African Arts Gallery

Ex-Collection Swiss African Art.
This statuette of power describes a leader wearing the raffia skirt and the cihongo mask. He's holding bells. Among the many African masks akishi (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African tribal art Chokwe, the powerful male counterpart of the Mwana Pwo mask is the cihongo . Always worn by dancers of royal blood, this mask embodying a spirit symbolizes power and wealth. He also intervened, at times, on occasion judgments. Ochre red matte patina. Desication cracks. For a similar copy, see illustration 82 of Chokwe and their Bantu neighbours Ed. Mr. Merzeder.
The masks of the Chokwe, Luda, Luvale/Lwena, Luchazi and Mbunda clans are named in Zambia as 'makishi' (sing. likishi). This name comes from 'kishi', a Bantu concept that evokes the ...

African statuette depicting a Téké ancestor with a face streaked with scarifications in use. This type of object formed an individual protective charm. Grainy residues of ritual practices dot the subject's bust. Lack, erosions, glossy black patina.br />
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 clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié which supervised all the ceremonies. According to the Téké, wisdom was absorbed and stored in the abdomen. It is also according to the directives of the sorcerer that ...

The Teke and their Mfinu neighbors have very diverse African sculptures, loaded with fetish materials, in an attempt to promote hunting, cure diseases, facilitate childbirth, etc... The sculpted subject, associated with the ancestors butti, is shown bound with cords and woven fibers. The face is streaked with linear scarifications according to the use of the group, the eyes encrusted with buttons. Dark satin patina. Height on base: 40 cm.
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 of life or death over his family whose importance determined his prestige. The chief of the clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish ...

This African art statuette, Hemba or Luba Nkisi, personifies a male ancestor, standing on a single leg. Velvety smooth patina, locally chipped. Minimal cracks.

The Hemba settled in southeastern Zaire. Once under Luba rule, these farmers and hunters practice ancestor worship through effigies long attributed to the Luba. The statues singiti 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, male such as the bukazanzi , and female, the bukibilo ,played a great role within the clan.

(Source: "Treasures of Africa, Museum of Tervuren)

This Zande sculpture, with a vaguely animal appearance, is characterized by its ovoid head, topped with a tuft of feathers, and offering minimalist features framed by large rhombic ears. The bust bears small stylized arms surmounting a protuberant abdomen. Parallel incisions would refer to traditional scarifications. Grainy reddish-brown, powdery patina, erosions.
African art has two types of Azande statues: The Kudu statues, which are between 30 and 50 cm high, represent ancestors, and the Yanda statues of 10 to 20 cm, in animal or human form, having an apotropaic role, exhibited during the divinatory rites during the rituals of the Mani society. Formerly referred to as "Niam-Niam" because they were considered cannibals, the tribes grouped under the name of Zande, Azandé, ...

Wearing braids arranged in a high crest, this African statuette perched on thick soles has necklaces of pearls and cowrie shells constituting the protective ornaments abiku.
Sculpted according to the indications of Ifa transmitted to the diviner, the babalawo, the Ibedji statuettes played the role of substitute for the death of the child. The statuettes are then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of it; she anoints them with oil and feeds them regularly. If it disappears, the remaining twin takes over. Considered much more than a physical representation of a loved one. The ibedji statues influence the life of the family, which is why the latter continues to address prayers to them and to devote worship and libations to them.

Mediating object representing a subject whose admirably mastered realization enhances the posture. A subtle mocking expression also freezes the face. Matt gray brown patina.
The Songye fetish, magical sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. Large examples are the collective property of an entire village, while smaller figures belong to an individual or 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 whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of the ...

Human figure associated with ancestor worship and fertility rites. The figure represents a masked person. Her bust is tied, a pearl and a cowrie assembled and tied in the small of the back. A fragment of leather remains on the posterior part of the head. Dark patina, abrasions.
Formerly living from hunting and agriculture, a warrior people, the Salampasu form a tribe of the Lulua group and are settled between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, east of the Kasai River. They are surrounded to the west and south by the Tschokwe and the Lunda, and to the north and east by the Kete and the Lwalwa. A hierarchy of masks, simple wooden kasangu masks and copper-covered mukinka masks, was associated with the society of mungongo warriors (pl. < i>bangongo ). The wearing of these ...

The protective "abiku" adornments of these doll statuettes "ere" (statues) embodying twins are presented here in the form of copper torcs and pearl necklaces. The faces offer the scarified motifs in use. Desiccation cracks, erosions. Smooth mahogany patina.<

In the language of theYoruba people of Nigeria, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and >eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. This ibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of him; she can wash and feed him regularly. If she dies, the remaining twin takes over. It also happened that a man had ibeji carved for his wife in the hope of pregnancy. Support of the twin's soul, the ibeji influences the life of the family, becoming a source of benefits towards ...

African figure nkishi (pl. mankishi) sculpted, charged with bishimba, ritual ingredients traditionally housed in the horns and the abdomen. The statue is covered in a colored textile loincloth held in place by an ornament. Matte light patina, white clay residue. Desiccation cracks.

These protection fetishes intended for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men. Large examples are the collective property of an entire village, 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. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through ...

Anthropomorphic sculpture Kongo, commemorative portrait of figurative type, the bust of which carries a magical charge with protective or therapeutic purposes. The seated posture is that of chiefs and notables. The mouth reveals filed teeth, the look indicates the subject's ability to discern occult things. Glossy dark patina. Desiccation cracks, metal staple.
A clan of 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 maternity wards. The nganga, sorcerers but also healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through this type of figures, most often Dedicated anthropomorphic tribal sculptures, called minkisi.

Inspired by Songye fetishes, this sculpted character is equipped with the magic charge introduced into the horn stuck at the top by the tip. The triangular face with stretched features also recalls the Bangubangu style.
Satin patina, brown, encrusted with light pigments.
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 ...

Resulting from the cooperation between the nganga, the sculptor and the client, the sculpture was charged with the bishimba elements intended to "counter" any harmful power. A unique accessory stands out here in the form of a necklace of colored beads. Perched on a small dome, the male figure has rounded proportions and a face with the features of the kifwebe mask. Satin patina, abrasions and desication cracks.
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, while 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 society is ...

This naturalistic figure wearing a dignitary's headdress, symbol of the mythical ancestor probably associated with fertility cults, is represented seated, legs crossed. Often represented with the arms behind the back, but without arms here, this posture would symbolize the restraint, the attention and the reflection that a problem requires. Brown satin patina. Cracks and abrasions.
The Solongo cultures of Angola and Yombé were largely influenced by the Kongo kingdom from which they borrowed naturalistic statuary and religious rites, in particular by means of carved nkondo nkisi fetishes.
In the 13th century, the Kongo people, led by their king Ne Kongo, settled in a region at the crossroads of the borders between the current DRC, Angola and Gabon. The king called ntotela ...

In addition to their weapons and prestigious objects and their funerary sculpture, the Sundi made use, individually and collectively, of conjuration fetishes often equipped with a magic charge. A crusty amalgam composed of various elements indeed springs from the bust of the subject. Grainy grey-brown patina, desication cracks, chipping (foot).

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.

The tribal fetishes of the Kongo kingdom have a magical charge generally lodged on the abdomen behind a mirror closing a cavity. The character with realistic features is depicted in a determined frontal posture, hands on the hips. The eyes with pinhead pupils are inlaid with glass in reference to the visionary and divinatory abilities. Satin yellow patina. Damaged base. Abrasions.
The nganga , sorcerers but also healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through this type of figures, most often consecrated anthropomorphic tribal sculptures, named nkisi .
The Solongo cultures of Angola and Yombé were largely influenced by the Kongo kingdom from which they borrowed naturalistic statuary and religious rites, ...

Carrying a magical charge (bilongo) housed in a closed receptacle, this African fetish perched on a dog constitutes a Nksi ritual sculpture to which multiple virtues were attributed. Satin brown patina, erosions and 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. 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 mostly urbanized, they still integrate ...

Cut according to traditional criteria, this sculpted miniature for individual use bears a lustrous patina from gripping. Golden beige patina. Residues encrusted with kaolin.
Cracks.
Around sixty ethnic groups populate Ivory Coast, including the Baoulé, in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed their ritual cults and masks. carved. Two types of statues are produced by the Baoulé, Baulé, in the ritual context: The Waka-Sona statues, "being of wood" in baoulé, evoke an assié oussou, being of the earth. They are part of a type of statue intended to be used as a medium tool by the komien diviners, the latter being selected by the asye usu spirits in order to communicate revelations ...

br>African art and materials for initiation into the Bwami among the Lega.
African Sakimatwematwe (Multi-headed) tribal sculpture intended for an initiate of the Bwami, among the many others used during the initiations, its structure is in the form of a central trunk around which faces are superimposed. 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 these metaphors, the latter largely referring 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 the Bwami, the kongabulumbu, at great fees for families. ...

African statuette Dogon, an ancestor bust whose loins are imprisoned by a snake figure. Light brown patina, discreet whitish residues of ritual anointings.
Carved for the most part on order placed by a family, the Dogon statues can also be the object of worship on the part of the whole community. However, their functions remain little known. Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, under the spiritual authority of the Hogon, the Wagem, ancestor worship under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the spirit world and led by the priest of the Binou, and the society of masks concerning the funeral.

African sculpture biteke (carved figure) embodying a clan ancestor. The hollowed bust houses the magic 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, colored highlights. erosions.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The chief of the clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié which supervised all the ceremonies. It is the powerful sorcerer healer and diviner who "loaded" with magic elements, against payment, the ...