Fan monkey figure, 20th century.

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Estate of Merton Simpson & Multi Estate Ethno...

By Quinn's Auction Galleries

Oct 1, 2016 - Oct 2, 2016

Set Reminder 2016-10-01 11:00:00 2016-10-02 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Estate of Merton Simpson & Multi Estate Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/quinns/estate-of-merton-simpson-multi-estate-ethnographic-1779
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• Lot Description
  A crouching male Bulu monkey figure with armsbent at the elbow. Cameroon, Fang. 20th century. 21"h x 8 1/2"w x 9"d.
  Provenance: Inventory and Collection from the Estate of Merton D. Simpson. "Simpson inventory# 8254 acquired August 29, 1996 asking $100,000. Catalog Notes: “From 1880-1910 the Bulu, like the Fang practiced an ngi ritual against sorcery, in particular against poisonings. The “ngi” is the gorilla a fearful animal, with which the candidate identifies after he has been accepted into the association. Fewer than ten monkey statues are existing that we know of. The inventiveness of their round, simple forms is striking and the artists have captured with great precision the animal’s posture."" L. Perrois, La Sculpture Traditionanelle du Gabon. (1973) A.R.Walker and R. Sillans, Rites et Croyances des Peuples du Gabon’s (1962) Paul Du Chaillu already wrote in 1891 about gorilla stories he had heard from the Fang and Bulu people. For example, the Fang were convinced that if a pregnant woman or her husband were to see a gorilla, even a dead one, she would give birth to a gorilla, rather than to a human child. It is very difficult to find published information on this subject, as little has been written since about the importance of gorillas for African peoples. One exception is Gunter Tessmapn’s study of the Pangwe (Cameroon and Gabon) published in 1913. It contains a detailed description of a secret society whose cult centres around the gorilla. It was widely spread and called Ngi or Ngui among the Fang and Nji among the Bulu. Ngi means gorilla and is the symbol of fire and positive power (the chimpanzee represents evil). During the Ngi celebration, a large sculpture was made after the vigorous dance of a healer. Certain objects were placed in and around that sculpture, for example, parts of dead people (but not gorillas), and rituals were performed. For the members of the Ngi secret society, Ngi was watching their manners. He punished them with illness, for example with leprosy, if they broke the rules. Ngi also protected the society members as he rose at night to fight sorcerers who had left their bodies to kill people. According to Jordi Sabater Pi, the Ngi cult has disappeared completely. However, Klaus Paysan heard from a chief’s son in Cameroon, far away from the present gorilla distribution area, that the Ngi society was still active, but all information was kept absolutely secret.” Exquisiteafricanart.com"
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