Strauss & co - Review 2012

Arab signed and dated 1939 oil on canvas, in the original Zanzibar frame 66,5 by 65,5cm Sold R 17 267 000, 11 June 2012 Irma Stern Since her first visit to Zanzibar in 1939, Irma Stern was captivated by its peoples and cultures. In passages from her book on Zanzibar published in 1948, Stern makes several pertinent observations: ‘The most distinguished Arab – “the truly wise and religious father” – is dressed in a pure white robe with a white turban around his white skull cap’. 14 Describing those attending a reception hosted by the Sultan of Zanzibar, Stern wrote, ‘White bearded figures belonging to another age – a thousand years or more back; gold glistening on their coats, silk woven into their rainbow-coloured turbans, wound artfully ...’ 15 34