African Arts Gallery

Ibeji Statuettes , incarnation of the missing child in African Yoruba art. Statuettes inspired by the Ere Ibeji of the Yoruba, decorated with glass bead necklaces. Satin black patina.br> In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. These African statuettes named ibeji are then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of them; she can wash and feed them regularly. When she disappears, it is the remaining twin who takes over. There are indeed dozens of different stylistic trends for these famous pieces. A careful comparative study was carried out by Fausto Polo and Jean David in the work Catalogue of the Ibeji

Small drum with handles whose skin-tight resonance box is made of terracotta. The lacing is made of leather and wicker strips. Old piece, marks of use. Scattered throughout the Saharan region of Libya, Mali, Algeria and Niger, the Tuareg (sing.: Targui), or "Veiled Men", come from Berber pastors fleeing the Arabs in Libya in the 7th century. The Targui blacksmith also carves wood, this being a rare material, the carved objects which are often repaired to prolong their use are part of the dowry.

Minimalism for this anthropomorphic figure in black iron. Rusty patina. The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name " lobi", form a fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Few in number in Ghana, they have also settled in the north of Ivory Coast. It was at the end of the 18th century that the Lobi, coming from Northern Ghana, settled among the indigenous Thuna and Puguli, the Dagara, the Dian, the Gan and the Birifor. The Lobi believe in a creator God named Thangba Thu, whom they address through the worship of many intermediary spirits, the Thil. Various sacred altars are erected around the Lobi houses. The sanctuary of the family home is called the Thildu, where tribal sculptures of wood, iron or brass, statues of ancestors and batebas are grouped.

French collection of African art. Functional object of tribal art, particularly aesthetic and rare in this dimension, from the northeastern region of Tanzania. The stopper of this large and ancient calabash is made of dried leaves, assembled. Tears have been "sewn" using plant stems.
This region borders Kenya, facing the Indian Ocean, where the Paré, Shamba, Zigua, and Mbugu tribes live. A relative homogeneity characterizes the productions of these groups, recalling some of the Malagasy and Bataks with whom, via maritime trade, contact could once have been established.

French collection of African art .
Mende helmet mask with animal motif, associated with bundu ritual initiations. The atypical face is reminiscent of Bassa statuary. Patina consisting of a thin brown film, locally flaking. Chips and abrasions. The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for helmet masks including those of the Sandé women's initiation society that prepares young girls for marriage. The Mende masks called Sowei are made by men and worn by women. The Bassa group of Liberia is established in the coastal region, more particularly around Grand-Bassa.

Old Mossi whistle used for hunting, streaked with linear patterns. Warm brown patina with a sheen. The Mossi are a people native to Burkina Faso and the border regions of the surrounding countries. More than five million people consider themselves Mossi, membership in this ethnic community being based on the practice of Moré and the practice of a certain number of traditions. In the 15th and 16th centuries, they formed large kingdoms, the two main ones (Yatenga and Ouagadougou) of which remained independent until European penetration and were only subdued with difficulty by the French colonizers. Animists, the Mossi worship a creator god named Wendé . Each individual is said to have a soul, sigha , linked to a totemic animal.

Rare Budja crest or crest accompanied by its facial mask, the stylized crests being associated with mythical animals and birds. These abstract masks are used to promote hunting or for agrarian ceremonies. 300 km to the southeast, similar models were used by the Ngbaka during initiation and circumcision ceremonies called Gaza kola (initiation of the forest). Height on base: 73 cm.
A Bantu people originating from the upper part of the Itimbiri River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Mbuza, Budja, or Budzas, occupy the forest region of Mongala, mainly around Bumba. They are related to the Banda groups of the Central African Republic (Togbo, Banda, ...) with whom they share different beliefs and traditions.

The caryatid "receptacle of a deceased sovereign chief" ( Luba, Roberts) supporting the top of this stool-pedestal table called lupona , or kioni or kipona, kiona, affirms the political and spiritual role of women in Luba society. This seat once formed the base on which the king mulopwe was enthroned. The African seats were placed on leopard skins during the investiture of the new chief. It was only after sitting on them that his speech took on a royal and divine character. Apart from these exceptional circumstances, the seats were not used and remained stored in secret locations. Patina from black-brown to orange, erosions and desiccation cracks.
The cradle of the Luba (Baluba in Tchiluba) is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu River. Source "Africa, The Art of a ...

Large orbits associated with the owl's perceptive qualities distinguish this African mask. The discreet mouth and nose form tiny projections. These masks appeared during Bwami ceremonies, and during circumcision and initiation rites. Polychrome matte patina.

The Bembe ethnic group is a Luba branch that is said to have left the Congo in the 18th century. Their society and artistic tendency are marked by the influence of neighboring ethnic groups in the Lake Tanganyika region, the Lega, the Buyu, etc. Indeed, like the Lega, the Bembe had a Bwami association responsible for initiation and structuring society, but while the Bwami was exclusive among the Lega, other associations coexisted among the Bembe. Evoking a forest spirit, this tribal mask was kept in sacred caves and was ...

Functional object with a stylized motif of a female subject, carved in delicately veined ebony wood. Brown, smooth and satin patina. In the equatorial regions of Central Africa, the craftsmen and artists are the "Mapuundi". The latter mainly carve ebony, in which they fashion prestigious seats.

A power figure intended to protect the village, this tribal sculpture offers some of the particularities of Kongo fetishes, with a ventral load in which magical elements were introduced.
The Vili , the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo constituted the Kôngo group, led by the 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 with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world.
Dark red-brown patina, erosions.
"...Once the evils and their culprit have been determined, the nganga activates the force of the nkonde by planting a nail or an iron blade, witnesses of the request and especially ...

Sculpture composed of an animal horn loaded with fetish materials, topped with a head representing the mythical ancestor Oso. Satin brown patina.
Two totemic clans once formed the Kuyu ethnic group, living along the river of the same name, in the northwest of the People's Republic of Congo: in the West, that of the panther, and in the East, that of the snake. A secret male association, Ottoté, played an important political role in the nomination of chiefs. The initiation of young people ended with the revelation of the snake god Ebongo represented in the form of a head. The Kibe-kibe dances that accompanied the ceremony reactivated the successive stages of creation. The panther clan had a drum as its emblem. For its part, the snake clan had sculpted heads, painted in bright colors, ...

Gelede mask depicting a face surmounted by a horseman on his mount. In Nigeria, also in Benin, this type of African mask is used during the joyful dances of the Gelede society, and on the occasion of the funerals of its followers. These masks often illustrate proverbs and are produced in pairs, each with a specific name. Grainy matte patina, small accidents.
The Gelede country in Nigeria pays homage to mothers, especially the oldest among them, whose powers are said to be comparable to those of the Yoruba gods, or orisa, and ancestors, osi and who can be used for the benefit but also for the misfortune of society. In the latter case these women are called aje. The masked ceremonies, through performances using masks, costumes and dances, are meant to urge mothers to use their ...

Ex.Belgian collection of African art
This type of Fang sculpture embodying a prestigious ancestor was enthroned on reliquary baskets. Abraded patina, erosions and desiccation cracks.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of the ancestors are kept. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". The reliquary boxes were topped with a statue or a head that acted as guardian of the "byeri" boxes. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" society. The term Angokh nlo byeri means "head only of the ancestor", as opposed to statues. During the festivals, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried on parade, brandished like puppets.

The African masks of the Yombe, very naturalistic, were used by the diviner nganga diphoba and by members of secret societies.
This type of mask, of which there are different variants, would be called Khimba, according to Marc Léo Félix. Two-tone patina, abrasions, shine.
Height on base: 29 cm.
A clan of the Kongo group, the Yombe are established on the west coast of Africa, in the south-west of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities. 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 ...

Former French collection of American tribal art Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the Katsinam sculpted objects (song. Kachina) are used during traditional dances organized for the annual festivals in favor of rain. This Hopi-type mask, flanked by mobile ears and a bird "beak", is topped with Katsinam statuettes representing masked dancers. Polychrome matte patina, abrasions and small accidents.

African Art Dogon
Insignia of power carved with figures in high relief. The subjects refer to Dogon mythologies and cults. Oiled brown patina, missing parts.
The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, their myths and legends, living in the southwest of the Niger bend in the Mopti region of Mali and part of the North of the The villages are often perched on top of scree on the hillsides, according to a unique architecture. The history of the migrations and settlements of the Dogon (about ten main groups, about fifteen different languages), is based on several hypotheses. For some historians, the Dogon fled from an area located to the west of their current location, following an aggression. Remains of ancient steel sites on the Bandiagara plateau, dating from the ...

Statue head carved from dense wood, representing a "mujimu" ancestor. Height on base: 30 cm.
Matt brown patina. Cracks.
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 of the Luba. The Kasongos form a Kusu subgroup, now dispersed among the Luba, Songye and Hemba. The therapeutic figures of the Kasongos, used by healers, were inspired by Songye fetishes. The magic charge, composed of ingredients of various origins, was inserted into the cavity of the head.

In Mali, the didactic masquerades of the sogobo are populated by animal masks. This tradition of puppet theater is common to the multi-ethnic peoples living in the interior delta of the Niger, including the Bozo and the Malinké. Unlike the ciwara masks linked to agrarian rites, these zoomorphic masks are masks of theatrical festivities, referring to local myths and tales. Grainy patina of use, desication cracks, alterations.
Established in central and southern Mali, in a savannah zone, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims have named them, belong to the large Mande group, with the Soninke and the Malinke. Mainly farmers, but also breeders, they make up the largest ethnic group in Mali. Animists, they believe in the existence of a creator god generically called ...

African art Kongo.
This type of African mask would have been the prerogative of the nganga, priest-soothsayer. The glazed gaze would reflect mediumistic abilities, which the Kongo believed to promote through the use of hallucinogenic substances. This type of mask was called ngobudi. Abraded matte patina, cracks from drying.
Height on base: 54 cm.
These mediator masks, also present in initiatory processes, were used by fetishists during healing rituals. At the same time, they also served to identify individuals who, through their actions, could disrupt the harmony of the community. In the 13th century, the Kongo people, led by their king Ne Kongo, settled in a region at the crossroads between present-day DRC, Angola and Gabon. The "ntotela" king controlled the ...

African mask "Déanglé", decorated with a braided hairstyle and metal bells, and whose fine face with half-closed eyes testifies to the quality of Dan sculpture.
Black patina.
The Dan masks, of varied design, are generally performed during very theatrical entertainment festivals where women play a leading role. The so-called "mocking" mask called Déanglé defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is sculpted in honor of the young girls of the village or renowned men. Each mask had a name linked to its function. Also used during circumcision rites, they appear in the company of the singing masks gle sö and the large masks go ge relating to the go society, which exercises justice and maintains social stability.