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Lot 58*

Ibou Diouf
(Senegalese, born 1943)
Les Garmis de Gaabu

17 March 2021, 17:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £24,625 inc. premium

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Ibou Diouf (Senegalese, 1941-2017)

Les Garmis de Gaabu
signed and dated 'Ibou Diouf 73' (lower left); signed, inscribed and dated (verso)
oil on canvas
147 x 99cm (57 7/8 x 39in).

Footnotes

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist;
A private collection, Senegal.

The Kaabu (Gaabu) empire existed from 1537 – 1867 and covered much of West Africa including Senegal. The title Garmis designates a women of high and aristocratic rank and the story of the "Garmis of Gaabu" is recorded in Kaabu mythology:

The Mandingo princess Tenemba fled Mande following a family quarrel and hid in a cave in the nearby kingdom of Kaabu. The King of Kaabu Manforong heard of her presence and then imprisoned her in a house without doors or windows.

One day, babies' cries were heard coming from the house. The King ordered the walls to be broken down and Tenemba was found nursing three new-born daughters.

Astounded by this miracle King Manforong married Tenembe and became a father to the three girls. These were the "Garmis of Gaabu".

We would like to thank the Senegalese historian Djibril Tamsir Niane for his assistance in the compilation of this footnote and Mr Bara Diokhané for his research and translation.

Additional information

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