31st Oct, 2021 11:00

Art, Life and Love: The Collection of Nwabisa Xayiya (Live Auction)

 
Lot 25
 
Lot 25 - Sydney Kumalo (South Africa 1935-1988)

25

Sydney Kumalo (South Africa 1935-1988)
Mythological Rider II (Study for Mythological Rider)

bronze on wooden base

Artwork date: 1970
Signature details: signed on the back
Edition: from an edition of 7 + 1AP (casting date unknown)
Exhibited: Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Sydney Kumalo, 17 to 31 May 1997, another cast from the edition exhibited.; Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA, Apartheid and Today, February 2001, another cast from the edition exhibited.
Literature: The Star, 20 May 1997, Darryl Accone, No spots on this Leopard, Mythological Rider (II) illustrated.; Business Day, 23 May 1997, p.14, Artworks that reveal artists’ evolution in style and concept, John Dewar, Sydney Kumalo Retrospective, Goodman Gallery, reference “mythological rider sculptures”.; Signature Pieces – The Standard Bank Corporate Art Collection, editor Julia Charlton, Bell Roberts Publishing, 2009, p.184.; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 16 February 2001, Catherine Fox, Shadow of Apartheid, p.Q8 Weekend Preview – Visual Arts.

Sold for R796,600
Estimated at R800,000 - R1,200,000


 

bronze on wooden base

Artwork date: 1970
Signature details: signed on the back
Edition: from an edition of 7 + 1AP (casting date unknown)
Exhibited: Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Sydney Kumalo, 17 to 31 May 1997, another cast from the edition exhibited.; Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA, Apartheid and Today, February 2001, another cast from the edition exhibited.
Literature: The Star, 20 May 1997, Darryl Accone, No spots on this Leopard, Mythological Rider (II) illustrated.; Business Day, 23 May 1997, p.14, Artworks that reveal artists’ evolution in style and concept, John Dewar, Sydney Kumalo Retrospective, Goodman Gallery, reference “mythological rider sculptures”.; Signature Pieces – The Standard Bank Corporate Art Collection, editor Julia Charlton, Bell Roberts Publishing, 2009, p.184.; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 16 February 2001, Catherine Fox, Shadow of Apartheid, p.Q8 Weekend Preview – Visual Arts.

(1)

123 x 65 x 30.5 cm excluding base

Notes:

Mythological Rider is a notable work among sculptor Sydney Kumalo’s compositions exploring the motif combining man and beast in a singular form. The work depicts a humanoid figure balancing on the back of an animal – perceptibly a long-necked hound.

The bronze sculpture is among the earliest known explorations of the idea. Kumalo made Mythological Rider, in 1970, and returned to the motif in 1975 with a work titled Two Bulls. The later piece comprised a bearded man riding a horned bellowing bull; his arms reach out in comparable fashion though his hands are clasped in a praying gesture. Kumalo also fashioned Man on Beast in 1975 and others followed over the years. He returned to the motif of a humanoid figure riding an animal throughout his career.

To gain a richer appreciation of Kumalo’s work in general and Mythological Rider in particular, one must delve into the world and culture that shaped his artistic imagination. Kumalo was born in Sophiatown, Johannesburg. Following the forced removals and the demolition of the area, his family moved to Diepkloof in Soweto.

Kumalo was raised with a deep awareness and pride in his family's Zulu traditions. However, it’s important to note the convergent cultural polyglot that greater Johannesburg was from the start; giving a growing Kumalo access to a slew of cultures and myths to draw from.

For instance, the strange anatomical features of the Mythological Rider, like the disc-shaped head and the accordion forms of its torso locate the figure as something ethereal and not human. We must look to the realm of tokoloshes or goblins of Zulu myths and folktales to appreciate its form. Khumalo had an artistic agenda to employ African sculptural traditions. A mode espoused by the Amadlozi group Kumalo founded in 1961 with fellow artists Cecil Skotnes and Ezrom Legae, amongst others. This universe of ideas is key to enjoying the power of his Mythological Rider as an artwork.

We know from an interview given by Neil Dundas of the Goodman Gallery that Kumalo made the terracotta of Mythological Rider in 1970 from which the bronze was cast. Only the first edition was ever cast with Kumalo at the Vignali Foundry; numbers two to seven were cast after his death. He had left the rights to Esther, his wife, to cast the full seven editions of the work, and wanted her to have his proof. The artist's proof was later sold by the gallery to the Commonwealth Development Corporation on behalf of Esther. His express wish that the proof of the sculpture be made for his wife tells us how much he loved the work.

You can place an absentee bid through our website - please sign in to your account on our website to proceed.

In the My Account tab you can also enter telephone bids, or email bids@aspireart.net to log telephone/absentee bids.

Join us on the day of the auction to follow and bid in real-time.

The auction will be live-streamed with an audio-visual feed.

Auction: Art, Life and Love: The Collection of Nwabisa Xayiya (Live Auction), 31st Oct, 2021

This October, 2021, we are honoured to present Art, Life and Love:  The Collection of Nwabisa Xayiya, a single owner auction showcasing the cultivated taste and style of Nwabisa Xayiya.

The auction offers examples by great modernists as well as exciting contemporary pieces. Notable is a selection of work by George Pemba. There is also a set of impressive urban scenes and portraits by Gerard Sekoto, a rarely seen Alexis Preller, a glorious Robert Hodgins, and varied examples of Dumile Feni’s work. Within the contemporary offering, there are outstanding works by Blessing Ngobeni, Sam Nhlengethwa, William Kentridge, Teresa Firmino, Athi-Patra Ruga, Kudzanai Chiurai, Nelson Makamo, Owusu-Ankomah and Nicholas Hlobo.

Viewing

Lots will be on view at the Xayiya residence: 63 4th Street, Houghton, Johannesburg
Saturday 23 October to Saturday 30 October from 10 am to 6 pm

View all lots in this sale

Images *

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:


 

Logistics

While we endeavour to assist our Clients as much as possible, we require artwork(s) to be delivered and/or collected from our premises by the Client. In instances where a Client is unable to deliver or collect artwork(s), Aspire staff is available to assist in this process by outsourcing the services to one of our preferred Service Providers. The cost for this will be for the Client’s account, with an additional Handling Fee of 15% charged on top of the Service Provider’s invoice.

Aspire Art provides inter-company transfer services for its Clients between Johannesburg and Cape Town branches. These are based on the size of the artwork(s), and charged as follows:

Small (≤60x90x10 cm): R480

Medium (≤90x120x15 cm): R960

Large (≤120x150x20 cm): R1,440

Over-size: Special quote

 

Should artwork(s) be collected or delivered to/from Clients by Aspire Art directly, the following charges will apply:

Collection/delivery ≤20km: R400

Collection/delivery 20km>R800≤50km

Collection/delivery >50km: Special quote

 

Packaging

A flat fee of R100 will be added to the invoice for packaging of unframed works on paper.

 


International Collectors Shipping Package

For collectors based outside South Africa who purchase regularly from Aspire Art’s auctions in South Africa, it does not make sense to ship artworks individually or per auction and pay shipping every time you buy another work. Consequently, we have developed a special collectors’ shipping package to assist in reducing shipping costs and the constant demands of logistics arrangements.

For buyers from outside South Africa, we will keep the artworks you have purchased in storage during the year and then ship all the works you have acquired during the year together, so the shipping costs are reduced. At the end of the annual period, we will source various quotes to get you the best price, and ship all your artworks to your desired address at once.

Aspire Art will arrange suitable storage during, and cost-effective shipping at the end, of the annual period.

 


Collections

Collections are by appointment, with 24-hours’ notice

Clients are requested to contact the relevant office and inform Aspire Art of which artwork(s) they would like to collect, and allow a 24-hour window for Aspire Art’s logistics department to retrieve the artwork(s) and prepare them for collection.

 


Handling Fee

Aspire Art charges a 15% Handling Fee on all Logistics, Framing, Restoration and Conservation arranged by Aspire.