African Arts Gallery

Statue biteke (sculpted figure) embodying an ancestor of the clan. His hollow bust must have housed the magical charge called " Bonga " or "bilongo", which was generally fixed or concealed by a textile. This symbolism refers to the Téké belief that the abdomen conceals wisdom. These fetishes were placed on the altars of the chiefs.
Matte patina.
Established between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms, the chief of which was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu , had the right of life or death over his family, the importance of which determined his prestige. The chief of the clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié which ...

The result of cooperation between the nganga, the sculptor and the client, the statuette was loaded with bishimba elements intended to reinforce its action. It was introduced at the top of the head of this example, and fragments of textile were tied around the sculpture.
Pinkish beige matte patina, abrasions and cracks and losses.
The fetish Songye, magic sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures belong 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 history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through common ...

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Tribal Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi )quartet with a magical bishimba charge presumably inserted at the top of the head. A tuft of feathers was also inserted. The sculptures of the Kongo groups frequently symbolized proverbs. Smooth patina with golden mahogany shading. Desiccation cracks.
These protective fetishes for homes are among the most prized in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between god and men, in charge of protecting against various evils. The large examples are the collective property of a whole village, and the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family.

Statuette depicting a couple placed back to back. The female figure presents Luba characters, the male figure also evokes Hemba sculpted figures. Semi-matte dark patina, desication crack.
The Kusu established on the left bank of the Lualaba borrowed the artistic traditions of the Luba and the Hemba and possessed a caste system similar to that of the Luba. The Hemba, for their part, settled in the south-east of Zaire, on the right bank of the Lualaba. Formerly under Luba rule, these farmers and hunters practice ancestor worship through effigies long attributed to the Luba. The singiti statues were kept by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. Parallel to the authority of the hereditary chiefs, secret societies, masculine such as ...

This sculpture formed by four faces extending from a handle comes under the powerful fetishes kabeja, also used among the Luba, and, among the Kasongo living in contact with the Luba, Hemba and Songye populations, who name them kakuji. The top of the piece is pierced by a cavity in which a bijimba , a charge composed of magical elements from the natural, human and plant environment, were implanted. Each of the clans had a kabeji sculpture intended for protection and healing. But this type of fetish could also be reserved for individual use.
Lustrous orange-brown patina. The Hemba are a sub-group of the Luba ethnic group living in the south-east of the D. R. Congo, east of the capital. D. Congo, east of the Lualaba River, and are best known for their singiti statuary ...

African sculpture of the Kongo type provided with a ritual charge. The gaze refers to mediumistic capacities. A sculpted figure sometimes illustrating a proverb, its arms are hidden here in a crusty material, the subject perched on a head.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo constituted the Kôngo group, led by King ntotela. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world. The nganga, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through consecrated figures. Nkisis protective figures are crafted and charged by the nganga with all the necessary ingredients to combat a variety of ailments.

African animal figure Nkisi (pl. mankishi ) of "koso" type in which a bishimba magic charge is usually introduced. The power of the fetish, according to local beliefs, was further accentuated by the presence of various accessories, such as nails, cords, metal. Among the Kongo, the dog, renowned for its knowledge of the supernatural world, its flair and its vision, had the role of mediator between the living and the dead.
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 ...

The Ubangian crucible has produced many statuettes that share certain similarities, such as a heart-shaped face, as in the Ogooué River region of Gabon. Some authors (Celenko 1983) have attributed this type of work to the Zande living north of the Ngbaka.The Ngbaka form a homogeneous people of the north-west of the R.D.C., south of Ubangui. The Ngandi live to the east and the Ngombe to the south. A nasal ridge running up to the mouth here divides the large concave orbits characterizing the ovoid face of this hermaphrodite character. The rounded volumes of the body follow one another with rhythm from the head, with a rounded back bearing forward two small short arms gathered around the chest, a narrow bust widening towards developed lower limbs carried by massive feet.
Satin ...

Small ritual sculpture depicting a woman whose face evokes the mask Mfondo or Nkaki. Lwalwa statuary, rare, is linked to the fertility rites of the secret female society. Clear mahogany satin smooth patina. Cracks and abrasions.
This is near the Kasai River that the Lwalwa live, between Angola and Zaire. Historically with a matrilineal society, the Lwalwa, after having been influenced by Luba and Songy, adopted a patrilineal system within their rudimentary political and social organization. The nkaki, wood-carved mulela mask, is one of four types of masks produced by the privileged caste formed by their sculptors: These craftsmen, according to their merits, can become conductors and organize dances, including the balango, (also bangongo) during which acrobatics are performed by ...

Adorned with its protective magic accessories, the "abiku", colored pearls and cowrie shells, this "ere" (statue) doll-statue, incarnation of a twin, was sculpted on the advice of the "babalawo".
Patina nuanced with brown, colored highlights.

In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They embody the figure of a deceased twin. Thisibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It also happened that a man had ibeji carved for his wife in order to induce pregnancy. Support for the soul of the twin, the ibeji influences the life of the family, becoming a source of benefits for his parents, the latter continuing to send him prayers and to devote worship and libations to him. Among the Yoruba, the occurrence of twinship ...

Like the Legas, the Zimbas have educational sculptures associated with initiation rites, but they also have anthropomorphic sculptures, in this case in terracotta, with openings for magical charges at the top of the head.
Erosions, heterogeneous patina with residual ochre incrustations.
The Zimba, also called Binja, are close neighbors of the Lega of the Pangi and Shabunda region of the DRC. Subject to Lega influence, they share some institutional similarities with the Lega and Luba. Whether they live in the forest or in the savannah, the symbolism of their art and rituals are associated with hunting, which is of major importance. They are also patrilineal groups that have eventually supplanted the matrilineal organization of their society. Like the Lega, the ...

Ex-collection of Belgian African art.
These tribal statues, ritual charms belonging to the lineages and providing protection against enemies, were made according to the instructions of the Nganga ngoombu and the person who commissioned the object. These sculptures were then activated using rituals and incantatory formulas, and additions in the form of talismans. The object consists of a couple placed back to back, sharing a common loincloth and wearing a common crest. The headdress is that of the chiefs of the earth, the nose has a characteristic curled tip shape. These sculptures were hung in the huts. Chocolate patina coated with clay residues. Cracks of desiccation.

Hierarchical and authoritarian, composed of formidable warriors, the Yaka society was governed ...

Instead of the "bilongo" magic charge located on the abdomen, this Kongo type subject has this time a sculpted face, imprisoned in a crusty aggregate bounded by cords.
Established near the Woyo on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean between the former Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Republic of Congo, the Kakongo carved works related to proverbs. Their statues were frequently equipped with magical charges such as the nkisi fetishes of the Kongo of the northwest. They additionally produced female figures and maternity wards. 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. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their ...

This figurative fetish statuette is said to be a divinatory fetish object. It would be of Tussia origin, Senoufo sub-group of Burkina-Faso. Irregular greenish-grey granular patina
. The Senoufos, the name given to them by the French colonists, are mainly composed of farmers who are scattered between Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. Councils of elders, led by an elected chief, administer Senufo villages. Governed by matrilineal traditions, they are composed of clusters of dwellings named katiolo. Each has its own Poro association that initiates young boys from the age of seven in a succession of three cycles lasting seven years . They gather in a sacred enclosure called sinzanga located near the village, among the trees. Upon the death of one of the Poro members, ...

In the highly diverse Teke statuary, bundzi fetishes are associated with the hunt they are believed to promote. While some belonged to the clan, others were dedicated to private use. Attached to the bust of this ancestor effigy, sticks are wrapped in textile and tied with wicker.
A textile loincloth dresses the statue. The parallel incisions of the face accentuate the geometric character of the features. Slightly abraded oiled dark patina.
Very slight cracks.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu, had the right to life or death over his family, the importance of which determined his prestige. The chief of the ...

Ex-collection African tribal art Belgian.
African sculpture equipped with an abdominal receptacle, glazed, intended for the ritual charge. The gaze refers to mediumistic capacities. A sculpted figure sometimes illustrating a proverb, the character is represented here without arms, displaying a turtle on his back, the emblem of his clan.
Erosions, lacks and desication cracks.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, 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 endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world. The nganga, both ...

Ex-German African art collection.

Statuette Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi )whose top horn is absent. The power of the fetish, according to Songye beliefs, is reinforced by the presence of its accessories, such as metal and various additions of materials, vegetable fibers, animal skins, dried fruits, etc... Light brown patina. Minimal cracks.
These protection fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the sixteenth century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba River. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. ...

Statuette equipped with a receptacle for a ritual charge, and whose characteristics recall the fetishes of the Songye. Golden brown satin patina, cracks and chips.
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 Luba . In this region, between the Bembe, Boyo, Hemba, Songye and Tetela, ritual objects were subject to stylistic exchanges and influences. We note here a similarity with Songye fetishes. The singiti statues were kept by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. Alongside the authority of the hereditary chiefs, secret societies, masculine such as the bukazanzi, and feminine, the bukibilo, played a major role ...

British Traditional African Art Collection.
Among the wide range of Songye sculptures, details distinguish this Songye statuette such as the horn inserted into the head at the tip, and the tiny metal crown at the top. The magic power of the bankishi, (sing. Nkishi) is supposed to be reinforced thanks to the addition of accessories, talismans, metallic elements, seeds, shells. The abdominal cavity is filled with a magical charge that can be made up of therapeutic ingredients. Glossy patina, desication cracks.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to which they are related through common ancestors.
Very ...

Swiss African art collection.
African statuette Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi) of the Songye whose face reproduces the kifwebe mask. The arms, whose hands surround the protruding abdomen, provide space to carefully grasp the sculpture using metal hooks, as dictated by custom.
Satin patina. Abrasions.
These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between god and men, responsible for protecting against various evils. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, and the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. ...

African lega art and initiation materials.
Anthropomorphic statuette with a spherical head carried by thick bent legs. Among the many others used during initiations, it belonged to an initiate of the Bwami. The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were displayed, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of the metaphors evoked by the sculptures, the latter referring largely to proverbs and sayings. Those who were not allowed to see the object, in order to be protected from it, had to submit to costly ceremonies, and sometimes even join the lower rank of Bwami, the kongabulumbu ,at great expense to the families. Each of these initiations lasted seven days and included at least ...