African Arts Gallery

Old Dogon walu mask, animal linked to the Dogon cosmogony, carved in dense wood. High rectangular depressions have been fitted with cavities for viewing. The filmy patina, locally grainy, is abraded by time. Desication crack.
Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, the Wagem, cult of the ancestors under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the world of spirits, and the Awa mask society regarding funerals. The "dama" is a ceremony dedicated to restoring the order of things following bereavement. It was originally to protect themselves from the "nyama" (soul) of the victim that the Dogon carved a mask in the image of an animal. Guarantor of order, the mask of the Walu charges the spectators too close ...

Collection of African art by the artist Amadeo Plaza Garcés.

African mask with a moralistic aim, this mask of the Pende established in upper Kwango, Pende Mbangu or Bwala-Bwala, illustrates the result of facial paralysis caused by witchcraft rituals. He dances among masks embodying other characters. The dancer who wears this comedy mask is wearing a hat made of gifuatu guinea fowl, coucal or turaco feathers, or lumbandu, a crown of leaves. He is also often equipped with a hump on his back, exaggerating the disabled appearance of the character. Matte patina, minor abrasions. The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Easterners have established themselves on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. The Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten ...

Featuring zoomorphic attributes, this African mask from the lo has hair divided into three associated with wealth and facial scarifications. The refinement of this type of mask, which also currently appears during celebrations, reveals the talent of African tribal art sculptors from Côte d'Ivoire.
Height on base: 55 cm.
Geographically close to the Baoulé and the Gouros, the Yaouré form a subgroup of the Akan tribe present in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The African art masks Yaouré , or Yauré , of which the Baoulé have similar models, are divided into two groups that are difficult to differentiate, the je , sometimes with the addition of colored pigments, and the lo , generally with a dark patina, which are used during funeral ceremonies or any other rite in order to gain the ...

French collection of African art Appreciated by knowledgeable collectors but sometimes wrongly attributed to the Ngombe, these masks appeared in pairs during the Gaza initiations of the Ngbandi .
The Ngbaka, Ngbandi and Ngombe have scarification on their foreheads extending to the nasal bridge, the particularity of the Ngombe however remaining keloids in the shape of a "v". The teeth are here represented by metal. Matte burgundy patina, missing parts. Height on base: 44 cm.
In the northwest of Zaire, south of the Oubangui, on the banks of the Lualaba, live the 120,000 Ngombe of Bantu language, led by a chief and a warrior society Elombe . Their neighbors are the Ngbandi and the Ngbaka whose statuary has had an influence on their tribal sculpture, and various Banda ...

French collection of tribal art.
Antique African mask depicting a naja snake with dilated pupils. This version is monochrome, decorated with diamond-shaped patterns surmounting a ringed section. Desiccation cracks, abrasions of the matte patina. Serpentiform initiatory mask used mainly by the Bulongic (village of Kifinda), a Baga subgroup of the Guinean coast, its size can reach up to 2.50 m. These masks were divided into two groups bearing the names Mosolo kombo and Sangaran, each with specific functions. Their design took shape in an esoteric context, at night in the heart of the forest. Privileges of initiated men, embodying a spiritual entity, the Baga Sangaran masks only attended circumcision, every 24 years according to ethnologist Denise Paulme. During certain dances the ...

Formerly part of the French collection of African art.
This type of African mask is distinguished by its slightly pointed chin and fine features. These masks are generally identified as a Luvale version of "Pwevo," which is said to represent a white "chindele" or Nalindele woman. This example is accessorized with a realistic wool and raffia headdress attached to a wickerwork stand.
Minor chips and cracks on the edges.
Height on base: 38 cm.
When some became slave traders, other groups found refuge in Zambia, forming the Luvale and Lovale. The Lwena and the Luvale are known for their sculptures embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks linked to the initiation rites of the mukanda, a secret male association shared by all these groups in ...

Equipped with round orbits to facilitate vision, called gunyeya or gunye ge, the African Dan mask offers an almond-shaped face with protruding diamond-shaped lips, pupils rimmed with metal, a braided hairstyle and a goatee made of plant fibers. Satin black patina.
Height on base: 38 cm.
The gunyeya masks or gunye ge are part of the set of masks of the northern Dan and are used for racing events during the season dried. The zapkei ge

African mask with a protruding forehead and deep eye sockets. Notches represent the eyes and the mouth, the nose projects into a point, extended by a diamond shape encompassing the chin. The dancer is decked out with attributes supposed to give him the qualities of certain animals, such as the panther, the genet or even the monkey. It is equipped with sceptres made of monkey hair.
The Pové and Nzambé-Kana masks of the Tsogho are differentiated by little marked details. Eroded matte patina. Lacks. Height on base: 45 cm.
The Aduma are an ethnic group established in central Gabon, in a mountainous region. The Adouma, "men of the river" or "boat masters", have long lived on the banks of the Ogooué, upstream and downstream of Lastourville between the Doumé and Bounji reaches. ...

Equipped with zoomorphic attributes linked to the antelope or duinker, the main game of the kwele region, this African mask Kwele Pipibuze, Pipibudze, ( "the man") symbolizes the light and clairvoyance required to overcome witchcraft. The horns meet here under the chin, surrounding the face. This type of mask was not always intended to be worn, but adorned the walls of the huts. Velvety two-tone patina, drying cracks and abrasions.
Depending on the presence of horns and their arrangement, the masks are called pibibudzé, Ekuku zokou, etc...and are associated with ancestors or forest spirits, "ekuk". A tribe of the Kota group, the Kwélé, Bakwélé, live in the forest on the northern border of the Republic of Congo. They live from hunting, agriculture and metallurgy. Practicing ...

Former French collection of African art.
African mask carved in dense wood, whose horns meet at the front. The bulbous, whitened eyelids are doubled with tubular elements indicating a second pair of eyes. The top evokes a helmet. Height on base: 48 cm.
It is mainly in the West of the Ivory Coast that the Bété use masks linked to the cult of the bagnon . The style of their dance masks was influenced by the Wobé and Guéré populations, a group called Wé or "men who forgive easily", itself belonging to the Krou cultural group. These traditions were transmitted and taught to them by the Nyabwa. Of warrior origin but also participating in the resolution of conflicts, this sacred mask is worn accompanied by amulets that protect its wearer. It is in order to strengthen his power ...

African mask Idoma of the figurative type offering the traditional keloids in bars on the temples and protruding on the forehead. This type of mask, among the great diversity of which each village had variants, was intended for the multiple local festivals. The masks refer to characters exalting the qualities of young women or those of valiant men, each age group having its own series of personalized masks. Height on base: 43 cm.
Abraded black patien, slight losses and cracks.
The Idoma settled at the confluence of the Benue and the Niger. Numbering 500,000, they are made up of farmers and traders. The neighborhood and therefore the influences of the Igbo, those of the ethnic groups of the Cross River and Igala have generated stylistic borrowings. The royal lineage members of ...

Ex-collection African art Belgian
A combination of vivid contrasting geometric patterns adorn this janiform African mask. A crested headdress unites the two faces. The painted patterns symbolize the magic amulets of the Bobo. The masks are repainted with each new dance season. Common characteristics are to be noted with certain helmet-masks of the Markha, another Mandinka ethnic group.
These heavy masks, whose design usually revolves around a hemispherical helmet with a crest or horned growths, occurred during agricultural rituals in order to restore the balance of the earth. Their significance was revealed during the initiation of young boys. A Mandingo people, most of whom live in eastern Burkina Faso, but also in southern Mali, the culture of the Bobo Fing is similar to ...

Less widespread and different from the masks of young girls with harmonious and serene features, this mask displays the features of an older woman, materializing the matrilineal lineage. The status is revealed by the type of hairstyle, a central shell is here associated with two sides, the whole highlighted with upholstery nails. Grainy matte patina, red ocher highlights, abrasions.
The white masks of Gabon, itengi, (pl. bitengi) were associated with the various secret societies of Gabon, including Bwiti, Bwete, and Mwiri ("to lead") , the latter spanning several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged, and whose emblem was the caiman (hence, for some, the saurian scale motif). These powerful secret societies, which also had a judicial function, included several ...

African mask of initiation to the Bwami, supposed to indicate the acquisition of a certain individual wisdom and morality, and the level of initiation reached. Desiccation cracks, abrasions.
Height on base: 38 cm. Within the Léga established on the west bank of the Lualaba River, in the DRC, the Bwami society open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. The role of chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man of the clan, who must be the highest ranking. As in other forest tribes, the men hunt and clear land while the women cultivate cassava. Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and ...

Belgian collection of African art
This African Lega mask , with traditional characteristics, symbolized the level reached by its owner within the Bwami, an initiation society composed of several grades, which were joined by the wives of men who had reached the third degree, that of the ngandu.
The Bwami society, which was open to both men and women, governed the social and political aspects of the community. It had up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with a specific emblem. After their migration from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also called Warega, they live in autonomous villages, generally perched on hilltops and protected by palisades. The role of chief, or kindi, ...

African mask dependent on the ntomo, initiatory society of uncircumcised youth widespread in the Niger River region. This ancient mask intervenes especially during harvests. At the top is the effigy of Nyeleni, the ideal wife of the initiates after circumcision. Matt wear patina abraded, gaps and cracks, original restoration (metal fragment).
Established in central and southern Mali, in an area of savannah, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims have named them, belong to the great Mande group, with the Soninke and the Malinke. Mostly farmers, but also herders, they make up the largest ethnic group in Mali. Animists, they believe in the existence of a god requires the gestation of a child. Ngala maintains the order of the universe. His existence coexists ...

Box mask reproducing in miniature the famous zoomorphic mask symbolizing power. Golden beige patina encrusted with residual kaolin. Desication cracks.
br-The Tabwa ('scarifier' and 'write') are an ethnic group found in southeastern DRC, around Lake Tanganyika. The tribes of this region, such as the Tumbwe , worship the ancestors mipasi through sculptures held by chiefs or sorcerers. A magical charge (dawa) was introduced to the top of the head of the statues. Soothsayers used such objects to expose witchcraft and protect against evil spirits. The Tabwa, a simple farmers without centralized power, united around tribal leaders after being influenced by the Luba. It was mainly during this period that their artistic current was expressed mainly through statues but also through masks. ...

Ex-Belgian collection of tribal art.

This "warrior" mask offers a narrow face where a rectangular nose runs above thin protruding lips. A crest covers the face. A fine veneer decorated with striated surfaces, neighboring with cotton pompoms, distinguishes the structure. Grey/khaki speckled patina.
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 ...

Ex-collection of French tribal art, the name of the collector will be communicated to the purchaser.

Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the Katsinam sculpted objects (song. Kachina ) intervene during the traditional dances organized for the annual festivals in favor of rain. This Hopi-type mask, flanked by mobile ears and a toothed muffle, is painted with colored flat tints in accordance with Indian traditions. Polychrome matte patina, abrasions and small accidents.

Belgian collection of African tribal art This type of Hemba mask with realistic features would have been worn by hand during rites intended for the protection of the home and fertility. Glossy brown patina. Minor cracking and chips. Height on base: 24 cm.
Only two types of Hemba masks have been identified: that of an anthropomorphic type with regular features, whose pointed chin recalls statuary, and those depicting monkeys, the soko mutu, and whose functions remain little known, but which probably belonged, according to J. Kerchache, to the secret societies bugabo and bambudye. In addition to the janiform kabeja statuettes, the statues of male ancestors, guarded by the hereditary chief of each clan, the fumu mwalo, are called songiti.
It was during the 18th century that ...

African sculpture of a subject whose headdress is reminiscent of a warrior helmet extended by large ears. The blind gaze surmounts a wide pout whose projection in the face forms the major element. The arms are attached to the arched bust, seeming to contain a singular energy, the body leaning on massive, semi-flexed limbs. Erosions. Grainy patina with reddish incrustations. Old restorations of the feet.

Settled since the 17th century on the south bank of the Benue in Nigeria, the Chamba have resisted the attempts of conquest by the Fulani, nomads who settled in large numbers in the north of Nigeria. They are known for their famous buffalo mask with its two flat jaws extending the head. The statuary, less frequent, is divided into protective figures (tauwa, sing. tau) which are ...