Yup’ik mask (late 19th century)
Donald Ellis Gallery (F18)
A strong provenance is crucial when it comes to historical North American art, and this Yup’ik ceremonial mask from Alaska’s Kuskokwim River area has it. The collector and trader Adams Hollis Twitchell acquired the piece in the early 20th century and it eventually entered the collection of the Surrealist artist Enrico Donati. The gallery is asking $450,000 for the work. “If it was an African piece, that figure would be closer to $6m or $7m,” says the dealer Donald Ellis.
DeWain Valentine, Circle Blue (1972/2015)
Almine Rech Gallery (F13)
The gallery has devoted its entire stand to the Californian artist associated with the 1960s Light and Space movement. Projects such as the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiative have put Valentine’s work, which has been overlooked for years, back on the art world’s radar. This piece (priced at around $400,000) sold to a private collector during the fair’s VIP preview on Tuesday, as did several other large resin works.
Roulland le Roux, Drawing for Rouen Cathedral (1516)
Sam Fogg (C1)
Think of this beautiful ink-on-vellum plan for a new 80m Gothic tower at Rouen Cathedral as a Medieval Kickstarter campaign. The architect Roulland le Roux presented it to the cathedral chapter for approval in 1516. Le Roux was seeking “funds from the bishops who extorted money from the impoverished masses” to build the tower, says Matthew Reeves of Sam Fogg. In the end, a scaled-down version was built.
