African Arts Gallery

From a wickerwork base rises a carved wooden subject stretched with leather. The headdress is made of human hair, the teeth of metal. The dancer's costume was made of a large lattice of raffia cords, and, more recently, of cotton fabric. The masks were coated with palm oil before use, and placed in daylight so that their leather would soften and adopt a satisfactory luster. Leopard societies, such as the male society Kpe, Ngbe among the Aro, used this model of crests for initiation ceremonies or funerals of members of the association, but also during agricultural rituals. This type of African cephalomorphic mask, which would originally represent the trophy head of an enemy, is found among the Efik, the Keaka, the Banyang, the Boki, Ibibio, etc. These African masks were originally ...

Yoruba scepter-altar composed of various animal and human subjects. The Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. Some subjects also represent flutists in reference to divinities associated with divination. The figure in blue with its double axe refers to the god Sango. Polychrome patina flaking, minor losses and cracks.
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy the southwest of Nigeria and the central and southeast region of Benin under the name of Nago. They are patrilineal, practice excision and circumcision. Centered on its multiple gods or orisa, the Yoruba religion is illustrated by its altars on which sacrifices are practiced. Arts and coded messages, àroko, are thus ...

Ex. Belgian collection of African art .
Traditional African adornment, topped with animal motifs, which could also be part of the dowry. Sold on a base. Height on base: 18 cm.
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 steelmaking sites dating back to before the 15th century, the date of the arrival of the ...

Belgian collection of African tribal art The therapeutic statuettes of the Kasongos, used by healers, were inspired by Songye fetishes. The magic charge, composed of ingredients of various origins, was inserted into the cavity of the head. The highly stylized subject was coated with white pigments, giving the surface a velvety finish. Matte patina. Abrasions from use.
The Kusu established on the left bank of the Lualaba have borrowed the artistic traditions of the Luba and the Hemba and have a caste system similar to that of the Luba. The Kasongos form a Kusu subgroup, now dispersed among the Luba, Songye and Hemba. The singiti statues were kept by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. In parallel with the authority of the ...

Influenced by Kongo culture, the Punu and Lumbu sculpted African masks coated with white kaolin such as this example of the Punu style topped with a double central shell. Female mask, its facial decorations refer to the scarifications in use. Erosions, colored highlights.
The white African masks of Gabon, itengi, (pl. bitengi) were associated with the various secret societies of Gabon, including the Bwiti, Bwete, and the Mwiri ("to lead" ), the latter spanning several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged. In some villages, at dawn or dusk, the Okuyi dance was accompanied by songs in an esoteric language that only initiates could understand. (Punu, L. Perrois and C. Grand-Dufay)

French Collection of African Art
The Kota reside in the eastern region of Gabon, rich in iron ore, as well as in parts of the Republic of Congo. The blacksmith, in addition to wood carving, made tools for agricultural work and ritual weapons. The sculptures, serving as a "medium" between the living and the dead who protected descendants, were linked to the bwete rites, similar to those of the Fang. Sometimes, these sculptures are two-sided, called mbulu-viti, representing both the masculine and feminine aspects. This type of piece, known as ngulu, served as a "guardian" of the relics placed above the baskets containing the remains of ancestors of high lineage. During ceremonies reserved for initiates only, the major decisions of the clan were made, during which the reliquaries ...

Inspired by Pfemba, the female effigy at the top of this clan emblem embodies the mediating ancestor figure. The Yombe decorated their textiles, mats and loincloths, with this type of diamond pattern repeated on the bust. These signs associated with proverbs glorified work and social unity. This type of phemba statuette, pfemba, also decorated the top of prestigious walking sticks, mwala.
Satin brown patina.
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.

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 ...

African mask quite similar to the "Déanglé", haloed with a bead of fabric covered with rope. The gaze is underlined, the projecting mouth reveals the teeth. Irregular surface, velvety patina, kaolin residue.
It was following dreams in which the spirits would manifest themselves that the masks were sculpted according to precise indications, in order to be honored through their appearances.
The Dan masks, of various designs, generally occur during very theatrical entertainment parties where women play a preponderant role. The so-called "mocking" mask called Déanglé defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is sculpted in honor of the young girls of the village or famous men. Each of the masks had a name related to its function. Also used during circumcision rites, ...

The fan-shaped headdress of this female figure was worn by the Mangbetu: from a very young age, children underwent compression of the skull using raffia ties. Later, the hair was "knitted" on wicker strands and a headband was applied to the forehead in order to extract the hair and produce this characteristic headdress. The elders called beli these figures of ancestors stored out of sight and comparable to those belonging to their secret society nebeli. The statuette takes up the volumes of the Mangbetu jars. Established in the forest in northeastern Zaire, the Mangbetu kingdom expressed itself through architectural works that impressed European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, finery and statuary were marked by a rare aesthetic quality.

Ex. French collection of African art . Copy of the African Dan mask decorated with raffia fibers, offering a mirror patina of a deep burgundy brown.
The masks equipped with round eye sockets (called gunyeya or gunye ge ), facilitating vision, are part of the set of masks of the northern Dan and are used for racing events during the dry season. The zapkei ge

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 ...

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". ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

Bwami initiation mask, indicating the acquisition of a certain individual wisdom and morality. Relatively large, this mask bears a chipped gray patina, revealing in places patterns evoking the scarifications in use.
Losses, abrasions.
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 in the clan, who must be the highest ranking. As in other forest tribes, men hunt and clear while women cultivate cassava. Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, ...

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 ...

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.

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.

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.