Strauss & co - 22 October 2012, Cape Town

297 Jacob Hendrik PIERNEEF SOUTH AFRICAN 1886-1957 Kameeldoring, Kalahari signed and dated ‘56 oil on canvas 46 by 61cm R800 000 – 1 200 000 Sold: Bonhams, London, 23 May 2007, lot 45 The Camel Thorn derived its name from kameelperd , the Afrikaans word for giraffe, as the tree and its pods, nutritious seeds and flowers provide sustenance for wild life and livestock, especially during droughts. The tree is thus vital to the food chain throughout the Kalahari, the large semi-desert stretching across Botswana, Namibia and South Africa that derived its name from the Tswana word Kgala , meaning ‘the great thirst’, or Khalagari , Kgalagadi or Kalagare , meaning ‘a waterless place’ and is known in Afrikaans as die Dorsland. One of South Africa’s most distinctive trees, the Camel Thorn or Acacia erioloba was one of Pierneef’s most frequently painted trees, favoured for its dramatic silhouette that contributed bold, structural elements to his composition. With strong associations of resilience, durability and regeneration, here the centrally placed tree also symbolises oneness or spiritual unity. 83