African Arts Gallery

Huge orbits, divided by a ridged ridge, occupy the face of this African mask Ngbaka The upper lip reveals a row of teeth. Heterogeneous light golden satin patina, old kaolin inlays. Minimal cracking and abrasions. Height on base: 40 cm.
Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship rendered to the spirits of nature. Young people are prepared for adult life through rituals called " gaza" and trained by ancient initiates, ...

Initiatory rituals and tribal art Ngbaka.
Offering a rounded volume, this mask has discreet lines in low relief. The face is marked with many linear patterns composed of a succession of small checkerboards. The smooth, satiny surface has been rubbed with light clay, encrustations of which remain around the eyes. Small crashes.
Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship rendered to the spirits of nature. Young ...

Beautiful balance for this African mask Ngbaka whose concave center offers cowries figuring the eyes. The narrow mouth is incised into the end of the chin, under which grooves could indicate a beard. A striped band crosses the forehead vertically, recalling certain scarifications of the group.
Black patina, clear grainy residue. Abrasions and desiccation cracks.
Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship ...

African Art and the founding myths Bambara
In central and southern Mali, this abstract sculpture symbolizes the antelope-horse Ciwara ("wild animal of the earth") which, for the Bambara, Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims called them, is said to have taught man agriculture. She also offered him the first grain. The crest was fastened by raffia ties on a hat in basketwork. Brown matte patina. Abrasions, cracks and loss (base).
Worn at the top of the skull, these crests accompanied the dancers during the rituals of the tòn, an association dedicated to agricultural work. The masks traversed the field while leaping in order to drive out from this one the nyama, malefic emanations, and to detect any danger, or to flush out the malevolent genies who could ravish the soul of the ...

African art, African masks associated with agriculture
The fifth initiatory Bambara society, Bamana, is called tyiwara (ci, to cultivate, wara, wild animal) and is still practiced today in a few towns. These crest masks evoking the antelope, oryx or antelope dage depending on the case, are available vertically and horizontally. Presenting themselves to the public in pairs, male and female, the wearers of the masks adopt a symbolic choreography related to agriculture. In the region of Bamako and in the south of the dry savannah country Bamana, the crests adopt an often horizontal stylized composition, and are also combined with other animal forms, pangolin, anteater and sometimes python. Large metal staples assemble the different sections that make up the mask. Blackish brown, matte ...

Narrow pointed jaw for this African mask offering zoomorphic elements. The metal embellishing the work forms the specificity of marka sculptures. Matte spotted patina.
Height on base: 67 cm. In African art, the Marka , Maraka in Bamana, Warka , or Sarakolé, are Muslim city dwellers of Soninke origin, established in the south of Niger, scattered since the end of the Ghana empire in Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. They now speak Bamana and have adopted many Bambara traditions, such as the Ntomo and the Kore, initiation societies that used masks during their ceremonies. The Bambara and Marka sculptors of African art are part of the Numuw, who are not tied to an ethnic group and are free to settle wherever they wish.

Ex Belgian private collection of African art Edouard Bonhomme.
Very similar to the Bété masks, this Guéré mask is very stylized and has elements worn in projection.
The tubular eyes are strongly detached from the face as are the mouth and two small horns. The pointed ears are covered with kaolin. The forehead is rounded. Exhibited during funeral ceremonies, these "detective" masks are intended to point out the culprits.
The Guéré are an ethnic group from a forested region along the western border of Côte d'Ivoire. They are part of a larger Wé tribe that also includes the Wobé ethnic group with whom the Guéré share many customs and beliefs.

Influenced by Kongo culture, the Punu and Lumbu sculpted African masks coated with white kaolin such as this example of the Punu style topped with a double central shell. Female mask, its facial decorations refer to the scarifications in use. Erosions, colored highlights.
The white African masks of Gabon, itengi, (pl. bitengi) were associated with the various secret societies of Gabon, including the Bwiti, Bwete, and the Mwiri ("to lead" ), the latter spanning several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged. In some villages, at dawn or dusk, the Okuyi dance was accompanied by songs in an esoteric language that only initiates could understand. (Punu, L. Perrois and C. Grand-Dufay)

Belgian collection of African art "Pocket" version for this
African statuette Nkisi , nkishi (pl. mankishi ) of the Songye acting as a talisman. Shiny brown patina, desiccation crack and small accidents. Delivered with plexi base.
The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between god and men, responsible for protecting against various evils. The large examples are the collective property of an entire village, and the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination allowed them to ...

Belgian collection of African art
Lustrous red-brown patina. Abrasions and minor accidents.
The Chokwe pwo masks are among the many akishi (or mukishi, for the singular) masks of Chokwe African art . They embody an ideal of feminine beauty, symbolized by Mwana Pwo , or the Pwo woman, and are often presented during festive ceremonies. Pwo masks are associated with fertility and prosperity, playing an important role in community life.
This mask is accompanied here by its braided raffia headdress. The characteristic motifs present on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are essential elements of Chokwe aesthetic canons. They also served as public markers of ethnic identity. The recurring cruciform frontal motif has a cosmogonic significance, according to some ...

Ex-Belgian collection of African art.
African mask "Déanglé" wearing a thick headdress of carefully woven raffia. The masks were sculpted according to precise instructions following dreams in which the spirits would have manifested themselves. Dark matte patina. Height on base: 36 cm. Very minor abrasions.
The Dan masks, of varied workmanship, generally occur during very theatrical entertainment festivals where women play a leading role. The so-called "mocking" mask called Déanglé defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is sculpted in honor of the young girls of the village or renowned men. Each of the masks bore a name linked to its function. Also used during circumcision rites, they appear in the company of the singing masks gle sö and the large masks go ge ...

Prestige sculptures in African tribal art. An African female figure would form the "receptacle of a deceased sovereign chief" (Luba, Roberts). The prominent scarifications around the navel, "center of the world" associated with lineage, testify to notions of fertility. This type of miniature stool called lupona, or kioni, kipona, kiona, depending on the source, constitutes the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and the protective spirits and ancestors, where past and present symbolically and spiritually mingle. It once formed the seat on which the king was enthroned. The seats were placed on leopard skins during the investiture of the new chief. It was only after sitting down that his speech took on a royal and divine character. Apart from these exceptional circumstances, the ...

Former French collection of African art.
Precisely carved statuette that embodies the royal ancestor Mizimu. Large statues of this type were placed alongside female effigies in a small funerary hut. Lustrous brown patina.
Migratory flows have mixed within the same territories Bembe, Lega, Buyu (Buye) or Boyo, Binji and Bangubangu. Organized into lineages, they borrowed the association of the Bwami from the Lega. The Bembé and Boyo traditions are relatively similar: they venerate the spirits of nature, of water specifically among the Boyo, but also the heroic ancestors, whose will one seeks to know by means of divinatory rites. Hunting is also an opportunity to perform sacrifices of gratitude to the entities from whom one has begged for favor and protection. Their masks are ...

Ex-Canadian collection of tribal art .

Endowed with a magical charge (bilongo) housed in a box closed by a mirror, this nkisi statuette offers visible ribs that could be related to a respiratory disease. The protruding tongue refers to the remedies to be licked during a ritual. The Vili produced a variety of sculptures for individual use nkisi, to which multiple virtues were attributed. The glazed eyes, surrounded by a resin, symbolize clairvoyance. Marbled satin patina.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the trade in ivory, copper and the slave trade. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced statuary with codified gestures in ...

Coated with a two-tone crusty patina, this African Pende mask from the Kasai region is topped with growths representing horns. The traditional triangular Pende patterns adorn the face. Matte patina, minor erosions.


The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern have established themselves on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. The influences of neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu are imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity the realistic Mbuya masks, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief, the soothsayer and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc... The initiation masks and those of power, the minganji, ...

Female statuette in a crouching posture on a circular base. The hollowed-out top of the head was intended for a magical charge. Missing, matte grainy patina. br /> Formerly subject to the Luba, then to the Lundas, the Zela adopted a large part of their uses and traditions. Established between the Luvua River and Lake Kisalé, they are today organized into four chiefdoms under the supervision of leaders of Luba origin. They venerate a primordial couple frequently represented in statuary, mythical ancestors, and make offerings to the spirits of nature. Ref. : “Luba” 5 Continents. Rooberts; “Kifwebe” F. Neyt, ed. 5Continents.

Ex. French collection of African art This damaged African sculpture, depicting a rider on his mount, embodies a deified ancestor, one of the many gods, orisa, comparable to Christian saints and who make up the Yoruba pantheon. The statue also evokes the divine messenger Esù or Elégba . The equine, rare in the region, was an attribute of prestige that was reserved for the nobility and sovereigns. This type of sculpture was intended for a Yoruba altar. Black-brown patina. The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy the southwest of Nigeria and the central and southeast region of Benin under the name of Nago. They are patrilineal, practice excision and circumcision. Centered on its multiple gods or orisa, the Yoruba religion is illustrated by its altars on which sacrifices are ...

The figures on mounts, intended for Yoruba altars, represented a deified ancestor or one of the multiple orisa gods, comparable to Christian saints, belonging to the Yoruba pantheon. The equine, rare in the region, constituted an attribute of prestige which was reserved for the nobility and sovereigns. Satin patina. Cracks (base).
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy southwest 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 were born 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 Egungun and Sango societies, still active, which worship their gods, ...

African sculpture of Dogon inspiration depicting a man riding his mount. Thick grainy patina, gaps and erosions.
The frequent representations of riders among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men, resurrected by the creator god Amma, descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he was not to set foot on the ground. In the region of the cliffs of Sangha, inaccessible on horseback, the priests wore it, while neighing in reference to the mythical ancestor Nommo.

Collection of BelgianAfrican art, the name will be communicated to the buyer.
This African initiation mask, Mbuya, comes from the Pende of the West, where the Yaka influence is notable through the slightly upturned nose, and the line of the eyebrows recalls the features of the neighboring Chokwe. This mask symbolizes the masculine and feminine qualities of the leader. The Western Pende are established on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern Pende reside on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. Their tribal sculpture is marked by the influence of neighboring ethnic groups such as Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu.
Within this cultural diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic and produced every ten years, have a festive function. They embody different ...

Belgian collection of African art
This African mask of Mbuya initiation is decorated with a basketwork headdress and raffia canvas. Its patina results from a mixture of ocher bark and palm oil.
This mask comes from the collection of Monsieur Urbain, collector and expert in Pende art.
The western Pende are found on the banks of the Kwilu, while the eastern Pende are established on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. Their large tribal art sculpture is infused with influences from neighboring ethnic groups such as the Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu. Among this artistic diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic and produced every ten years, have a festive function and embody a variety of characters difficult to discern without their costume. Among ...