In an experiment, Hans Himmelheber asked four sculptors to carve a portrait of him. In African art, portraits are often abstracted or idealized. It was not the realistic image of a person that was sought, but the representation of his social position or his inner being. For a long time, therefore, artists in Africa were denied the ability to produce portraits that were true to life. Himmelheber proved the opposite with his series of experiments (1972). Of the four masks, the work of the sculptor Dje Abou Coulibaly most resembled him. This is all the more remarkable because there was no portrait tradition in the Senufo region. For Himmelheber, this mask was proof that artists in Africa could create naturalistic portraits. Himmelheber’s typical facial features his deep-set eyes, straight eyebrows, high forehead, and narrow mouth are accurately rendered. Even the line between the nose and the corner of the mouth and the dimple on the chin are recognizable.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

Hans Himmelheber was one of the first art anthropologist to emphasize individual authorship in African art. This colorfully painted Sauli mask is by the sculptor Sabou bi Boti (ca. 1920–2021). Together with his wife Ulrike and Eberhard and Barbara Fischer, Hans Himmelheber documented the six-day process of making the mask. In addition, the research team interviewed Boti about his career and artistic freedoms. The resulting publication on Sabou bi Boti is the first monograph (1993) of a classical sculptor in the art of West Africa. For new creations, Boti drew inspiration from current events locally and nationally, as well as from pictorial models and photographs. This mask is topped by a group of figures representing three Dan acrobats whose performance Boti had previously observed. The scene seems extremely lively and realistic. One can see with how much momentum and strength the body is whirled around.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In his research, Himmelheber tried to describe the aesthetic principles of the respective art region and the social role of the artist. The imposing double spoon comes from the hand of the sculptor Sra, who was highly regarded in the Dan region, and depicts a young woman. In designing the face, Sra was guided by the local ideal of beauty for women: high forehead, narrow eyes, and white make-up around the eyes. At the same time, his artistic signature is recognizable. In conversations with Himmelheber, the sculptor, who was already ill at the time, spoke about his life history and his self-image as an artist: “My name is Sra. Sra means God. People have given me this name because, like God, I am able to create such beautiful things with my hands” (1960: 172). The carved spoons (Wakemia) were the dignity signs of the Wunkirle, the hospitable woman of a village, who performed with her spoon during festivities.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In the 1960s, Hans Himmelheber¾inspired by the research of his son Eberhard Fischer¾began to document the production of works of art in detail. In 1965, Hans Himmelheber conducted a study of the art of the Lobi region, which had not been very well known until then. With Biniate Kambre from Tiamne in the north of Ivory Coast, he not only had long conversations about his family and his role as a fortune teller and shrine owner, but also documented in detail for the first time the production process of a Bateba sculpture, which he subsequently acquired from the sculptor. The minute-by-minute log, which he published in an article (1965), lists the technique, materials, and tools used. He also photographed and filmed the work process over several days. His multimedia methodology created a dense documentation of the working process, complemented by descriptions of the artist’s design decisions.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

If people in the global North were given half an eggshell to paint a face on, they would start on the outside. But wouldn’t it be equally possible to paint the face on the inside of the eggshell? Hans Himmelheber pursued this question by comparing the design of faces in the African and European art traditions. While in Europe it was not until the cubists in the early twentieth century that a face was depicted concavely, this tendency already existed in certain art regions of Africa well before. Thus, in this graceful stick figure in the Senufo style, the face is curved inward instead of outward. Whether this was due to physiognomy or to the principle of frontality, Himmelheber did not want to judge definitively and instead came to the conclusion: “Problems of light and shadow, or even of carving technique might influence the sculptor’s choice” (1971: 55).
/ Michaela Oberhofer

Hans Himmelheber wanted to prove that the art of Africa had not only profane or religious uses but was also produced for the sake of pure artistic enjoyment. He saw proof of this in the finely decorated carvings of the Baule region (Ivory Coast). These were replicas of everyday objects, such as this sword hilt crowned by a rooster, which was not functional because the underside had no notch for the sword but was carefully carved with geometric patterns. Asked about the purpose of such objects, Himmelheber received the answer that people put them in front of them on feast days and look at them with satisfaction. In a wooden case he gathered twenty-four specimens, which he gave to the French governor François-Joseph Reste in gratitude for his support. In the accompanying manuscript Himmelheber developed his thesis of “L’art pour l’art.”
/ Michaela Oberhofer

From masks and figures that had a specific function, Hans Himmelheber distinguished “independent works of art.” To this category he counted the so-called Mboong Itool (called Bongotol by Himmelheber), which were made by women of the Cuba region. These were small geometric or figurative sculptures formed from redwood powder, sand, and water and decorated with fine patterns. “What does it mean? It means that the (...) Bakuba sometimes find the objects they make with their hands for daily use so beautiful that they deem them worthy of being elevated to the sphere of pure art. To achieve this, the object is deprived of the very quality that makes it useful for a practical purpose” (1960: 21). Thus, although this specimen resembles a pot for ointments, it was a massive sculpture whose lid could not be lifted off for Himmelheber, pure art.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In the Kuba region, architecture, masks, and body ornaments as well as every-day and prestigious objects were artfully decorated with geometric motifs. Enthused by this creativity, Himmelheber spoke of “art to transform the world according to aesthetic principles” (1940: 22). Most famous were the elaborately made textiles worn while dancing. Because of their graphic design, the fabrics made from raffia were popular with painters such as Paul Klee, Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. The textiles were a collaborative effort: men wove the fabrics, women made the embroidery and appliqués. The cut pile technique was very elaborate, with each thread being pulled through the woven base fabric with a curved needle and then cut just above the surface. Particularly fine and old embroideries with pile, of which Himmelheber was able to acquire some fragments, used to be worn only by women at the royal court.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

Himmelheber considered “arts and crafts” as a category between functional objects such as masks or figurines and pure works of art. Arts and crafts objects were valued for their aesthetics and beauty, like these ornate weaving roll holders that were a functional part of a loom. A roller was mounted to the bottom of the holder, over which a cord ran to move the warp threads. In the Baule and Guro regions, the weaving roll holders had a variety of motifs and stylistic details. In this case, the sculptor provided the holder with the delicate head of a woman whose braided hairstyle was particularly elaborate. For use in weaving, it was almost a hindrance that the holder was so fragile and finely carved. As a reason for the elaborate design, a weaver told Himmelheber: “One just doesn't like to live without the pretty things” (1960: 18). For Himmelheber, this was proof of the great importance of aesthetic effect in African applied art.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In 1970, Hans Himmelheber discovered modern fabric painting as a research topic. At that time, the first studies were made on the artistic production for the Western market, which had until then received little attention and had been dismissed as “airport art.” Himmelheber showed that the new cloths depicted mask figures that belonged to the Poro secret society and – because they were secret – had not been known until then either in literature or from museums. In the Senufo region, modern painting had evolved from older practices of painting costumes of masked figures or hunting shirts with geometric motifs. While the figural motifs were an innovation, the technique remained the same. The paint, derived from mud and vegetable tannins, was applied with the blunt sheath of a knife. Hans Himmelheber documented the painting of the textiles in 1970 and acquired the large cloth from Samogo Silue after its completion. He had the painter explain the individual motifs in detail (1974).
/ Michaela Oberhofer

An important stylistic feature of African art is a reduced use of form and color. Hans Himmelheber described an opposite tendency with “baroqueization,” i.e., the accumulation of motifs on the same work of art that did not necessarily have anything to do with its original meaning. The tendency towards “ornamental overloading” was particularly evident in objects intended for sale to tourists. The sculptor designed this weaving reel holder as a “wriggling over and into each other of heads and figures” (1965: 118). This meant that the object could no longer be used on a loom. Depicted was a fantasy scene: an elephant climbing up a human. For Hans Himmelheber, works made for tourists were also of interest, if they convinced him in terms of design, they stood for the artistic freedom that contemporary sculptors possessed in relation to the traditional repertoire of forms.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In the 1960s and 1970s, Hans Himmelheber published a series of articles on products of modern carving and casting. For example, the professional sculptors of the Senufo region produced objects in large quantities for the Western market. Production in the workshops took place in a hurry, as payment was made by the piece. The tools used were also different from older manufacturing methods. While he criticized the eclectic style of some new creations, there were exceptions, such as this sculpture he discovered at the Marché des antiquités in Abidjan. Here a “true” artist had shown his “genius”: “The powerful, ‘chunky’ in a good sense, strongly abstracting design made one think of Barlach” (1967: 30). Himmelheber, however, did not go so far as to acquire tourist art for himself or his clients. Therefore, such objects are missing from the collection of the Museum Rietberg and are only documented photographically.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

Unlike many contemporaries, Hans Himmelheber was interested in the design of modern pictorial works, even if they were made for tourists. A 1974 article was entitled “An Un-African Design Tendency in New African Visual Art.” In it, he compared modern artworks from Ivory Coast (modern Senufo figures), Ghana (nostalgic oil paintings), Congo-Brazzaville (Poto-Poto School paintings), and Tanzania (Makonde carvings). What they have in common is the tendency to elongate and attenuate the human form similar to spiders or grasshoppers. Himmelheber invented the term “insect style” for this. The bodies and limbs of these metal figures from Burkina Faso were also disproportionately thin and long. The new tendency would diametrically oppose older design principles: “instead of squat bulkiness of body and limbs here fragile thinness, instead of compactness here dissolution” (1974: 223).
/ Michaela Oberhofer

In the material culture of Africa, practices of repairing and restoring things have a high value. Hans Himmelheber addressed this little-noticed topic in a short article on “sewing calabashes” (1989). Calabashes are hollowed out and dried bottle gourds that are still widely used today to eat and drink from, to draw water with, or to store food in. Daily use can cause a calabash to crack or break, as was the case with this specimen. In the Senufo region, blacksmith women specialized in patching cracks and fissures in calabashes and were called Tja-tol-we (calabash patching woman). Using a twisted iron rod, the woman drilled holes on both sides of the crack. Then the crack was sealed on the top and bottom with plant fibers, and the area was sewn together with a tough but pliable thread made from the leaf stalk of the coconut palm.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

Like many other objects acquired on his 1938/39 journey through the Belgian Congo, this reddish mask in the style of the Eastern Pende belonged to the private collection of Hans Himmelheber. Often the artifacts were marked with white lettering “H. Himmelheber” as a sign that they were not intended for sale but belonged to the family collection. This expressive mask was a favorite piece of the art art anthropologist . He depicted the mask twice in his publication on art and artists from Africa. He was particularly fascinated by its facial expression. But when interpreting the facial expressions, it was necessary to overcome the Western gaze and take into account the sculptor’s interpretation: “What appears to us as ‘threatening bared teeth’ or ‘complaining,’ he interprets as ‘laughing,’ since in this case one also shows the teeth” (1960: 52). Filed teeth, as in this mask, were also an ideal of beauty among Pende women and men.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

The firs objects from Himmelhebers collection to arrive at the Museum Rietberg in 1984, came not from Africa but from Alaska. As a comparison to his artist studies in Ivory Coast, Himmelheber traveled to North America in 1936/37 to explore the artistry of the indigenous population on the Kuskokwim River and Nunivak Island. In his book published in 1938, he portrayed some of the artists he interviewed and documented the work processes of painting as well as drawing and carving. These floating little birds are game pieces for a dice game. The artist designed the underside of the small figures with their necks stretched forward as a flat surface, as if they were floating on a water surface. The small carvings made of walrus tooth came from the estate of the gallery owner Charles Ratton, who, together with the ethnographic museums in Basel and Geneva, had co-financed Himmelheber’s journey.
/ Michaela Oberhofer

There are hardly more intimate sources than diaries. Although, in Himmelheber’s own words, he kept his diaries in order so as "to manage my work more systematically" (Museum Rietberg, HH.01-02, Congo Diary, entry of 1/1/1939) and thus noted down fewer private than professional matters, his entries nevertheless provide deep insights into his daily routine, his activities, reflections, and encounters with others. His language is direct and specific, sometimes paternalistic. He reports on conflicts with his sponsors and on the working relationship with staff in the field, which did not always go smoothly. These entries also form a good basis for reconstructing the situations in which he acquired items.

In 1962, Himmelheber went to Bouaké in Côte d'Ivoire for an international conference on "Tradition and Modernity." How closely his scientific activities were linked to purchases of works of art is shown, for example, in his entry of October 10, where he reports on a "bulk purchase" in Abidjan worth 4000 Deutschmarks . The next day, he had the objects packed into three crates and obtained an export permit from the "Direction des Beaux-Arts" (the management of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris). He then spent the rest of his money on further purchases during this conference trip.

Excerpt from Hans Himmelheber's diary: Journey to Bouaké, October 7–22, 1962, Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-02.06

Hans Himmelheber verkaufte Objekte an Museen weltweit – ethnologische, naturhistorische oder zoologische. Am Beispiel des Lindenmuseums in Stuttgart lässt sich besonders gut beobachten, wie vielfältig die Beziehungen zu den Museen waren. Sie reichten von regelrechten Sammelaufträgen, durchaus auch langfristiger Art, über den Ankauf von Fotografien bis zu Tauschgeschäften. Gleichzeitig publizierte er zu den neusten Entdeckungen in den wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften, die diese Museen herausgaben. Innerhalb seiner Korrespondenz mit Museen in Europa, Amerika und Afrika, ging es nicht nur um Ankäufe, sondern auch um Leihgaben, Reproduktionen für Publikationen, Ausstellungsbesuche und den wissenschaftlichen Austausch. Für seine Partner war Himmelheber eine wertvolle Quelle, da er die Objekte während seiner Forschungsreisen selbst kaufte und damit für Authentizität stand und über entsprechendes Wissen verfügte.

The correspondence with galleries, auction houses, and art dealers was entirely devoted to the sale of the latest items Himmelheber had acquired during his travels in the various regions of West and Central Africa. Some of his fellow dealers were also business partners and traveled regularly to Africa, such as Emil Storrer from Zurich or the Hamburg dealer Lore Kegel. Others, like the Düsseldorf gallery owner Alex Vömel or the legendary Parisian Charles Ratton, were merely buyers.

Himmelheber sold his objects to galleries and dealers in Germany, France, and the USA. In this letter to the gallerist and collector Lore Kegel, he informs her of the circumstances of the acquisition. For example, he writes that on his second visit to the Dan [Gio] region, he was more warmly received because he had signaled that he wanted to join a secret society. On the first trip, on the other hand, the short time spent in one place and the overly direct approach to the population had been an obstacle. In many cases, he was also seen as being a missionary.

Letter to Lore Kegel from Monrovia, January 3, 1956, Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH. 03-04.01

Himmelheber's bookkeeping is complex. Lists of collections made during his travels, registers of goods for Germany and abroad, and object-related data sheets with photographs all provide information about offers and sales. Himmelheber assigned Roman numerals for his travels, while using Arabic (Western ) numerals for the collection lists and consignments. There is no discernible consistent system of categorizing the collection lists, folders detailing offers, and registers of goods. Letters indicate item types on the one hand and on the other hand also the sub-numbering within a collection. Mostly, but not everywhere, the numbers were also transferred to the objects, attached to slips of paper or glued on.

(Foreign) sales register, 1956–64, HH.03-01.03

Ulrike Himmelheber made these notes on the production of a metal mask in Korhogo in 1970–71, when she observed the work of the metal caster Ténéna Coulibaly. While she was recording in writing the individual steps in the casting process with the lost mold, Hans Himmelheber was photographing the process. This kind of joint research enabled a dense multimedia documentation of artistic work processes. They published the results together in the article "Guss einer Metallmaske bei den Senufo" (“The Casting of a Metal Mask among the Senufo,” 1975).

Hans and Ulrike Himmelheber's field notes from their travels to Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, beginning in 1949, are preserved in the archive. Hans Himmelheber's pre-war notes were lost during the Second World War. The surviving documents provide a nuanced insight into the work of Himmelheber and his fellow researchers: the meticulous and extensive documentation of work procedures, notes on the meaning and use of masks and other art objects, and detailed narratives all laid the foundation for his scholarly work.

Ulrike Himmelheber
Notebook by Ulrike Himmelheber on the working methods of the metal caster Ténéna Coulibaly, 1970
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-01.17

Hans Himmelheber's research is characterized by its thematic and methodological variation. He was one of the first art ethnologists to conduct studies on art historical issues in Africa based on his own observations, and also one of the first to conduct interviews with the artists. His list of questions was broad and ranged from education and individual career steps to aesthetic ideas and preferences. Some examples of questions were: "Was anyone in your family a carver? From whom did you learn? Do you work only when commissioned to, or also for your own satisfaction? Do you always do it the same way or do you strive for innovation? Where does your inspiration come from?"

Himmelheber's field notes on numerous different subjects show his working methods and his diverse areas of interest.
Hans Himmelheber
Short questionnaire for the artists
Undated
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-01.15

In the postwar period, Hans Himmelheber would on several occasions travel, research, and publish together with his wife Ulrike. The diary of their first joint trip to Liberia in 1949–50 documents in great detail the processes of research, acquiring artistic objects, and everyday travel. Interactions with the local population and exchanges with their Liberian associates are also frequently addressed. The encounters with the population were sometimes friendly and open, but also sometimes marked by conflict and a lack of mutual trust. The close cooperation, but also the sometimes bitter conflicts with those they worked with, for example interpreters and porters, are revealed in the diary. Ulrike Himmelheber's book Schwarze Schwester (Black Sister), which is part travelogue, part ethnological study, and deals with the lives of women in the boder region of the Ivory Coast and Liberia, was also based on the diaries of her first two trips to West Africa in 1949–50 and 1955–56.

Diary of Ulrike Himmelheber detailing the journey through Liberia 1949–50
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-02.02

Himmelheber required research permits in the colonies he traveled to, and also export permits for the objects he acquired. Therefore, he maintained good relations with the colonial authorities and sometimes interacted closely with local officials.

In 1952, Hans Himmelheber went to Liberia for the second time – which unlike the other colonies had already become independent in the 19th century – to pursue his research but also the acquisition of art objects. This export permit shows the extent of his acquisitions. Starting in 1949, he also purchased zoological objects such as monkey skulls and collected insects on behalf of natural history museums and institutes. He used the proceeds from this trade to go towards financing his research trips.

Export permit for art and zoological objects from Liberia
February 7, 1953
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-03.02

Extensive travels, providing the basis for Hans Himmelheber's art-ethnological research and for his work trading in items he acquired, were highly complex undertakings in logistical and administrative terms. Documents on travel logistics, such as packing lists, permits for travel, research, and filming, as well as the extensive correspondence with official agencies in Germany and in African countries, show the preparations that were necessary for the trips, which often lasted for months. The packing lists provide a particularly detailed insight into the everyday aspects of travel. Himmelheber meticulously listed which personal belongings and research materials were carried along.

Packing list of Hans Himmelheber's trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Mali 1955–56
Undated
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.01-04.01

Throughout his life, Hans Himmelheber maintained an extensive correspondence with museums, gallery owners, scholars, students, family, and friends, which provides insight into his personal and professional network. He also maintained correspondence with his African associates. For his working relationship with the Liberian George Tahmen, there is a trail of letters stretching from the early 1950s to the 1990s. Tahmen was Hans Himmelheber's most important local associate in Liberia. The close but not always harmonious relationship spanned Himmelheber's entire research career in the postwar period. At just 18 years old, Tahmen began working as a translator for Mr. and Mrs. Himmelheber in 1950, and in the following years he was their eyes and ears, their trading partner, co-researcher, and co-author. This letter documents the negotiations that preceded Himmelheber being permitted to research an initiation camp in George Tahmen's home village of Nyor Diaple.

Letter from Hans Himmelheber to George Tahmen
September 14, 1974
Rietberg Museum writing archive, HH.02-1974

Since the 1930s, Himmelheber had maintained close ties to the United States, where he served as a visiting professor at the Art History Department of Columbia University in New York on multiple occasions, also giving regular lectures. In 1966 and 1969 Himmelheber taught the course African Art History. His students included many who would go on to become well-known art historians and curators, such as Monni Adams, Suzanne Preston Blier, Henry Drewal, and Susan Vogel. Some of the exam booklets of his students, as well as manuscripts of his exam questions, can be found today in his literary estate. The exams were infamous among students because they would last three hours. A typical question was: "The terms 'primitive art', 'tribal art' and the German 'naturvölkische Kunst' (verbally meaning 'art of nature peoples') are under discussion. What do you think about each of them? What other term would you think to be more appropriate?"

Examination booklets of Himmelheber's students at Columbia University
Lecture on "African Art History," Columbia University, New York, 1969
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.04-05.02 (part 1 of 5)

The manuscripts and notes for scientific and popular science publications contained in the estate provide an insight into Hans Himmelheber's work as an author. His extensive publishing activities spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s. In addition to documents that belong to the most important publications in Himmelheber's career – for example, the books Die Dan: Ein Bauernvolk im Westafrikanischen Urwald or N-Kunst und N-Künstler – there are also manuscripts of lectures. Himmelheber gave this lecture on the art production of the Yupik people of Alaska probably at the end of the 1930s in Léopoldville (today Kinshasa), the capital of what was then the colony of Belgian Congo.

Lecture on the Yupik people and their art. Second manuscript of a conference for the Léopoldville museum
Undated
Museum Rietberg writing archive, HH.04-03.01