By Faith Udo-
A long-lost masterpiece by Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu sold yesterday for £1.2 million ($1.67 million) at “Africa Now,” the first-ever evening sale of contemporary African art at Bonhams London.
The 1974 painting, titled Tutu, depicts Adetutu Ademiluyi, a Nigerian royal princess. After a 20-minute bidding war, it was hammered down to an anonymous phone bidder and is now the most expensive Nigerian Modernist work ever sold at auction.
The painting , thought to have been lost for decades, was eventually discovered , and the family who owned it invited a Bonhams specialist to appraise it late last year.
The 1974 painting of the Ife princess Adetutu Ademiluyi, known as Tutu, became a symbol of reconciliation after Nigeria’s Biafra conflict. It was expected to fetch £300,000, but sold for a whopping £1,205,000 . This was a record for a modern Nigerian artist.
Novelist Ben Okri said its discovery was “the most significant in contemporary African art in 50 years”. Bonham’s director of modern African art Giles Peppiatt discovered the painting after he was invited to appraise artworks at a “modest north London flat”.
“The portrait of Tutu is a national icon in Nigeria, and of huge cultural significance,” Mr Peppiatt said.
“I am delighted that it generated so much interest and set a new world record for the artist. It is very exciting to have played a part in the discovery and sale of this remarkable work.”
The painting is “the most significant discovery in contemporary African art in over 50 years,” Okri wrote. “It is the only authentic Tutu, the equivalent of some rare archaeological find.”