African Arts Gallery

Originally designed to frighten, this heavy African mask carved from dense wood, inlaid with brass nails, has various growths imprisoning its features.
Abrasions and desiccation cracks.
It is mainly in the west of the Ivory Coast that the Bété use masks whose style has been influenced by the gla mask society glaé of the Wobé and Guéré populations, together referred to as Wé or "the men who forgive easily", himself belonging to the group cultural Krou , these traditions having been transmitted to them and taught by the Nyabwa . Of warlike origin but also participating in the resolution of conflicts, this sacred mask is worn accompanied by amulets which protect its wearer from its power against witchcraft. It is in order to strengthen his power through the exercise of ...

This sculpture of African tribal art is believed, for the Yoruba of Nigeria, to facilitate communication with the sacred.
Locally flaking crusty polychrome patina, desiccation cracks.
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy southwestern Nigeria and the central and southeastern region of Benin under the name of Nago. The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu arose following the disappearance of the Ifé civilization and are still the basis of the political structure of the Yoruba . The Oyo created two cults centered on the still active Egungun and Sango societies, which worshiped a pantheon of gods, the Orisa< /i> , through ceremonies using masks, statuettes, scepters and divination supports. The slave trade helped spread Yoruba beliefs across continents.

Featuring a deified ancient king, a figure of a horseman sculpted in the round associated with the sango cult forms the pommel of this ceremonial object. The equine, rare in the region, constituted a prestigious attribute which was reserved for the nobility and the sovereigns. Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà , the Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). They are designed by the sculptors at the request of the followers, soothsayers and their customers. Polychrome patina.
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy southwestern Nigeria and the central and southeastern region of Benin under the name of Nago. They are patrilineal, practice excision and circumcision. The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu arose following the disappearance of ...

This rare African male statue, dedicated to ancestor worship, healing or divination rites, presents the "mabinda" relief motifs. These patterns were scarified on the skin of adolescents. Determination and power emerge from this work. Abraded polychrome patina, minor cracks, erosions at the top.
The Punu are a Bantu people of Central Africa established mainly in the south of Gabon, also in the Republic of Congo in the Niari region. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest.

Identifiable thanks to its look bandaged with red textile, the African maskdan entitledzapkei ge is responsible for watching over domestic fires in order to prevent fires. It is accessorized with long braided plant fiber braids. Smooth black patina.
br>For the Dan, or Yacouba, living in the west of Ivory Coast and in Liberia, the "dü" force which would animate the world would manifest itself in the sculpted masks. It is in this way that she seeks to bring knowledge to man in order to provide him with support, and first uses the channel of dreams. The spirits then indicate how to name the mask they wish to see made. These masks of different types are endowed with social, spiritual and political functions, often evolving over time.
Lit. : "African Masks from the Barbier ...

African sculpture, an everyday object aimed at enhancing the status of its user, an expression of African art, this headrest monoxyle or even "dream support" has a braided strap. It constitutes, for the tribes of Kenya and Uganda, a pillow to preserve, during sleep, the elaborate headdresses. It could also be used as a stool. Among the Turkana, they are offered to the future wife as a wedding vow, and returned to the man in case of refusal. Among the Pokot established in the region from Lake Turkana to Lake Baringo, it is the present which marks the ceremonies of the passage to adulthood or even a reward for a victory during a conflict.
Headrests frequently take the stylized form of an animal, cattle being of utmost importance to the pastoralist tribes of East Africa. Glossy brown ...

African face mask Makonde associated with an ancestral spirit. This sculpture is characterized by a deeply sunken look highlighting the relief of the cheekbones and the ears placed in height. The hairstyle forms a double crest. A labret deforms the upper lip. Dark satin patina.
Height on base: 37 cm.

The Makonde of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania wore helmet masks called lipiko during initiation ceremonies for young people. The Makonde venerate an ancestor, which explains the abundance of naturalistic female statuary. Besides the face masks worn during mapiko dances and ngoma ceremonies that educate young people about the demands of marriage and family life. the Makonde also produce body masks featuring the female bust. For the Makonde, the ancestors would return ...

African mask Makonde embodying an ancestral spirit, depicting a face whose lip bears a labret.
The ancestors would return masked in order to mark their satisfaction following the initiation. The relief patterns refer to traditional Makonde tattoos and scarifications.
Smooth, velvety, golden beige patina. Desication cracks, slight losses.

The Makonde of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania wore helmet masks called lipiko during initiation ceremonies for young people. The Makonde venerate an ancestor, which explains the abundance of naturalistic female statuary. Besides the face masks worn during mapiko dances and ngoma ceremonies that educate young people about the demands of marriage and family life. the Makonde also produce body masks featuring the female ...

Ex-collection of Belgian African art.
The Baoulé people (name taken from a legend, "Bauli", "the son is dead") form one of the largest tribes in Côte d'Ivoire.
The African dance masks Mblo are part of one of the oldest Baoulé artistic traditions and frequently represent an idealized character whose certain aesthetic characteristics will be privileged. They occur during dance events accompanied by music and songs, such as celebrations, visits by personalities, entertainment featuring various satirical scenarios. This face imbued with a serene expression forms a "portrait" mask ndoma. The visual effect manifested thanks to the curves and rounding exudes great softness. When the subject of a portrait mask dies, the mask is no longer used. Each of these masks is distinguished ...

African sculpture biteke (carved figure) embodying a clan ancestor. The hollowed bust houses the magic charge called " Bonga " or "bilongo", which was generally fixed or concealed by a textile. This symbolism refers to the Téké belief that the abdomen conceals wisdom. These fetishes were placed on the altars of the chiefs.
Matte patina, colored highlights. erosions.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The chief of the clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié which supervised all the ceremonies. It is the powerful sorcerer healer and diviner who "loaded" with magic elements, against payment, the ...

Boki statues in African art.
The Boki, Bokyi, live along the Nigerian border northwest of Mamfe. They speak an eponymous language and are part of the Benoué. Most are Christianized.

The Boki practiced the cult of the Leopard Spirit, whose aggressive and unpredictable character was expressed through symbols.
This representation of a standing ancestor, hands placed on the abdominal protrusion, the seat of knowledge, is distinguished by its naturalism. Linear scarifications on the face are historically common in this region.
Thick patina locally chipped, chips, abrasions.

African mask of the Mbudi, Mvudi (for the Nzébi) and Mvuli (Mbédé) type, very schematized where the front forms a double projection. The dancer is adorned with attributes supposed to give him the qualities of certain animals, such as the panther, the genet or the monkey. He is equipped with scepters made of monkey hair.
Matte patina, abraded. The Aduma are an ethnic group established in central Gabon, in a mountainous region. The Adouma, “men of the river” or “master piroguiers”, have long lived on the banks of the Ogooué, upstream and downstream of Lastourville between the reaches of Doumé and Bounji. Formerly used for judicial purposes, the mask of great sobriety, called mvoudi, bodi, or even yoyo , is used today during entertainment dances. Mbudi is the male initiation ...

The priestess, her cheeks marked with scarifications in three vertical “kpélé” claws and wearing the motif associated with the mythical double axe, is kneeling. The Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). These spirits are said to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare.
Red ocher patina, matte, peeling. Erosions.
Yoruba society is highly organized and has several associations with varying roles. While the male egbe society reinforces social norms, the aro unites the farmers. The gelede has more esoteric and religious aims. Notables come together in a society called esusu. The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu arose following the disappearance of the Ifé civilization and are still the basis of the political structure of the Yoruba . The Oyo ...

Unusual object, this ceremonial hat, in conical basketry coated with colored pigments. It is embellished with a series of figures carved in the image of African statues Kiké ntadep, tadep.
Despite their small number, the thirty thousand Mambila (or Mambila, Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbo, Bang, Ble, Juli, Bea)(the "men", in Fulani), settled in the northwest of Cameroon, created a large number of masks and statues easily identified by their heart-shaped faces. Although the Mambila believe in a creator god named Chang or Nama, they only worship their ancestors. Their leaders were buried in granaries like wheat as they were believed to symbolize prosperity. Masks and statues were not to be seen by women.

Rituals of justice and African masks Fang.
A triple rib shares the forehead of this mask, extending over the bridge of the nose. The eyelids and the philtrum surmounting the projection of pursed lips are hatched, accentuating the solemn aspect of the face.

Dense wood, dry abraded patina. Cracks of desiccation, erosions.
The appearance of these masks coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause dread. This type of mask was used by the male ngil society in northwestern Gabon, southern Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft.
Semi-matte two-tone patina. Abrasions.

Used as an amulet credited with apotropaic virtues, this small African sculpture in bronze constitutes, for the Sao, a talisman supposed to protect them from madness. It is therefore worn permanently. The genius who possesses the madman is represented by the rider, the horse representing the victim. The Sao, ancestors of the Kotoko, were established between the 12th and 14th centuries in a geographical area extending over the borders between Chad, northern Cameroon and Nigeria. Subjected to successive attacks from their neighbors in Kanem and then to hordes from the East, the Sao had to abandon their lands to settle in the North-West of Cameroon where they mixed with the natives, thus giving birth to the Kotokos. The Kotoko still attribute today to the copper metal a mythical origin ...

Resulting from the cooperation between the nganga, the sculptor and the client, the sculpture was charged with the bishimba elements intended to "counter" any harmful power. A unique accessory stands out here in the form of a necklace of colored beads. Perched on a small dome, the male figure has rounded proportions and a face with the features of the kifwebe mask. Satin patina, abrasions and desication cracks.
The fetish Songye, magic sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga and South Kivu. Their society is ...

African mask Mangbetu with a scarred face wearing a cylindrical bun. Orange oiled wood. Minor erosions and chips.
The geometric patterns  evoke the body paint and tribal scarifications of the Mangbetu, similar to those of the Asua pygmies with whom the tribe maintained relationships. These varied depending on the circumstances. The fan hairstyle was worn by the Mangbetu: from a very young age, children underwent compression of the skull using raffia ties. Later, the Mangbetu "knitted" their hair on wicker strands and applied a headband to the forehead in order to extract the hair and produce this particular headdress which accentuates the elongation of the head. The ancients call beli the sculptures of ancestors stored out of sight and comparable to those belonging to their ...