarlan, South afrIcan art at bonhamS We are delighted to welcome you to what promises to be a spectacular year for South African art at Bonhams, starting with what we consider one of our best selection of artworks yet – our March auction. 2013 was another record-breaking year for South African art at Bonhams with our £4.6million (ZAR 64million) auction in March and £3.4million (ZAR 55million) auction in October. The March sale established a new record for Vladimir Tretchikoff, with the sale of his iconic work ‘Chinese Girl’ £982,050 (ZAR 13.8million). The October sale was equally successful, accentuated by the outstanding £1.2million (ZAR 21.8million) achieved for Irma Stern’s heavenly ‘Malay Bride’. Additionally, a new record was set for a post–exile work by the pioneer of South African modern art, Giles Peppiatt Gerard Sekoto, as well as new world records for Director Alfred Neville Lewis, Dumile Feni and Frederick Hutchison Page, among others. We are delighted to present here another wonderful selection of artworks that span the careers of South Africa’s most significant artists, including Irma Stern, J.H Pierneef, Alexis Preller, Ruth Everard Haden and George Pemba, all of whom have achieved record prices in these rooms in recent years. This March, two stellar works by the distinguished colourist and poetic visionary Alexis Preller and the grand dame of South African art, Irma Stern, assume centre stage. These two artists have produced works which have attracted compelling interest beyond the diaspora of South Africans in Britain and America. ‘The Fishermen of Beau Vallon’, never before offered for public sale, is based on the images that the artist collected during his visit to the Seychelles. His superior Hannah O’Leary draughtsmanship and colour-handling eloquently Head of department capture the mythical and alluring spirit of the island. Stern’s ‘Zanzibar Woman’ – a captivating portrait representing the peak of her creative out-put in the early 1940s and a highly sought- after period – exudes a powerful aura that lies in the strength and the mystery of the sitter. Complete with the artist’s original Zanzibar frame, this sumptuous image is certain to be a strong attraction for collectors. Elizabeth Callinicos Junior cataloguer 4 | B OnHams Jacob hendrIK PIerneef (1886-1957) Landscape, Stellenbosch Sold for £713,250 Alongside these masterpieces by Preller and Stern stands a highly important artwork by one of South Africa’s most important pioneer painters, George Pemba. ‘Bisho Massacre’ is a poignant rendition of a significant event pertaining to South VladImIr grIegoroVIch tretchIKoff (1913-2006) Africa’s complex history. This artwork is a vivid Chinese Girl depiction of the mass funeral held for the victims Sold for £982,050 of the September 1992 tragedy in Bisho, former capital of the Ciskei. Pemba’s distinguished draughtsmanship and ability to depict his subjects and situations as ‘’he finds them’’; with candour and simplicity, renders convincing portrayals of the community groups with which he concerned himself. A plethora of works by the people’s painter, Vladimir Tretchikoff, including his early works produced during his time in Java during World War II, are also featured in the sale. We are delighted to be offering a rich selection of sculptures, including wonderful pieces by Lucas Sithole and Stella Shawzin. Sithole’s figurative human pieces are eloquent expressions of universal humanity, simultaneously grasping inherent qualities of a traditional and cultural Africa. These sensitive sculptures are rendered with profound tenderness, warmth and empathy. Fascinated by the human form and the universal human condition, Shawzin imbues her humanist input in her sensuous and largely figurative sculptures which are distilled in movement. With three excellent pieces by each artist on offer, we are anticipating keen interest in these lots. London remains the premier venue for sales of South African art and we are delighted to host the South African Sale in our spectacular new £30million headquarters building at 101 New Bond Street for the first time. We would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank all those individuals and organisations around the world for their support, encouragement and assistance in contributing to the success of these auctions. We look forward to your participation in the auction, whether though our online live bidding system, by aleXIS Preller (1911-1975) telephone or by personally welcoming you to view Woman with a Lyre our exhibition in London. Sold for £457,250 tEsUH O tH afriCan saLE | 5 Central Middlesex Sale Hospital InformatIon Park Royal Coronation Road W Bonhams, e d s P t Park Royal a e a rn r o A k R v e R e s A4 o 0 a y Park a h l C Royal Western Ave A40 R o 0 Station a 0 d Acton 0 4 Cemetery North A Acton d Station a o R a i r o t c i V Bids Collection & shipment Bonhams warehouse address important notice West Acton Horn Lane +44 (0) 20 7447 7448 All sold lots not marked W will StationUnit 1, Sovereign Park A surcharge of 2% is applicable +44 (0) 20 7447 7401 fax remain in Collections at Coronation Road when using Mastercard, Visa To bid via the internet please Bonhams New Bond Street until Park Royal, London NW10 7QP and overseas debit cards. visit www.bonhams.com Wednesday 9 April 2014. Tel: +44 (0) 87 0811 3867 Following that all lots will be Hours of opening 9.30am to The following symbols are used Payments transferred to our Bonhams Park 4.30pm Monday to Friday. to denote that VAT is due on the Buyers Royal warehouse and will be hammer price and buyer’s +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 available for collection from 9.30 Lots may be released from premium +44 (0) 20 7447 7401 fax on Friday 11 April 2014. Bonhams warehouse on production of the collection † VAT 20% on hammer price Sellers order obtained from cashiers and buyer’s premium Payment of sale proceeds Please note office at Bonhams and a form +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 Sold lots marked with a W will of photographic ID. If a third * VAT on imported items at a +44 (0) 20 7447 7401 fax be retained at New Bond Street party is collecting on behalf preferential rate of 5% on until 5pm on the day of the sale.