African Arts Gallery

Percussion musical instrument of the Mangbetu, this wooden dugout idiophone, in the shape of a half moon, was hollowed out to act as a sound box. Equipped with a handle and an ancestor figure, it is trimmed with upholstery nails forming decorative motifs. Satin brown patina, abrasions. Height on base: 32 cm.
The Mangebetu kingdom in northern Congo produced architectural works that impressed European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, ornaments and statuary are imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. The ancients call beli the anthropomorphic figures embodying ancestors, stored out of sight, and comparable to those belonging to their secret society nebeli. The slit drum is not only a musical ...

The Yaka like to surround themselves in daily life with charms embellished with sculpted objects with cephalomorphic motifs, such as this African musical instrument, Yaka slit drum, mukoku ngombu, nkoku ngombu, intended for divination ceremonies and curative rites. The head, which would represent the mediator diviner wearing a high skullcap, has a heart-shaped face in which the eyelids protrude.
Satin patina, locally abraded. Cracks and marks of use. Among the Yaka, at the new moon, the ngaanga ngoombu diviner covers his face with kaolin before issuing an oracle. During its daytime passage through the underground, the moon coats itself with this white clay. The night would convey the virtues of life. The Mukoku Nogombu drum is the miniature version of the large mondo slit ...

The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of decorative art objects created for members of the high ranks of their society: cups and drinking horns, baskets, weapons, neck rests, chairs, masks and statues. These items were also offered to passing visitors. The Leus live in the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural characteristics with the Bushoong of the Kuba country. Both groups adorn their prestige objects with similar motifs.
Their musical instruments, among which there are various carved drum forms, accompanied the masked dances or funeral ceremonies of the initiation societies. Decorated with zoomorphic figurative motifs evoking forest animals, this drum set on a flared base is also equipped with a handle adorned with a face extended with one hand. Held by small ...

Very common in Central Africa, this musical instrument or sanza with a figurative motif consists of a sound box on which metal blades have been fixed in parallel. The slats, 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 the fingers are used as for the piano, groups of instruments play on complementary registers. The instrument will also sometimes accompany a singer. The motif in this case refers to the Songye kifwebe masks and the nkishi fetishes. Satin brown patina, abrasions.

Very aesthetic small hunting whistle in carved wood, with a satin caramel patina.
Height on base: 19 cm.
Named Gurunsi, Gourundi, by their Mossi neighbors, the groups living to the west and south of the Mossi plateau, Lela, Winiama, Nuna and Nunuma are the main mask carvers. Religiously, the Gurunsi believe in a superior being, Yi, who withdrew from the world after creating it and whose altar occupies the center of the village. Yi has sent, to represent him, the spirit Su, embodied in all the masks and honored by an altar which can be replaced by a statue.

Wind instrument made of wood and notched with a long mouthpiece.
Intended for hunting or the rituals surrounding this activity, this prestigious trunk is abundantly provided with an iconography symbolizing the protective spirits. Kongo groups used this type of instrument for funeral ceremonies.
Shiny reddish-brown patina.
Of Lunda origin, the Lwena emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, other groups found refuge in Zambia, forming the Luvale, Lovale. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena and the Luvale became known for their sculptures embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks linked to the initiation rites of the mukanda, a secret male ...

Widely used in Central Africa, this traditional African musical instrument or sanza consists of a sounding board to which parallel metal slats have been attached. The slats, of varying lengths, are sometimes made of bamboo. The thumbs of both hands will press on the board to vibrate the front ends of the strips. In Zaire, however, where all fingers are used as for the piano, groups of instruments play in complementary registers. The instrument will also sometimes accompany a singer.
This sanza is carved with a face and traditional decorative motifs.
Oiled brown patina, matt. Abrasions.

Percussion musical instrument of the 'a target'_blank' 'rel'nofollow' href'https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mangbetu_ (people)'' Mangbetu, , this wooden idiophone (3 kg)monooxyle in the shape of a half-moon has been fitted with a long slit that acts as a resonance opening. With handles at each end, it is lined with upholstery nails forming stripes and decorative patterns. Smooth, satin patina with warm reflections. Height on a base: 36 cm.
The slot drum is not only a musical instrument animating dance but also a vector of speech, since it serves to communicate messages: invitations to gatherings, various announcements, etc. In Central Africa, the ritualist, the only one authorized to use the instrument, also seeks to attract the attention of the spirits through the sound produced by ...

Percussion musical instrument of the 'a target'_blank' 'new'nofollow' href'https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mangbetu_ (people)'' Mangbetu, , this half-moon-shaped wooden idiophone has been fitted with a long slot that acts as a resonant opening. It is endowed with an anthropomorphic handle that includes the features of the ancestor figures nebeli .
The Mangebetu Kingdom in northern Congo produced architectural works that impressed European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, adornments and statuary were imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. The ethnologist G.A. Schweinfurth in 1870 described its symmetry and refinement, while at the same time testifying to the ritual killings and human sacrifices practiced by the people of elongated heads. The slot drum is not ...

African drums are percussion instruments used not only to transmit messages, animate dance ceremonies and parties, but also by the witch doctor during ritual practices. The barrel is firmly stretched with a skin, its edges, which have a rope handle, are consolidated with canvas nailed to the sound box. The sides are decorated with motifs sculpted in low and high relief related to the Kifwebe society and the myths of the Luba kingdom. "He who hears the drum will dance, even among his enemies" says a Luba proverb.
Chipped ocher patina, abrasions from use.

Ex-Belgian African art collection.
Within the African figurative sculpture of the Kuba, the prestigious objects held by members of the Kuba royal family and peripheral groups, Bushoong and Dengese, are decorated with motifs similar to those adorning their textiles. This African art object is meticulously carved, the refined handle ending in the shape of a hand with realistic details. This type of whistle accompanied the exits of masks and played a role during ritual ceremonies. Black satin patina.
The Kuba kingdom 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. More than twenty types of tribal masks are used among the Kuba or "lightning people", with meanings and functions that vary ...

Widespread in Central Africa, this musical instrument or sanza with human motifs provides a sounding board with metal slats. The thumbs of both hands will rest on the soundboard to vibrate the front ends of the tongues. Matte brown patina, abrasions and cracks.
The figures sculpted in the round at the top refer to notions of fertility and the mythical couple. The Luba (Baluba in Chiluba) are a people of Central Africa. Their cradle is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu River, hence the name (Baluba, or “the Lubas”). The Luba have two types of figures: the mikisi mihasi , embodying deceased relatives or spirits, and the mikisi mihake , sculptures dedicated to containing a magic charge, in the head or abdomen, in order to solve a problem.
( Luba , Roberts, 5 ...

This musical instrument without its strings is sculpted with heads associated with "singiti" ancestors. The board forming a sound box is very slightly curved. Satin patina of use, abrasions and desication cracks.
The Hemba have long been subject to the neighboring Luba empire, which has had a certain influence on their culture, their religion and their art. Genealogy is the guarantor of privileges and the distribution of land. All aspects of the community are imbued with the authority of the ancestors. They are considered to have an influence on justice, medicine, law and sacrifices. Mastering sculpture with talent, the Hemba have mainly produced statues of ancestors singiti, embodying chiefs, local warriors, or lineage ancestors whom they venerate in order to appease the ...

Among the aerophones, originally carved in antelope horns or in the ivory of elephant trunks, this type of horn with a side mouth was used to produce coded sounds for the purpose of communication within the group, in a context of hunting, rituals around hunting, or even to emit music supposed to please ancestral spirits during funeral ceremonies. Very detailed animal motifs accompanied by hunting scenes are inscribed in relief on the walls. Shiny mahogany brown patina. Minimal abrasions and erosions.
Height on base: 55 cm.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. Nevertheless, the Chokwé never fully adopted these new social ...

Widespread in Central Africa, this traditional African musical instrument or sanza is made up of a wooden resonance board, flared in shape, on which nine blades have been fixed. parallels of varying lengths. Sometimes in bamboo, here they are in metal.
The thumbs of both hands will rest on the board to vibrate the front ends of the tabs.
In Zaire however, where all the fingers are used as for the piano, groups of instruments play on complementary registers. The instrument will also sometimes accompany a singer.
This sanza is sculpted with a face according to the Chokwe aesthetic canons, associated with the protective power of the ancestors.
Height on base: 38cm.

Widespread in Central Africa, this musical instrument or sanza surmounted by a figure provides a sound box with metal slats. The thumbs of both hands will rest on the soundboard to vibrate the front ends of the tongues. Grainy brown patina, abrasions and desication cracks.
Height on base: 45 cm.
The Luba (Baluba in Chiluba) are a people of Central Africa. Their cradle is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu river, thus the name (Baluba, which means “the Lubas”). The Luba have two types of figures: the mikisi mihasi , embodying deceased relatives or spirits, and the mikisi mihake , sculptures dedicated to containing a magic charge, in the head or abdomen, in order to solve a problem. The Shankadi belong to the luba group, and have the same associations and ...

Widespread in Central Africa, this traditional African musical instrument or sanza consists of a resonance board on which metal blades of variable length have been fixed. The thumbs of both hands will rest on the board to vibrate the front ends of the tongues. In Zaire however, where all the fingers are used as for the piano, groups of instruments play on complementary registers. The instrument will also sometimes accompany a singer.
This sanza is surmounted by a sculpture in the round representing a tabwa ancestor. Height on base: 45 cm. Oiled brown patina with ocher reflections.

Very common in Central Africa, this musical instrument or sanza with a cephalomorphic motif here symbolizes a "singiti" ancestor. The object offers a sound box carrying metal slats. The thumbs of both hands will rest on the soundboard to vibrate the front ends of the tongues to produce the sound.
Satin brown patina, abrasions and desication cracks. Erosions on the posterior face.
Height on base: 40 cm.
The Hemba have long been subject to the neighboring Luba empire, which has had a certain influence on their culture, their religion and their art. Genealogy is the guarantor of privileges and the distribution of land. All aspects of the community are imbued with the authority of the ancestors. They are considered to have an influence on justice, medicine, law and ...

The African figures Nkishi of the Songye are renowned for their singularity. This trunk made from horn is adorned with a spectacular bust statuette embellished with accessories combining leather, skin, feathers, shells, pearls and metal. The handle is wrapped in skin on which some fur remains. Satin black patina.
The Songye fetish, magic sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays among the Songye the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures belonging to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga and South Kivu. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to ...

Ex-German African art collection.

Among the royal musical instruments of the Tschokwe, this ceremonial drum is supported by two carved faces. The latter, rising from a thick, partially damaged cylindrical base, adopt some of the features of the chihongo mask. In each chiefdom, an attendant would announce each solemn event by means of the drum. According to legend, the membrane of the instrument once concealed a second skin: that of a sacrificial victim. Dark brown patina, ochre residues.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda Empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. Nevertheless, the Chokwé never fully adopted these new social and political contributions. Three ...

Among the royal musical instruments of the Tschokwe, this ceremonial drum is carved with figures and faces carved in low and high relief embellished with geometric decorative motifs. In the chiefdoms, an officer announced each solemn event by means of the drum. According to legend, the membrane of the instrument once concealed a second skin: that of a sacrificial victim.

Matt patina, abrasions.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. The Chokwé did not have centralized power but large chiefdoms. They were the ones who attracted artists wishing to put their know-how at the exclusive service of the court. The artists ...