Stunning "Wool-painting" by Ankobra from Oshogbo 1981 Superb Ethnic Tapestry by deceased Nigerian artist Start Price USD 2,200.00 Current Price USD 2,200.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 3,000.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, July 01, 2008 End Time Friday, July 11, 2008 Location ALCALÁ DE GUADAIRA, Andalucía Ceuta y Melilla See more about 'Stunning "Wool-painting" by Ankobra from Oshogbo 1981' Description This is a unique and excellent investment opportunity (not on a par with the recent Monet sale but on a much smaller scale!) - aside from being a superb piece of art - and an eye-catching talking-point!      A highly collectible example of Nigerian art by deceased artist, Ade Odus Fabunmi, with the "Ankobra" signature (see below for the curious explanation) - a VERY large wool tapestry ‘painting’ – measuring a huge 171cm x 176cm.  I purchased this while working in Nigeria between 1981/3.    The work represents a typical traditional Nigerian festive scene with the local witchdoctor and is made from hundreds of pieces of coloured wool glued onto canvas.  An iron curtain rod can be placed in the pockets at the top and at the bottom for hanging to keep it stretched – however, this wool-painting requires a large wall to itself in order to fully appreciate it!    This wool-painting has been in folded in storage for a long time but is in extremely good condition and only needs hanging for the creases fall out.  It is signed in wool strips bottom left “Ankobra,”  in one of the photos you can see a scanned copy of a Polaroid photo taken of Ade Odus Fabunmi actually working on this piece.    When I purchased this work from an American friend and art dealer in Lagos, I never asked for details about the artist himself, I just loved the piece.  I have had to carry out a lot of research and emailing to various galleries to manage to put the following details together.  My special thanks to Ms. Victoria Scott of the Black Art Studio in Santa Fé for her input:    "Ankobra" was the name adopted by two artists who formed a unique partnership; Ade Odus Fabunmi – seen working on this tapestry in the photo (brother of the famous Adebisi Fabunmi, one of the founding members of the Oshogbo artists’ club) was one.  The other is a white South African artist named Grey Mundy-Castle, who adopted the name “Kofi Ankobra”- Kofi being the name of the day he was born and "Ankobra" after the river in Ghana where Ade grew up and his own signature after his partner’s death.  A lifelong artist and son of psychologist Alistair Mundy-Castle, Grey (aka Kofi,)  born in Johannesburg in 1954, travelled extensively around Africa and began painting the strange world surrounding him after studying at several art colleges in West Africa and developing a strong visual sense he decided to become a professional artist.   He and Ade collaborated closely on all aspects of every work produced under the name.  They adopted the "wool painting" technique that Adebisi Fabunmi originated in the late 1960's and also produced drawings and paintings.    Ade died in 1987, thus putting an end to the collaboration, although Grey, who now lives in London, continues to produce art under the name Ankobra to remember and honour his friend.  I have included a photo of one of these works shown in the Museum of Erotica in Barcelona in 2004.  His work can be found in private collections in the US, Spain, Ghana, Japan, Brazil and London.     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    PRIOR TO BIDDING .  .  .  We strongly urge you to examine the photos and description carefully, and to email any questions or concerns you may still have before you bid.   We provide quality photographs and list all damage and imperfections that fall beyond the realm of normal wear. SHIPPING Purchases will be shipped within 3 business days of Pay Pal payment or confirmed advice of bank transfer.    Please include your city, country and postal or zip code with global shipping inquiries.  PAYMENT We prefer PayPal, it’s fast and secure!  We also accept bank transfers.    Purchases outside Spain must be through either PayPal or Easy Bank Transfer.   You will receive an invoice within 24 hours of auction's end.     PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE SHIPPING ADDRESS  ON YOUR INVOICE  IS CORRECT! Sale is void if payment is not received within 7 days of auction’s end.  We are happy to respond to any of your questions or concerns, and will try to get back to you within 24 hours.  THANKS FOR LOOKING AND DO PLEASE ADD US TO YOUR FAVOURITE SELLERS LIST   Place a Bid!