African Arts Gallery

African Art Collection Amadeo Plaza Garcés The Oshe of the Yoruba intervene during ritual dances. They are carried in the left hand by the dancers. These African sculptures represent through their double-axe headdress, the god of thunder and youth Shango, or Sango, mythical ancestor of the kings of Oyo.
Sango was also the protector of twins, whose occurrence was very frequent in the region.
This is a divinity feared for its unpredictability. It is venerated because it is supposed to bring beneficial rains to crops. It is also to her that the fertility of women is attributed.

Matte patina, weak polychrome residues, traces of kaolin.

Yoruba society is highly organized and has several associations whose roles vary. While the male society egbe ...

This staff of command or scepter carved with anthropomorphic subjects is part of the figurative insignia of the chief. Satin black patina.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influence of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu has 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, 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 performed successively during the same ceremonies, ...

Old grain pestle whose center is carved with two faces. One of them is represented sticking out his tongue, a gesture with symbolic connotation in rituals against witchcraft. Smooth and glossy honey-coloured patina. Desication cracks.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, the Bwende, the Dondo/Kamba, 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. From comparable beliefs and traditions, they produced statuary endowed with codified gestures in keeping with their vision of the world. Their realistic masks took part in initiation ceremonies and the funerals of notables, and their nailed fetish statues, nkondi, were charged with magical elements ...

The female effigy "pfemba" at the top of the stick embodies the ancestor of the clan, a mediating figure, as evidenced by the diamond-shaped scarifications on the bust. The Yombe decorated their textiles, mats and loincloths, with this type of diamond-shaped pattern related to proverbs glorifying work and social unity. The iconography here is very unusual, the subject being kneeling on an effigy of a tortured person. The phemba statuette, pfemba, often adorned prestigious canes, mwala.
Satin brown patina. Desiccation crack.
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 includes remarkable maternities. Source: "le geste Kongo" Ed. Musée Dapper and "Trésors ...

Les régalia des Tchokwe dans l'art africain
Emblême de pouvoir faisant partie des régalia, marque d'ostentation, ce sceptre représente la puissance politique et symbolique.  Sculpture en ronde-bosse réalisée par un artiste au service du chef, associée au culte thérapeutique de type Hamba, la figure féminine Chokwe ou Lwena incarne l'ancêtre féminin qui est censée garantir les naissances ou la guérison. Le personnage qui illustre également la seconde épouse du chef mythique Chibinda Ilunga arbore une coiffure bombée telle un casque.
Patine brune satinée, résidus de kaolin.
Paisiblement installés en Angola oriental jusqu'au XVIème siècle, les Chokwé ont ensuite été soumis à l'empire lunda dont ils ont hérité un nouveau système hiérarchique et la sacralité du pouvoir. ...

Kongo-type emblem of royal power in the form of an effigy of a chief in a seated position, extended by a handle incised with fine checkered motifs. Satin black patina.
The Kongos (also known as Bakongos, which is the plural of N'Kongo in Kikongo, live on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire, (Republic of Congo) to Luanda (Angola ) in the South and as far as the province of Bandundu (Democratic Republic of Congo). Superbly crafted, the Kongo command scepters constituted, among the jewelry, weapons, recades and statuary, the regalia essential to their status and the power of their reign. The ornaments, pictograms and effigies carved on the sticks evoked proverbs, illustrated the qualities of a chief, told, from section to section, the history of the tribe and ...

Ex-Belgian collection ofAfrican art
Figure of a follower of the god Sango whose headdress symbolizes the double stone ax that the god would hurl to earth during storms. The physiognomy is characteristic of Yoruba art. These statues represent, through their headdress, the god of thunder and youth Shango, or Sango. The latter would be the mythical ancestor of the kings of Oyo. He was also the protector of twins, whose occurrence was very common in the region.
This is a deity feared for his unpredictability, and venerated because he brings beneficial rain to crops. It is also to which fertility is attributed.
Satin black patina. Height on base: 66 cm.

Prestigious stick with a cephalomorph handle extended from a ring section forming the neck. Beautiful abrased patina, slight gaps, desictating cracks.
The different types of statues Luluwa, Lulua, or Bena Lulua, with multiple scarifications, glorify local leaders, motherhood, fertility and the female figure. Protruding scarifications appear on the front of the perosnnage. .
Grey granular inpatine whose localized erosions reveal a clear wood. The Lulua, or Béna Lulua from West Africa, settled in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their caste-based social structure is similar to that of the Luba. They produced few masks, but especially statues of ancestors representing the ideal warrior, mulalenga wa nkashaama, as well as the head of the Leopard Society and ...

Pommel gebeeldhouwd met een vrouwenfiguur, uitgebreid met een gedeelte in hout en vervolgens metaal.
Glanzend zwarte patina, lichte gebreken en schaafwonden.
Gevestigd op de plateaus van de Volksrepubliek Congo ex. Brazzaville, en niet te verwarren met de Bembe-groep van het noordelijke Tanganinyika-meer, werd de kleine groep Babembé, Béembé, beïnvloed door de Téké-riten en -cultuur, maar vooral door die van de Kongo's. De Béembé, gevestigd in de huidige Republiek Congo, vormden oorspronkelijk het koninkrijk Kongo, met de Vili, Yombé, Bwendé en Woyo. Ze stonden onder de voogdij van koning ntotela, gekozen door de gouverneurs. De handel in ivoor, koper en slaven waren de belangrijkste middelen van deze weinig bekende groep tot de kolonisatie. Het hoofd van het dorp, ...

The naturalistic sculptures of the Kongo clans.

Anthropomorphic carved pattern stick top. The face offers a subtle and neat modeling highlighting an intense concentrated expression. Fingered hands are joined, the lower part of the body merges into the faceted base. Light golden patina, lustrous. Desication cracks. Height on base: 25 cm.
The Vili , the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, 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 a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world. In addition to their weapons and prestigious objects and ...

A prestigious object reserved for chiefs and dignitaries, this badge of power whose end is sculpted with a female figure evokes notions of fertility and abundance. Matte yellow-brown patina, black highlights. Minor abrasions and cracks from use.
The Ewe, often confused with the Minas, are the largest ethnic group in Togo. They are also found as minorities in Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Although we have little historical information about them, it seems that their establishment in their current location is the result of invasions and conflicts that broke out during the 17th century.
The morphology, presenting a musculature indicated by the ringed limbs and a characteristic posture, recalls here that of the lagoon regions. The figure with the powerful neck has a ...

The Kongos (also known as Bakongos, which is the plural of N'Kongo in Kikongo, live on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Africa Pointe-Noire, (Republic of Congo) until Luanda (Angola) in the South and as far as the province of Bandundu (Democratic Republic of Congo) Superbly crafted, the Kongo command scepters constituted, among the jewels, weapons, recades and statuary, the regalia essential to their status and power. ornaments, pictographs and effigies carved on the sticks evoked proverbs, illustrated the qualities of a chief, told, from section to section, the history of the tribe and insisted on the qualities required to reign. belonging to the royal entourage also benefited from the same coded iconography.
This prestigious emblem comes in the form of an effigy of a chef in a ...

Brandished in the left hand during ritual dances, this staff sculpted with the figure of a follower of the god Sango is surmounted by a stylized motif associated with the double stone ax that the god would hurl to earth during storms. The physiognomy is characteristic of Yoruba art, illustrated by the large almond-shaped eyes and the cheek scarifications. These sculptures refer to the god of thunder and youth Shango, or Sango. The latter would be the mythical ancestor of the kings of Oyo. He was also the protector of the twins, whose occurrence was very common in the region.
It is a deity feared for its unpredictability, and venerated because it would bring beneficial rains to crops. It is also to her that the fertility of women is attributed.

Abraded black ...

Ritual instrument used in the fourth initiatory rank of the Bamana Kore society, Bambara, this cane is named, like the horse mask, Kore Duga or the Kore vulture b>. The name of the mask refers to the satirical behavior of the dancer-jester who straddles the stick during his performance. It has various objects associated with the knowledge dispensed by the Koré, the last initiatory society of the Bamana. The handle has a slightly curved flat seat and is extended by a sculpted head. Black brown patina, erosions and cracks, lack.

The prestigious domolo crosier worn by Dogon men on their shoulders and sometimes found on altars and in binu sanctuaries recalls the insignia of the yona association. , the Yo domolo , or even Yo dyommodo , which forms the emblem of the "ritual thieves". These hoe-shaped emblems evoke a horse's head, the primordial animal of creation. Ritual patina, residual encrustations. Desication cracks.
The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, their esotericism, their myths and legends. Their population is estimated at around 300,000 souls living in the southwest of the Niger bend in the Mopti region of Mali. The Dogon blacksmiths form an endogamous caste called irim They now produce weapons, tools, and also work with wood.
"Masters of fire", they are also supposed to ...

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, ...