Collection - Afri-Karner Museum

 

Origin: Chokwe Peoples - Angola

 

Provenance:  Ex - Ivy Collection
 

 

 

This Chokwe Pwo mask was acquired from the J R Ivy Collection. Sam Haskins published it in ‘AFRICAN IMAGE’ - 1967. His book brought together many important collectors' objects including his own, as well as Dr. P Becker, Professor J Beinardt, Dr. Killie Campbell, Mrs. M. Deutsch, Mr. van Heerden, J.R. Ivy, Mr. A Leslie, Dr. Lowen, Miss A. Nieburg, Professor Cecil Skotnes, Miss Irma Stern and the Natal Museum.

 

 

 

 

The J. R. Ivy Collection

 

Robert (Bob) Ivy was born January 3rd 1912. He took over his father's taxidermy business - established in 1910. Under Bob's guidance, the enterprise received worldwide recognition for its artistic techniques used to reproduce life like specimens of animals. Theodore Roosevelt was in included in their clientele.
 

  

 

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From the 1940's, Bob and his young daughter Marion (nee Crozier / nee Avice du Buisson) travelled through the African veldt together, visiting natives and learning about their material culture. Congo and Angolese artefacts were acquired in Zambia and a tribal art business was established. Marion created a 'Collector's Corner' of ethnographic objects in all five outlets. 

 

 

 

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A private museum of ethnographic and tribal art works was displayed at the Johannesburg Market Street branch. Objects were marked; Marion Du Buisson - NFS  (Marion Ivy - Not for Sale)

 

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Gerard Bhengu and Barbara Tyrrell sold their artworks at J R Ivy's. Famed collectors Killie Campbell, Egon Guenther, Odor Horstmann, Vittorio Meneghelli, Sydney Press and Colin Sayers frequented the premises, as did artist/authors Aubrey Elliot, Hannes Harrs, Sam Haskins, Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa and Karel Nel.

 

 

 

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The family business was sold in 1983. Marion Ivy's NFS collection was taken home. In 1992 the Afri-Karner Museum acquired many objects in the collection including the Ivy's Albums. This mask was one that the 'Ivy Collection' had retained.

 

 

 

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'The Egon Gunter Family Collection' was offered for sale by Sotheby's New York in November 2000. Many objects attributed to JR Ivy were included while world record prices were set. Egon was an art dealer who opened his first gallery in Germany during the 1940's and in 1951, moved to South Africa. Marion confirmed that he had unsuccessfully tried to purchase this mask, as well as three others. One of the others (a Yaka/Suku mask) came onto the market in 2007 and may be viewed here.

 

 

 

The fantastic old Pwo mask retains its old label reading; Marion Du Buisson - NFS - Chokwe. It is stuffed full of yellowed newsprint dated: Monday October 5th 1964.