African Arts Gallery

In African art, sowei masks, the feminine ideal in the Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This African mask named Bundu shows a face nestled in a fleshy neck, a symbol of prosperity.
Painted black or stained with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Matte grayish brown patina, minor cracks and abrasions.
The Mende, Vai and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for the helmet masks of the Sandé female initiation society that prepares young girls for marriage. The male society is the Poro society. Relatively rare in sub-Saharan Africa, these masks are made by men and worn by women.
("African art" Kerchache and "African masks from the Barbier-Mueller collection" coll. Adam Biro)

Stylized African art of the forest tribes.
African masks were brought to ceremonies, or reserved as protective amulets. Old and rare example offering inverted faces. Erosions. The Lengola, are established near the Metoko in the center of the Congolese basin between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers, people of the primary forest dedicated to the worship of a single God, monotheism rare in Africa. Their society, the Bukota, welcoming both men and women, is the equivalent of the Bwami association of the Lega. Their sculptures, subject to the influence of the neighboring Mbole, Lega and Binja, played a role during initiation, funeral or circumcision ceremonies, and were then placed on the tomb of high-ranking initiates. Each of these figures had a name and a meaning for educational ...

This African Ngbaka mask features large eye sockets in which cowrie shells appear, and features a toothed mouth. Heterogeneous abraded patina, erosions, gaps. Desication crack. Height on base: 43 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, the bugaza. Their statues usually ...

Mask of modest size associated with the diviner-healer, whose gaze is whitened and teeth cut. Polychrome matte patina.
Present along the Gabonese coast, the Vili broke away from the Kongo kingdom in the 16th century and the Loango kingdom became a powerful state. Now urbanized for the most part, they still integrate traditional associations, depending on the worship of ancestors such as Mbouiti or Bieri. Like the Kongo group, in order to protect themselves against witchcraft and various plagues, they produce a wide variety of nkisi-type magic ritual objects. Their masks are used by the Ndunga or Djembe association, but also for the funerals of dignitaries and during traditional initiations. Still others are reserved for diviners.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the ...

French collection of African art
This African mask with cubist volumes is engraved with parallel stripes coated with white pigment. The bridge of the nose, flat and colored black, continues towards the skull. The half-closed eyelid slits are also extended in black towards the temples. A parallelepiped mouth juts out, forming a whisper calling for the silence of the initiated. A black band forms the chin, holes have been made around the edge to attach the raffia collar. There are some missing parts, at the back of the object and on one of the upper eyelids. Matte, dry and velvety patina. Object sold with its base. Three types of African Kifwebe art mask are listed: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) would have a more modest crest or even ...

This type of "mask of bravery" (Tehe gla) was shared by the Western Bete, the Nyabwa and the We. Upholstery nails and brass leaves highlight the structure of the mask. Satin black patina, minor erosions and cracks.
Height on base: 47 cm.

The Dan, in the north, and the Wé of the south (Krou group including the Guéré, the Wobé of the northeast and the Wé of Liberia called Kran or Khran), made use of frequent loans due to their proximity. The elements of the bush, protruding volumes of the forehead, horns and fangs, zoomorphic jaw in certain cases evoking the gaping mouth of an animal creature, are associated with human features marking the duality of the divine. Before the 1960s, masks, whose creation was inspired by visits from spirits during dreams, accompanied most ...

Former Belgian collection of African tribal art. African mask whose gaze highlighted with aluminum is stretched with a red fabric. The headdress is made of braided raffia. Smooth satin patina of black tint. Height on base: 38 cm.
It is following dreams in which the spirits would manifest themselves that the masks were sculpted according to precise instructions, in order to be able to be honored through their appearances.
The Dan masks, of varied design, generally occur during very theatrical entertainment festivals where women play a leading role. The African masks dan called zapkei ge , whose eyes are blindfolded with red fabric, are responsible for preventing fires by watching over domestic fires. They are accessorized with hats, braids, textile capes and raffia, the most ...

African Art Songye
The African initiation masks of the Songye .
In the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, this type of female mask "kalyanga" which offers finely striated planes accentuating its volumes, is still worn today with a long costume and a long beard of natural fibers, during masked rituals. Matte patina, minor abrasions and desiccation cracks.
Height on base: 60 cm. Three variants of this type of Kifwebe mask (pl. Bifwebe) or "hunting death" (Roberts) can be distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest or even absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River. They are governed by the yakitengé ...

Three variants of this mask Kifwebe ( pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing death" (Roberts), of the society of the same name, are distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low or even absent crest, and finally the tallest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, seems to come from the border zone between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. They are worn by a Kifwebe dancer in a state of "bwadi" trances, accessorized with a long braided costume and a long adornment in natural fibers attached to the contours of the mask, during major ceremonies. Height on base: 36 cm.
The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of savannah and forests. They are ...

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 crest mask, flanked by mobile flattened muffle ears, is painted with colored flat areas in accordance with Indian traditions. Polychrome matte patina, abrasions and desiccation cracks.

African mask with a handle and a halo of a flat surface. This type of object could be brandished during ceremonies or ritual dances.
Abraded matte patina, minor chips and cracks.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba, in Katanga and Kasai. Their society is organized in a patriarchal manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of misfortunes that struck individuals. The masked performances of male masks provided an opportunity to carry out punitive expeditions and maintain social order. The female masks, believed to have divinatory ...

Always worn by initiates of higher rank, these African masks embodying a female ancestor mwana pwo were often adorned with buttons and accessories of European origin. This copy, which does not have any, takes up the feminine aesthetic criteria in use, finesse of the features, keloids in relief, filed teeth. Velvety dark patina, gaps, erosions.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. African Chokwe pwo masks, among the many akishi (sing: mukishi, indicating power) masks of African Chokwe art, embody an ideal of beauty, Mwana Pwo, or the woman Pwo and appear nowadays during festive ceremonies. Joined to their male counterparts, ...

Embodying a spirit, this African Mossi mask offers stylized zoomorphic elements. The geometric patterns are enhanced with an abraded polychrome patina. The black patina was originally obtained from charcoal and gum tree pods. The mask holder and his family worshiped the object through offerings such as millet beer, while invoking its protection.
The Mossi masks, personal or lineage, constitute an incarnation of tutelary spirits offering their support. They perform at burials, funerals of clan chiefs, protect crops. True altars without their costume, they can receive libations such as millet beer to honor the ancestors. Their appearance is now frequent during entertainment shows. Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is made up of the descendants of the Nakomse invaders, ...

Ex-French collection of tribal decoration
The Yupik ritual masks illustrate the artistic expressionism of the ceremonial art of the Eskimo peoples, characterized by their matte polychromy.
The Arctic regions of North America, known as "Inuit Nunangat", are home to the Inuit people, closely related to the Yupitt and Yupiks of Alaska and Siberia. The Yupik and Inuit, while respecting certain traditional conventions, create a variety of ceremonial masks in terms of size and aesthetics. On each occasion, guided by a dream, the shaman communicates to the carver the specific function and form of the required mask, which he himself will wear. These masks are associated with the souls, or "yua", of different animals or fish, and their use is accompanied by rituals intended to ...

Janiform version of the African Igbo mask Agbogo Mmwo offering the classic criteria glorifying youth and beauty according to the traditional Igbo conception. Openwork discs surmount the faces.
Abraded matte patina, indigenous restoration, erosions.
The Igbo live in the forest in southeastern Nigeria. They have managed to combine a strong sense of individuality with an equally strong sense of belonging to the group. Their political system is complex and little known. The village constitutes the most important social unit, the smallest being the extended family. Each village has a high degree of autonomy and is placed under the authority of the oldest lineage chief. The religion of the Igbo includes on the one hand the god Chuku, supreme creator, considered omnipotent, omniscient ...

Mask inspired by the Tlingit, Lingit, or Tide People of Canada, established in Alaska on the Pacific Northwest Coast and the islands facing it. The Lingit society is organized into tribes with a very hierarchical society and a matrilineal system. During the second half of the 19th century, masks accompanied ritual dances. Their function may have been protective. Some depict a woman wearing a labret, the prerogative of nobles, others animals known for their qualities. These subjects also decorated totems and headdresses. Matte polychrome patina, locally chipped.

The African mask Mbole comes into play during the funeral of Lilwa dignitaries or is used by the blacksmith during circumcision rituals. The eyes and mouth are cut into the flat surface, the forehead and nose forming a slight relief. Polychrome matte patina.
Height on base: 44 cm.
The province of Lualaba had several close ethnic groups with similar associations. The Mbole and the Yela are known for their statues embodying, according to D. Biebuck, hanged men, named ofika. The lilwa, an association with dogmatic initiation rites, used to judge and sentence to hanging those guilty of breaches of the imposed rules, which however remained exceptional. These offenses ranged from murder to adultery to breaking the secrecy surrounding the lilwa. Dishonored, the bodies of the condemned ...

A bird sculpture hangs over the female face of this African mask. Polychrome satin patina. Among the group of Mande from the south, in the center of Côte d'Ivoire, the Gouro have used since the 1950s a family of African masks associated with the dance Zaouli . Indeed, like the Goli masks of the Baoulé, all the Guro masks come in two zoomorphic masks followed by a third anthropomorphic, which is considered to be the wife of the zamblé mask, the Gu . The Gu, whose function is apotropaic, represents a young woman endowed with the criteria of beauty specific to the Guro. It is while singing in honor of the zamblé that the Gu moves gracefully, following the sound of the flute.

Appearing during major annual festivals, this African urhobo mask is associated with a water spirit (edjorame). Surmounted by a horned headdress and a head symbolizing the ohworu genius, the face embodying a nubile young girl offers lowered eyelids, a toothy mouth, and strange pointed ears. The high forehead displays scarified patterns extending over the bridge of the nose. Grainy matte patina, slight sheen.
The Urhobos, living near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, form the main ethnic group in Delta State among the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They speak Urhobo, a language of the Niger-Congo group. Together with the closely related Isoko, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures representing the spirits of nature, edjo, or founding ...

The prerogative of the secret male society of the ngil responsible for initiations, this type of long mask with an austere physiognomy appeared in groups at night, lit by numerous torches. This society, which no longer exists today, fought against witchcraft. The ngil consisted of a purifying fire rite symbolized by the gorilla. Its intervention was also linked to the judicial function by designating those guilty of bad actions within the village. The Fang ethnic group, established in a region extending from Yaoundé in Cameroon to Ogooué in Gabon, never had political unity. The cohesion of the clans was maintained through religious and judicial associations such as the so and the ngil. Thick patina locally flaking, minor cracks.

African art among the Fang.

Formerly called Pahouins, the Fang form a very large ethnic group settled, following migrations, in Central Africa, in the three republics of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. This mask offers a realistic face, scarified, and topped with a crest. Upholstery nails carefully delineate the headdress. Satin brown patina, erosions and cracks. Height on base: 40 cm.
Linked to the cult of ancestors, the Byéri, this mask was responsible for discerning troublemakers, especially sorcerers. It comes out nowadays for entertainment festivals. It also appears now during festivals, funerals, birth celebrations, and on the occasion of an important decision within the village. It was also worn by the Fang Okak and Ntoumou, Ntumu men of Equatorial Guinea ...