Notes

From 1967 to 1971, Kumalo was at the peak of his powers and produced some remarkable sculptures. Amongst these were a series of large standing and seated figures: Large Seated Woman (1970), exhibited at Re/discovery and Memory, Norval Foundation, 2018; Mother and Child (Seated) (1970), from the Harry Lits sale in 2014, and exhibited at Re/discovery and Memory, Norval foundation, 2018; Standing Mother and Child (1971), exhibited at Re/discovery and Memory, Norval Foundation, 2018; and the present lot, Seated Mother and Child II (Sitting on Brick).

Seated Mother and Child II (Sitting on Brick) was produced by Egon Guenther in 1971 but only two bronzes were cast by Guenther from an edition of 10 (edition numbers 1/10 and 2/10). Linda Givon produced a further 5 casts of this sculpture (3/10 through to 7/10). All 7 casts were made by the Vignali foundry.

Seated Mother and Child II (Sitting on Brick) was exhibited by Linda Givon at the SA Kunsvereniging in November 1976 (edition number 4/10 exhibited) and at the Jack Gallery in New York and the Circle Gallery in San Diego in June and October 1985 when Linda Givon toured the United States with a ‘re-formed’ Amadlozi Group consisting of Kumalo, Villa, Skotnes and Legae. An image of this sculpture appears in Hans Fransen’s Three Centuries of South African Art on page 158.

Given the number of dubious Kumalo sculptures that have come on the market over the last few years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find authentic early sculptures by the artist. This is unquestionably an important sculpture from arguably the most important period of Kumalo’s working life.

Gavin Watkins