African Arts Gallery

Ex-French collection of African tribal art. African statue of Mbumba Sango reliquary. The abstract morphology forms a diamond, in accordance with traditional standards.
Among the Shira-Punu group, the Massango, Mashango, Sango, Sangu, settled on the Chaillu massif in Gabon and in the province of Ngounié. The use of baskets and also reliquary packages for the bones of the deceased, on which sculptures of this type were enthroned, was widespread throughout Gabon, among the Fang, the Kota, but also the Mitsogho and the Massango, among whom this cult takes the name of Bumba, Mbumba. The sculptures, which acted as a "medium" between the living and the dead, watching over the descendants, were associated with the bwete rites among the Kota, comparable to those of the Fang. In the ...

These pairs of articulated statuettes connected by a cord were offered to newlyweds among the Sukuma, Nyamwezi, and other tribes of Tanzania. Dark brown patina with a sheen.
The Luo, Kuria, Haya and Ziba, the Kéréwé, Karagwé, Sukuma and Nyamézi are established in the west-central and central region of Tanzania. The Nyamwézi are made up of tribes of diverse origins making up the largest group in central Tanzania, and yet sharing the same cultural traits. They were involved in the 19th century in the caravan trade that crossed their territory, the Unyamwézi. They were therefore led to travel from Congo (DRC) to the coastal cities of the Indian Ocean, where they were called "Nyamwézi", "men of the moon" or "men of the West". Organized into villages led by chiefs, their spiritual life ...

Variant of the large African mask suku kakungu, this mask has large eye sockets or hanging cheeks, framing a straight nose overhanging a narrow mouth.

Matte patina, dry, abrasions.
The Suku and Yaka ethnic groups recognize common origins and have the same social structure as well as similar cultural practices. They can only be differentiated by their stylistic variations. The mukanda is the name given to all the rites around the initiation ceremony of young pubescents, consecrating the end of childhood and shared by many communities.
The suku kakungu masks are known to be among the largest masks in Black Africa. These masks supposed to control the rain were brought out during initiation rites but if they did not participate in any dance they jumped and gesticulated. ...

Decorated with the cruciform incision chingeleyele inspired by the Maltese cross of the Portuguese, this African mask , a small fetish object, refers to the ancestor pwo. Satin orange-brown patina. Height on base: 36 cm.

Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwe were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. The African Chokwe pwo masks, among the many akishi masks (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African Chokwe art, embody an ideal of beauty, Mwana Pwo, or the Pwo woman and appear today during festive ceremonies. Together with their male counterparts, chihongo recognizable by their large, tray-shaped headdress, the pwo are supposed to bring fertility and ...

French collection of African art.
Bronze sculptures depicting mythical Dogon heroes. Green patina. The frequent representations of horsemen among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. The Dogon blacksmiths form an endogamous caste among the Dogon called irim. Today, they produce weapons, tools, and also work wood. "Masters of fire" associated in the Dogon cosmogony with the primordial beings "Nommo" created by the god Ama, they are also supposed to heal burns. Small metal objects, made using the lost wax technique, were widespread in the region of the inner Niger Delta, copper arriving there thanks to trans-Saharan trade. Excavations on the Bandiagara Plateau have in fact uncovered remains of steelworks dating back to before the 15th century, ...

Tools and weapons in tribal art.
Chokwe hatchet decorated with a sculpted head, engraved with human features and the letters KE. Chokwe sculptures were carved by the blacksmith using small adzes called seso and small knives, then polished with tree leaves. Adzes were also prestigious objects for chiefs. Beautiful glossy patina, cracks. Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwe were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power.

African art and its animal masks .
African mask with real horns, and coming from the Bidjogo , established in the Bissagos archipelago composed of about thirty islands located off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. The mask is worn before or at the end of initiation ceremonies, by a young initiate " cabaro ", who will bend and rear up, conveying the idea of ​​a young vigorous but still untamed animal, and the need to go through the initiatory process in order to acquire discipline and mastery. Matte patina, minor accidents.
These masks, called vaca bruto in Portuguese Creole, were displayed on the prows of warlords' boats. It was in fact Portuguese sailors who introduced the animal to the archipelago in the ...

The Kirdi, or "pagans", as they are called by the Islamized peoples, are established in the far north of Cameroon, on the border with Nigeria. They include the Matakam or Mafa , Kapsiki, Margui, Mofou, Massa, Toupouri, Fali , Namchi , Bata, Do ayo... They live from agriculture, fishing and livestock breeding. They live in small independent hamlets. Renowned for their terracotta statuettes reminiscent of Sao works, they are also known for small leather and metal objects, pearl-sewn loincloths and iron tools and weapons. In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made using cowries, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, particularly iron. These primitive currencies constituted at the time part of the dowry for most Bantu tribes, ...

Tribal sculpture that can be used as an African decorative object, this rectangular tray decorated with different heads in the image of Pende masks. Satin brown patina, minor cracks. The Western Pende settled along the banks of the Kwilu, while their eastern counterparts established their communities along the banks of the Kasai, downstream from Tshikapa. The Mbuya masks, made with striking realism and produced every ten years, have a mainly festive function, representing a range of characters including chiefs, diviners and their wives, prostitutes, possessed people, etc. The initiation masks and power masks, called minganji, represent the ancestors and are used during various ceremonies such as agricultural festivals, mukanda initiation and circumcision rituals, as well as during the ...

French collection of African art .
Fon fetish of phallic form.
The multitude of fon gods (the vodun), similar to those of the Yoruba under different names, is represented by fetishes of all shapes and natures. Their sanctuaries are erected in Togo, Dahomey, and in Western Nigeria. Statuettes embodying the legba, protectors of the home, are often attached to them. The faithful administer daily offerings and libations to them, supposed to activate their power. The Fon live in a part of the Republic of Benin formerly called Dahomay. According to legend, a princess of Yoruba origin created this kingdom before the 17th century.
Their culture and stylistic characteristics are related to those of neighboring ethnic groups all located in a lagoon region in eastern Côte ...

African art from the Voltaic regions.
Amulet or weight representing a kneeling subject carrying a vase on his head. Dark patina encrusted with verdigris.
Named Pakhalla by the Dioula, the Koulango formed the Loron in the Voltaic territory. The Dagomba chiefs of the kingdom of Bouna would then have called them "Koulam" (singular: koulango, subject, vassal). Their complex history has engendered a no less complex culture. It is between Burkina Faso and Comoé, in the north-east of Côte d'Ivoire, that their territory extends. Of animist fetishistic religion, they address their ancestors and the spirits of nature through sculptures in which the souls of these spirits are supposed to reside.

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 ...

The African statues of the Mangbetu type are said to represent ancestors. They are decorated with incisions referring to the body paintings and scarifications of the group, comparable to those of the Asua pygmies with whom the tribe maintained relations. These motifs varied according to 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 elders call beli these figures of ancestors stored out of sight and comparable to those belonging to their secret society nebeli.
Mahogany ...

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 ...

Female figure represented seated, wearing a crest related to the Ogbom ceremonies, which took place in front of the altar at the end of the periods of seclusion. The crest masks were then kept near the chimney flues of the huts to be protected from insects.
Grainy patina, colored highlights. The Eket, established in the south-east of Nigeria, are a sub-group of the Ibibio ethnic group renowned for their expressive masks. They are a patrilineal society whose villages are governed by the Ekpo Ndem Isong , a group of elders and heads of extended families. Their decisions are reinforced by members of the Ekpo society who act as messengers of the Ikan (ancestors) and who, during their political functions, are always masked. Their Ogbom ceremony, which takes place in the middle of ...

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 ...

Statue embodying an ancestor in the "funda nkata" posture, which dignitaries adopted during receptions, such as the Kuba kings. ("Le Geste Kongo" ed. Musée Dapper.)
Desiccation cracks. Red-brown patina.
Established on the plateaus of the People's Republic of Congo, formerly Brazzaville, and not to be confused with the Bembé group from the north of Lake Tanganyika, the small Babembé group, Béembé, was influenced by the Téké rites and culture, but especially by that of the Kongo. Settled in the current Republic of Congo, the Béembé originally formed the kingdom of Kongo, with the Vili, Yombé, Bwendé and Woyo.

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 ...

Intended to sit on the ceremonial altar, this ritual cup whose support represents a bird is formed from a container which housed the sacred palm nuts.
Erosions, cracks. Slightly polychrome matte patina.
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 sculptors at the request of followers, diviners and their clients. These spirits are believed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. 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, who worship their gods, the Orisa, through ...