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Slow and steady is
what best defines the Terra Kulture auction where artist El Anatsui’s
works raked in the highest sales. The organisers sold almost 70 percent
of the about 140 works that went under the hammer. What began as slow
sales ended in a blitz, which saw the top five sales rake in 12.2
million naira: a sign that the art market has not lost its flair. This
was the case at the second Terra Kulture’s “Golden Jubilee Art Auction”
which held at Terra Kulture on April 24. The works went on public
display three days before.

The collection
included works from masters like Bruce Onobrakpeya, Abayomi Barber, El
Anatsui, Jimoh Buraimoh and the late Ben Osawe.

It was a wide
selection, which also included works by younger contemporary artists
including Victor Ehikhamenor, Rom Isichei, Ini Brown and Edosa Oguigo.
There were also artefacts, including a jewellery box (Ekpoki), a Benin
Warrior Head, an Ife Head and a sculpture, ‘The Portuguese Warrior
Horse Rider’. The works on display cut across varying media and dated
as far back as the 19th century to as recent as 2009.

Forgetful Jones

The auctioneers,
Seye and Yvonne Emordi set the ball rolling an hour after the scheduled
start. Apart from being a drab duo, they mispronounced the names of the
artists right from the beginning. Providing little cause of excitement
until it was almost late, they seemed to forget some of the tasks
required of them as those wielding the hammer.

The main
auctioneer Emordi failed on a couple of occasions to call out the lot
numbers, even after bidders had insisted, her explanation that all the
works were not in the brochure did not move the audience.

As for her
assistant, Seye, he remembered to provide more information about the
artists and the work, but kept forgetting to use the auctioneer’s
hammer every time a sale was made. The boredom became obvious at some
point as a restless audience trooped in and out of the venue in search
of other distractions. It also seemed the perfect delaying tactic while
waiting for the auctioneer to call the piece they intended to buy.

Hurry up

The auctioneers
hurriedly moved from work to work, with no one showing interest in most
of the pieces. The unseen bidder got to buy the works in some cases as
no one was ready to top the price that had already been met. Like in
the case of Nse Abasi Iyang’s “At the Railroad,” no one was ready to
beat the N400,000 price that an unseen bidder had already agreed to
pay. “Time Window,” a wood panel by El Anatsui went for 3.8million
Naira. His “1004 Flat” series came in second with 3.2million, putting
the artist’s pieces among the highest sold at the end of proceedings.
Other works in the top five sales were: Ben Osawe’s “Queen”; “King King
and Queen” by Late Gani Oguntokun and Abayomi Barber’s “Knowledge is
Power.”

While art collectors Yemisi Shyllon and Sammy Olagbaju had left the
event before it ended, it appeared that the buyers already knew what
they wanted.