...
Search option




Discover our exceptionnal items

African art items:


We offer you a large selection of unique pieces of African art. Coming from private collections or purchased directly “in situ”, these works are the subject of a special study to determine their provenance as well as their conditions of acquisition. We make it a point of honor to offer our customers quality works of African art, old or contemporary, acquired within the framework of an ethical market. It is the history of these pieces that we invite you to discover through our gallery and websites.

To make searching easier, the items sold are hidden by default, if you wish to view them click HERE
Kongo Statue
African art > Maternity, statues, bronze, wood > Kongo Statue

Ex-French collection of African art A means of communicating with the spirits of the ancestors, this type of statue embodies the ancestor of the clan. The numerous inlays of gilded metal help to distinguish this maternity. Light brown patina.
Desiccation cracks.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, led by King ntotela. 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 relation to their vision of the world. Belonging to the Kongo group, the Yombe are established on the West African coast, in the southwest of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary ...


View details

480.00

Toma Pipe
African art > African pipes in wood, in bronze > Toma Pipe

French collection of African art Exceptional Toma ceremonial pipe whose sculpted motif is reminiscent of the bakrogui mask, or Angbaï, linked to the ancestors. Only members of the Poro were allowed to contemplate the bakrogui mask.
Smooth brown patina, abrasions from use.
The Toma of Guinea, called Loma in Liberia, live in the forest, at high altitude. They are renowned for their landaï board masks intended to animate the initiation rites of the poro association that structures their society, and which represent spirits of the bush. As soon as the landaï mask appeared, the initiates went to the forest to stay there for a month during which they would be taught. At the end of this journey, they will be subjected to a "ritual devouring" followed by a "symbolic rebirth". ...


View details

280.00

Kongo object
African art > Used objects, pulleys, boxes, loom, awale > Kongo object

Belgian collection of African art.
Small in size, this object, which is not very common in traditional African art, is reminiscent of a mini brush. Equipped with a handle with a figurative pattern, the palette is bristling with numerous metal spikes. Erosions, satin brown patina. Height on base: 20 cm.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, led by King Ntotela. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced statuary with codified gestures in keeping with their vision of the world. 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 ...


View details

180.00

Pende necklace
African art > Jewelry, ornament > Pende necklace

Plastic discs threaded on cotton thread, extended by a wooden amulet-pendant, representing a Pende mask named Mbangu. The ivory pendants were, until independence, a symbol of resistance to the colonial state.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Easterners settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the 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, have 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, represent the ancestors and are ...


View details

150.00

Kuba divination object
African art > Used objects, pulleys, boxes, loom, awale > Kuba divination object

Belgian collection of African art
Within the figurative sculpture of the Kuba, the prestige objects held by members of the Kuba royal family and of the peripheral groups, Bushoong and Dengese, are decorated with engraved motifs. Similar geometric motifs also adorn the diviner's accessories such as this divination instrument with its pusher. These tools, used to solve various problems, take up animal motifs associated with the ngesh (nature spirits) but also human motifs referring to ancestors and masks. Satiny shaded brown patina. Glossy patina of use, minor desiccation cracks.
The Kuba kingdom or "people of lightning" was founded in the 16th century by the main tribe Bushoong which is still ruled today by a king, and whose capital was Nshyeeng or Mushenge.


View details

120.00

Dogon Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Dogon Mask

French collection of African tribal art .
This small-format ancient African mask refers to the antelope rooster. The horns curved backwards recall the walu, an animal linked to the Dogon cosmogony. Beautiful dry abraded patina, kaolin prints. Minor desiccation cracks.
Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, the Wagem, ancestor worship under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the spirit world, and the Awa mask society concerning funerals. The "dama" is a ceremony dedicated to restoring the order of things following a bereavement. It was originally to protect themselves from the " nyama " (the soul) of the victim that the Dogon carved a mask in the image of an animal. Guaranteer of order, the ...


View details

340.00

Kronkronbali Terracotta
African art > Terracotta, jar, amphora, funerary urn > Kronkronbali Terracotta

French collection of tribal art.
A particularity in African art, the Kronkronbali Komaland heads, meaning "children of yesteryear", often have globular features, here indistinct, made up of earthen bulges. The top is slightly concave.
The Koma (or Koma-Bulsa) are established in a region called Komaland near the border of Burkina Faso, in northern Ghana. The heads seem to have been shaped as such, devoid of bodies, reminiscent of Akan or Anyi statuary. They have the appearance of a sort of stopper, driven into the earth in a circular fashion around tumuli, tombs themselves circular and covered with stones.

The first were discovered in the 1970s-80s by German anthropologists who dated them between the 13th and 19th centuries.
Plinth included.


View details

190.00

Baoule Sling
African art > Used objects, pulleys, boxes, loom, awale > Baoule Sling

Baule slingshot with a double sculpted figure that serves as an amulet. This type of object was used by children to hunt small game or birds. Golden yellow lustrous patina.
According to Baoulé mythology, a royal ancestor had to sacrifice his son to cross a river. This event is the origin of the name Baoulé, Bauli, "the son is dead". About sixty ethnic groups populate Côte d'Ivoire, including the Baoulé, in the center, Akans from Ghana, a people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture, just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed ritual cults and sculpted masks.


View details

75.00

Mossi adze
African art > Used objects, pulleys, boxes, loom, awale > Mossi adze

French collection of African art A prestigious emblem intended for chiefs, this adze represents a warrior's helmet from which the blade emerges. Abrasions of use, black oiled patina.
Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is composed of the descendants of the invaders, horsemen who came from Ghana in the 15th century, named Nakomse, and the Tengabibisi, descendants of the natives. Political power is in the hands of the Nakomse, who assert their power through statues, while the priests and religious leaders come from the Tengabisi, who use masks during their ceremonies. Animists, the Mossi worship a creator god named Wende. Each individual is said to have a soul, sigha, linked to a totemic animal.


View details

190.00

Igala spoon
African art > Spoons, ladles > Igala spoon

Large spoon with twisted handle topped with a sculpted head. Grainy black patina. Desiccation cracks. Height on base: 50 cm. Established near the Niger estuary, speaking a Kwa language, the Igala formed a powerful kingdom until colonization. Human sacrifices once accompanied these ritual festivals, giving this people the reputation of headhunters. The Igala have large helmet masks called agba during ceremonies honoring their king or at commemorative funerals of dignitaries. Other types of helmet masks come out during the festivals of the egu cult celebrating the spirit of the dead and for the yam festivals.
Ref.: "L'Art tribal d'Afrique noire" ed. Assouline and "Arts du Nigeria" ed. Musée Barbier-Mueller.


View details

150.00

Yombe scepter
African art > Stick of command, chieftaincy > Yombe scepter

Belgian collection of African art .
The female effigy adorning this chief's badge seems to refer to the ancestor of the clan. The Yombe decorated their textiles, mats and loincloths, with diamond-shaped patterns, such as those engraved on the subject's bust, in relation to proverbs glorifying work and social unity. The phemba statuette, pfemba, often adorned prestigious walking sticks, mwala .
Light brown matte patina, abrasions.
Belonging to the Kongo group, the Yombe are established on the west coast of Africa, in the southwest of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities. Source: "the Kongo gesture" Ed. Dapper Museum and "Treasures of Africa" ​​Tervuren Museum.


View details

280.00

Pende stick
African art > Stick of command, chieftaincy > Pende stick

This stick carved with a pattern like the masks of the group is part of the chief's figurative insignia. Glossy black brown patina. 36 cm on base.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern settled on the banks of the Kasaï downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc... The masks of initiation and those of power, the minganji, represent the ancestors and occur successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural festivals, ...


View details

280.00

Songye staff
African art > Stick of command, chieftaincy > Songye staff

Staff topped with a figure sculpted in the image of Songye fetishes. These protective fetishes intended for homes come in various styles in the many chiefdoms of the Songye country. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men. Large examples are the collective property of an entire village, the latter are for private use. In the 16th century, the Songye migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. 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 what was affecting individuals.


View details

280.00

Lega Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Lega Mask

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, ...


View details

170.00

 Leka Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Leka Mask

Ex. Belgian collection of African art.
African mask of initiation of the Lega or even the Leka, whose society, the Bukota, welcoming both men and women, is the equivalent of the Bwami association of the Lega. Their masks are quite similar, but are distinguished by their mouth and sometimes also their square or rectangular eyes.br>
Black glossy patina encrusted with white clay.
Height on base: 33 cm.
The sculptures of the Leka, 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 with an educational purpose, like the Lega traditions.


View details

170.00

Teke Statue
African art > The fetish, this emblematic object of primitive art > Teke Statue

Devoid of its mystical "Bonga" charge, the cavity of this teke-type sculpted figure makes the bust protrude in powerful volume, seeming to bend thick legs. Under the headdress, the face with its clear, bulging gaze offers cubist features. Smooth dark mahogany patina. Lacks, drying crack.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose leader was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu, had the right of life or death over his family, the importance of which determined his prestige. 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 soothsayer who "charged" the individual statuettes with ...


View details

280.00

Songye Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Songye Mask

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 ...


View details

340.00

Lega Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Lega Mask

African mask Lega indicating the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society composed of different grades, and which was joined by wives whose husbands had reached the third level, that of ngandu.
Within the Lega, 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. Following Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and impeccable behavior. During ritual ceremonies, the Idumu masks, collectively owned, were presented to the initiates placed on a barrier and surrounded by individual masks of ...


View details

150.00

Kul Currency
African art > Coins in bronze, black iron and other materials > Kul Currency

Paleocurrencies, traditional metal currency objects, and cotton rolls, goats, and beads, were a means of payment among the Sara, Sara Madjingay, of southwestern Chad and northern Central African Republic. Metalwork plays a major role, and the production of flat and elongated shapes is very diverse.
This type of African object could also be used as currency during social transactions, for dowries for example. In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made using cowries, beads, livestock, kola nuts, but also metals, especially iron. In Sierra Leone, goods were valued in relation to iron bars called barriferri. In 1556 in Djenné Jean-Léon l'Africain observed that the populations used iron to pay for "things of little value". The king ...


View details

190.00

Sanza Kongo
African art > Tam Tam, Djembe, musical instruments > Sanza Kongo

Belgian collection of African art.
Very widespread in Central Africa, this ancient musical instrument or sanza
This musical instrument or sanza devoid of figurative motif is composed of a resonance board on which metal blades have been fixed in parallel. The blades, of variable lengths, are sometimes made of bamboo. The thumbs of both hands will rest on the body to vibrate the front ends of the tongues. In Zaire, however, where all fingers are used as for the piano, groups of instruments play on complementary registers. The instrument will also sometimes accompany a singer. Brown patina, abrasions.


View details

180.00

Zela Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Zela Mask

African zoomorphic masks.
Polychrome animal mask of the kifwebe depicting a sacrificial animal, the rooster. Erosions.
In the south-eastern region of Katanga, from the 1960s, the Zela, long subject to the Lubas whose customs and rites they borrowed, carved animal masks , like the Lubas and the Kundas. In 1970, in fact, the kifwebe company underwent a transformation which was accompanied by new masks. In the Zela and Kundas groups, however, this type of mask was manifested during secular theatrical ceremonies involving tales. 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 ...


View details

190.00