Lot 201
**First Time At Auction**
Cartton Eshun Mural Arts, Ghana, ca. 1960s to 1980s. A very large composition painted on heavy gauge cloth that depicts three women, all fashionably dressed and wearing beautiful gold jewelry, with the central figure smoking a cigarette, with a band of five musicians depicted with their variuos instruments below. Above the figures is a green and white banner labeled "Apantampa", and at the lower right is a circular seal-like form signed "Cartton Eshun Mural Arts P.O. Box 082 Takoram". Size: 66" L x 67.5" W (167.6 cm x 171.4 cm)
Apantampa is a traditional African dance. Hild Owusu described an event that took place in Winneba in which various dances were performed - "ranging from Baamaya, Takai, Bawaa to Apatampa and Adowa" - in "Modern Ghana Daily Graphic"(August 5, 2008). Owusu wrote, "The Apantampa performers added a bit of drama to the dance. Through their performance they told the story of how three women who were married to one man asked for specific favours from him. Two asked for material things while one requested for children." Perhaps the three women depicted below the "Apantampa" banner in this composition represent these women.
Muralism in Africa is a centuries-old tradition, and due to the climate in countries such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and South Africa, murals are repainted or restored each year following the rainy season. Perhaps, this work, painted on cloth, was used as a model for a mural that decorated a wall - or, perhaps rather than being painted directly to architecture, the composition was painted on fabric so as to be more portable.
Provenance: private Bellvue West collection, Boulder County, Colorado, USA; acquired from Leo Hakola Collection, La Barge, Wyoming, USA; Mr. Hakola acquired the painting in 1989 from South African collectors (last name Pretorious) who owned a shop in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA
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#152236
- Condition: Crease marks and craquelure as shown, as the painting has weathered over the years. Folds and some tears to areas of the periphery. Still, the painting is quite striking. Signed "Cartton Eshun Mural Arts P.O. Box 082 Takoram." on the lower right.
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