African Arts Gallery

French collection of tribal art.
According to R. Ballarini in "The Perfect Form" (p.182), this primitive African currency is associated with the prestige of Tikar chiefs. A sort of bowl with a long handle, it also has a chain extended by a spatula-shaped blade. Grainy brown-black patina.
The Tikar populate the western part of central Cameroon which is located within the dense secondary forest of medium altitude, along the Mbam. These black iron blades were used as currency but also for offerings, wedding dowries and for major festive and ceremonial occasions. "Before the colonial era, payments in Africa were never made using coins. Transactions were made using products considered valuable because they were rare, useful, or desirable: livestock, pieces of fabric , pearls, cowrie ...

Ex.Belgian collection of African art A semi-circular fragment of a bracelet or a torque that could have been used by certain groups in the Congo before the 1950s for the payment of the dowry. This type of metal object could also be a badge of power as among the Sundi.
In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made using cowries, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, especially iron. These primitive currencies were used in commercial and social exchanges, especially for dowries, but could also be parade objects or throwing weapons. 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". ...

Belgian collection of African art.
The first African coins Handa, also called Lukanu, or copper cross coins, Katanga cross coins, or Saint Andrew's cross, appeared 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 ...

Black iron tribal coins in African art.
This primitive African coin has ends reminiscent of the horns of an antelope. This type of object had currency value during the pre-colonial period in Nigeria.( "The Perfect Form" R. Ballarini, p.153 and 154)
Height on base: 44 cm.
People have always used barter to exchange goods. Then the first real currency system appeared, small porcelain shells called cowries. The African continent is particularly rich in so-called "primitive" coins. These valuable coins are made of black iron, a particularly sought-after metal, others are made of copper, more precious than gold, brought by the Portuguese to pay slaves, others made of glass beads. The exchange currencies were, on the other hand, pieces of raffia, salt bars, kola nuts, pieces ...

br>Blade with contours curved to a horizontal end, carrying an elegantly worked handle. The center of the blade is covered with a ribbed band. Grainy oxidized patina.
The Mongo group living in northwestern Congo, is famous for its costumes, its weapons, and its metal jewelry and not for its almost non-existent statuary. The Sengele (or Basengele, sing. Musengele), related to the Boma, are a Bantu-speaking Mongo population, established in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Lake Mai- Ndombe. In Africa, before the colonial period, transactions were made using cowries, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, especially iron. These primitive currencies were used during commercial and social exchanges, for dowries in particular, but could also come ...

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 ...

The Matakam also called Mafa are a population of Central Africa, especially present in the far north of Cameroon, also in Nigeria. In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made using cowrie shells, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, including iron in particular. These primitive currencies were used during commercial and social exchanges, for dowries in particular, but could also constitute objects of display or throwing weapons. The variety of these metal forms is wide, and they sometimes take on the appearance of particularly aesthetic non-figurative sculptures. Height on base: 46 cm.

This blade is extended by a pommel lined with copper. Oxidized metal, patina of use.

The Mongo group living in the northwest Congo, is famous for its costumes, its weapons, and its metal jewelry and not for its almost non-existent statuary. The Konda who used this type of short sword form one of the tribes of the group.
In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made using cowries, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, especially iron. These primitive currencies were used during commercial and social exchanges, for dowries in particular, but could also come from objects of parade or throwing weapons. In Sierra Leone, goods were valued against iron bars called barriferri. In 1556 in Djenné Jean-Léon the African ...

The blade of the sword, weapon of prestige then currency of transaction, surmounted a wooden handle. Oxidized patina. In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. Transactions were made with cowrie shells, beads, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, especially iron. These primitive currencies were used for commercial and social exchanges, particularly for dowries, but could also be used as parade objects or throwing weapons. In Sierra Leone, goods were valued in relation to iron bars called barriferri. The king usually controlled the production or delivery of the kingdom's currency. The variety of these metal forms is wide, and they sometimes take the form of particularly aesthetic non-figurative sculptures.