An astonishing sculpture with a highly expressive head on a faceted neck resting on an almost circular base, probably a dancing stick, scepter or hypothetical reliquary head. The obvious antiquity of this sculpture, which nevertheless remains enigmatic as to its function and traditional character, its evocative force and its particularly modernist, "cubist" plastic genius, motivated the author of Sehen Lernen, about Dieter Scharf's entire collection, to publish it full-page and as the first in this book. Mbete (Ambete), Gabon Wood, pigments, old lustre patina H. 38 cm Provenance : Arman Collection, Paris / New York Philippe Ratton and Daniel Hourdé, Paris Hilde and Dieter Scharf Collection, Hamburg, acquired 1995 Publications and exhibitions: Heymer and Thompson, Sehen lernen. Eine Sammlung afrikanischer Figuren, 1999, p. 6