A 16th-century bronze plaque recovered in 1897 from the charred ruins of the Benin Kingdom’s Royal Palace (Benin City, Nigeria) is the featured item in the the Saturday, Oct. 1 auction of the late Merton D. Simpson’s private collection at Quinn’s Auction Galleries at 360 S. Washington Street. The auction estimate for the plaque is $800,000 – $1.2 million.
Simpson, who was an expert, artist and New York City-based gallerist, will have his some his own paintings featured in the sale, as well as his some of the artworks and rare African artifacts from his personal collection and Manhattan gallery.
Also featured in the sale is a horned plank Bedu mask with checkerboard design from the first half of the 20th-century in Ivory Coast/Ghana that’s estimated at $10,000 – $15,000 and a seated clay figure from between the 15th-17th century that was found in a cache uncovered in the 1980s in Mali that’s estimated in the same price range.
The items in the auction can be previewed at the gallery on September 23, 24, 26-29 from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. or from 9 – 11 a.m. on October 1. The auction begins at 11 a.m. on October 1. For more information, visit quinnsauction.com.
