LUCAS SITHOLE
LS6802
as illustrated in Bonham's New Bond Street London Sale 18966 26-10-2011 Lot 393
LS6802 - right side
LS6802 - left side
"Begging Hyena" ("Pleading Hyena") ("Hyena"), 1968 - Rhodesian teak - 056x131x056 cm - signed under the chin
Provenance:
Private Coll., Johannesburg - 2011
Private Coll., New York NY, USA
Estate Jane Engelhard, Nantucket MA, USA
Estate Charles W. Engelhard, Jr., Far Hills, N.J., USA
Gallery 101, Johannesburg
Work auctioned:
Bonhams, New Bond Street, London - Sale 18966 - 26th October, 2011 - Lot 393
Work exhibited:
Gallery 101, Johannesburg - 1968
Durban Art Gallery, Durban - "art south africa today" 1969
SA Association of Arts (Herbert Evans), Johannesburg - 1970
Work reproduced:
Gallery 101, Johannesburg - ill. on cover of invitation card Oct. 1968
ARTLOOK Johannesburg - Oct. 1968, p. 11, ill.
SA Panorama, Pretoria - May 1970, p. 8 col.
Lucas SITHOLE 1958-1979 - ISBN 0 620 03982 5 - p. 57
The Star Johannesburg (Topic Today) - 30.3.1981, ill.
"Aspects of 20th Century Black South African Art up to 1980" (Amanda Anne Jephson) (M.A. thesis) (Faculty Fine Art and Architecture, University of Cape Town), 1989 (unpublished), ill. pl. 4.14a
Work listed:
Work listed under cat. 181 (6) in „Sydney Kumalo and other Bantu artists of the Transvaal“ by Susanna Jansen van Rensburg (unpublished M.A. degree thesis handed in to Prof. Dr. F.G.E. Nilant, Dept. History of Art, University of Pretoria) (1968/69) - listed as "Pleading Hyena"
Durban Art Gallery (art south africa today 1969), cat. 124, listed
Note:
This sculpture is recorded and illustrated in the monograph published in 2015
“Lucas SITHOLE 1931 – 1994: Highlights 1966-1993” – ISBN 978-3-033-04655-9 – on pp. 14/15
Artist's legend:
"Once there was an old farmer and his wife. They owned a little dog with a long tail. This dog had served his master for many years and now he was old. So the farmer, not wanting to feed a useless dog, decided to put him to sleep, but his wife begged and pleaded till eventually he gave in and said he'd let him live. But the farmer being a sly old devil took the dog to the woods where he left him to die.
The old dog, left to himself, met up with a Hyena who came trotting up with that curious gait that looked as though he was dragging his hind quarters. "What ever is the matter, dear friend?" asked the Hyena.
"O, I've been deserted by my master and I'm sure to die" said the dog. "I've watched the sheep, lambs and even the children, but now I'm old so he doesn't want me any more."
The Hyena told the dog he had a good plan which he'd tell him if the dog would give him a lamb.
"I will rush up on the children and give them a big fright, whereupon you will come and chase me away" said the Hyena. "The farmer will then think you are very clever and take you in again". The dog agreed and the two crept up on the playing children. The Hyena roared and jumped in amongst them. The dog chased the Hyena away. Very pleased, the farmer took the dog back.
However, when the Hyena turned up again, the dog said "You wanted my master's sheep, but I would never be disloyal to him, so go away and never come back!"
