African Arts Gallery

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 ...

French collection of African art.
Small animal figure made of terracotta, fixed on a plexi base using paste.
The frequent representations of riders and their mounts 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 Sangha cliffs, inaccessible on horseback, the priests carried him, while neighing in reference to the mythical ancestor Nommo.

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.

French collection of tribal art.
Typical in African art, the Kronkronbali Komaland heads, meaning "children of yesteryear", have features in marked relief. The eyes, nose, eyebrows, beards and moustaches are, most often, formed of ridges of earth. The head, at the top, is concave and pierced.
These heads seem to have been sculpted as such, without a body, 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. Base included.

Exhibited during the divinatory rites of the Mani society, this ancient Yanda statue, of traditional type, has arched arms surmounting a stylized bust extended by short legs whose feet contrast. Brown patina with orange highlights, erosions and cracks.
Formerly known as "Niam-Niam" because considered cannibals, the tribes grouped under the name of Zande, Azandé, settled, from Chad, on the border of the DRC (Zaire), Sudan and the Central African Republic. According to their beliefs, man would be endowed with two souls, one of which transforms upon his death into the totem animal of the clan to which he belongs. The name of their ethnic group means: "those who own a lot of land", an allusion to their warrior past originating in Sudan. The Yanda statuettes were exhibited during ...

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 ...

Belgian collection of African art .
This statuette, with a prognathous jaw, was placed on the box containing the relics of the deceased, which was guarded by the esa, the oldest man in the family. The hands are joined in front of the bust, the legs with prominent muscles are flexed. Glossy black patina. Slight chips and cracks.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of illustrious ancestors are kept. The sculptures played the role of guardians of the "byeri" boxes, named after the cult to which they relate. These were kept in a dark corner of the hut, and were intended to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" society. During ...

French collection of African art
Animal-shaped offering cup, intended for the Gelede ceremonies of the Yorubas-Nago in Benin. The Gelede cult has entered contemporary heritage, based on ancestral traditions: UNESCO registered it as an ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) in 2008.
Polychrome patina, cracks and abrasions from use.
The Gelede ceremonies, Efe, are mainly practiced in the Western Yoruba kingdoms. They are used in the context of masquerades dedicated to women in their maternal dimension, and more particularly to the "Supreme Mother", whose identity varies from city to city. These festivals are meant to remind women of their maternal responsibilities and ...

A carved wooden panel of a face associated with traditional Pende masks. The triangular decorative motifs are specific to the Pende. Matte patina, ochre highlights. Abrasions.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern Pende have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu have been 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 that are difficult to differentiate without their costume, including the chief fumu or ufumu, the soothsayer and his wife, the prostitute, the jester, tundu, the possessed, etc. The Mbuya ...

Old Yela or Tetela knife, whose handle incised with discreet decorative hatching is made of wood.
Linear engravings line the contours of the blade.

Lack and desication cracks.
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. Scattered throughout the Kasai basin, the Tetela of Mongo origin have been the source of incessant conflicts with their neighbours. Their very diversified sculpture is marked by the influence of the groups living in contact with them: in the North, their art was subjected to the influence of the populations of the forest such as the Mongo, in the North-West that of the Nkutschu , and to the west ...

French collection of African art. African statue depicting a subject imbued with dignity and restraint, kneeling. Within African tribal art, this type of sculpture associated with individual worship adorned the Dogon family altar. Interesting grainy patina of ritual use. Desiccation cracks.

Mostly sculpted to order placed by a family, Dogon statues can also be the object of worship by the entire community. However, their functions remain little known. Parallel to Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, under the spiritual authority of the Hogon, the Wagem, worship of the ancestors under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the spirit world and led by the priest of Binou, and the society of masks ...

African sculpture of a subject whose headdress would be 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. Granular 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) ...

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 ...

African statue depicting a male ancestor, hunter or warrior. Numerous scarifications in relief, common practice at the end of the 19th century in Central Africa, dot its anatomy. Gray brown patina. Keloid patterns constituted signs of beauty with symbolic value, revealing extraordinary physical and moral qualities. The concentric circles suggest not only the great stars, but also hope. " These statues of warriors, whose position of the arms at a right angle would be associated with vigor, participated in the investitures and funerals of the chiefs. Lulua is a generic term, which refers to a large number of heterogeneous peoples who inhabit the region near the Lulua River, between the Kasaï and Sankuru rivers. During the late 19th century,  Lulua culture underwent radical changes. ...

The child presented by this type of African effigy would symbolize the matrilineal transmission of power. The female ancestor of the clan constitutes for the Kongo groups a mediating figure. Maternity figures were frequently carved atop chiefs' canes. Shiny mahogany red patina. Desication cracks, erosions.
Clan of the Kongo group, the Yombe are established on the West African coast, in the south-west of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities. The use of this type of sculpture remains unknown. Among the Kongo , the nganga was responsible for the rituals by activating a spiritual force with an nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to designate the notions of "sacred" or "divine".
Source: "the Kongo gesture" Ed. Dapper ...

Music and prestige in African art.
South of the Benoué River, in a region of difficult access that isolated them until 1950, the Mumuye are established, who are organized into family groups called dola. Their iagalagana statues were stored in a hut reserved for this purpose, another hut, java, sheltering an individual with magical powers and surrounding himself with ritual objects linked to his function and prestige. The sculptor, called rati or molabaiene, who practiced another profession, made everyday objects such as this slit drum whose rhythm accompanied ritual ceremonies and announced important events. The half-moon sound box is equipped with a handle and decorated with a cephalomorphic handle. Colored pigments enhance the sculpture. Cracks and abrasions. Height on base: 31 ...

Accompanying the satsi circumcision rites in the Ivindo Valley, this type of African mask with curved walls was used to entertain or impress by begging for donations for the young people invited to the ceremonies. The wearer's costume was made of raffia fibers. This is a lighter construction than the heavy helmet masks that required wickerwork shoulder protection. Burgundy brown satin patina. Erosions and desiccation cracks. The Mahongwe, Obamba, Shamayé and Sango form a group with the Kota that has similar rites and society. They live in the forests in the eastern part of Gabon.

Used during masquerades related to Ogbom associated with an earth deity, this type of mask was stored in the smoke ducts of homes to protect them from insects. Only men wore these African crest masks during dances that took place in front of altars. Matte patina, lightly colored pastillage, minor shine and cracks.
The Eket, established in the south-east of Nigeria, are a subgroup of the Ibibio ethnic group known 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 ...

African statuette perched on a barrel. This type of sculpture sometimes illustrates a proverb. Glossy black patina.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo constituted 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 a statuary with a codified gesture related to their vision of the world. The nganga sorcerers, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through consecrated figures. To this end, protective nkisis figures are made and loaded by the nganga with all the ingredients necessary to achieve this goal.
Source: "Le geste ...

African Art from Congo.
The first African coins Handa, also called Lukanu, "Nkanu" or copper crosses, Katanga crosses, or Saint Andrew's crosses, appear in the 13th century in tombs throughout the Shaba region, at the same time as cowrie shells and glass beads, also used as a means of payment. Although associated with funerary rituals, during the 18th and 19th centuries, they constituted the tax that the copper-producing regions owed to the Lunda Empire, a territory covering Katanga, northern Zambia and eastern Angola. Arab merchants also used them in trade circuits extending from Kenya to eastern Angola. The Hungarian ethnologist Torday noted that among the Tetela, it took 3 to 5 of these crosses, ranging from 0.275 to 2 kg, to acquire a male slave and 5 to 10 for a female. They ...

Tribal masks of the Songye .
African mask of the Songye, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a high sagittal crest and striated with wide decorative bands, this mask is considered masculine, the feminine mask being generally underlined by a ridge. Matte patina, erosions and desiccation cracks.
Height on base: 63 cm.
Three variants of this Kifwebe mask (pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing death" (Roberts) are distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest or absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, is worn with a costume and a long beard of natural fibers on the occasion of major ceremonies. The Songye came from the Shaba region of the ...