African Arts Gallery

Belgian collection of African art Commemorating local chiefs, responsible for interceding for men with the gods, these rare Hemba singiti couple statues have a deep satin black patina. The singiti statues were kept by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. In parallel with the authority of hereditary chiefs, secret societies, male such as the bukazanzi , and female, the bukibilo , played a major role within the clan.
Satin patina of use. Perfect condition.

Generally made of iroko, these ritual African sculptures were venerated by a particular clan and stored in funerary premises in the chief's house.
The Hemba, established in the south-east of Zaire, on the right bank of the Lualaba, were for a long time ...

This African art statue of the Dogon type, carved from dense wood, embodies an ancestor. This work comes from the south-east of Mali (former Mali Empire) where the Samos, a Mandingo people descended from the Malinké, live. Matte, flaky, beige-grey patina with blackish incrustations. Desiccation cracks. Breaks at the height of a child's arms.

These statues, sometimes embodying the nyama of the deceased, are placed on ancestor altars and participate in various rituals including those of the sowing and harvest periods.
According to Dogon cosmogony, the first primordial ancestors of Dogon, called Nommo, were the bisexual gods of water. They were created in the sky by the creator god Amma and descended from heaven to earth in an ark.
The Nommo are said to have founded the ...

A grainy brown patina covers this African mask sculpted by artisans of the Yohouré ethnic group. The horns refer to the spirits of the bush. The face with fine features is bordered by a crenellation resembling a beard. Crack on the back edge.
The Yaouré form a subgroup of the Akan tribe present in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Geographically close to the Baulé and the Gouros, Yaouré art has been marked by the influence of these ethnic groups. The African art masks Yaouré, or Yauré, of which the Baoulé or Baule have similar models, are divided into two groups that are difficult to differentiate, the je, sometimes with the addition of colored pigments, and the lo, generally with a dark patina, which intervene during funeral ceremonies or any other rite in order to gain the favor ...

Ex. Canadian collection of African art Intended to unmask sorcerers, the African mask was sculpted, among the Fang, on the eve of ceremonies. The physiognomy, intended to intimidate opposing powers, presents here a softened expression. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, this mask also intervened during initiations, out of sight of the profane. Matte patina. Abrasions, small chips and cracks from desiccation.
Height on base: 45 cm.
The appearance of these masks generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause fear. This type of mask was used by the male Ngil society which no longer exists today. The Ngil, a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla, was responsible for ...

Comparable to African sculptures Hemba, African sculptures kusu represent bearded subjects embodying chiefs or ancestors and offer a frontal posture, hands on the abdomen. Satin brown patina, gaps and 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 Luba.
The singiti statues were preserved by the fumu mwalo and honored during ceremonies during which sacrifices were offered to them. Alongside the authority of hereditary chiefs, secret societies, male such as the bukazanzi, and female, the bukibilo, played a major role within the clan.

In the south-eastern region of Katanga, from the 1960s, the Zela, long subject to the Lubas whose customs and rites they borrowed, carved animal masks , like the Lubas and the Kundas. From 1970 in fact, the kifwebe company was subject to a transformation which was accompanied by new masks. In the Zela and Kundas groups, however, this type of mask was manifested during secular theatrical ceremonies involving tales. Bifwebe masks evoke the striped antelope which possesses supernatural abilities as well as the zebra. Grainy matte patina, highlights of faded colors.
Formerly subject to the Luba, then to the Lundas, the Zela adopted a large part of their uses and traditions. Established between the Luvua River and Lake Kisalé, they are today organized into four chiefdoms under the ...

Sculpture depicting subjects surrounding a lidded receptacle intended for votive offerings, gifts for visitors, or even divination. Sculptures of this type decorated the palaces of the Yoruba country. The characters evoke minor gods or ancestors.
Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà , the Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages ( aroko ). These spirits are believed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare.
Linear scarifications mark the faces of the figures in order not only to increase their physical beauty, but also to identify the rank or origin of their bearer. Body marks could be permanent or temporary, such as tattoos made from the juice of insects or plants, especially for court dignitaries or the king himself. Grainy matte ...

Ex-collection Italian African art.

Female figure from the Kangulungu region sculpted in a naturalist style, with the famous half-closed female gaze, "zanze". Represented naked, fingers joined on the sternum, she adopts an expression of contemplation. These statues were generally part of a fertility cult and were kept in a room in the chief's house. Matte red ochre patina. Abrasions. The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern settled on the banks of the Kasaï downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu were imprinted on their large sculpture of tribal art. Within this diversity the masks Mbuya, realistic, produced every ten years, have a festive function, and embody ...

Cylindrical container mboko intended for kaolin in relation to purity and the spiritual world. These containers were used by different Luba societies, and groups of prophets, more generally by the mediums of the Kilumbu, Bilumbu divination society, or by the healers of the society. Buhabo . It was a question, individually or collectively, of consulting the spirits of the ancestors through specialists. Matte patina, abrasions.

The Lubas (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 "the Lubas"). They were born from a secession of the Songhoy ethnic group, under the leadership of Ilunga Kalala who killed the old king Kongolo who has since been revered in the form of a python. In ...

Embellished with pearl necklaces and various integumentary motifs, these statues were elaborated according to aesthetic criteria making it possible to "capture" the spirit to which the medium or the healer is addressing. This type of sculpture was evaluated according to the effectiveness of the rites staging them. In the majority of cases, these statues served as mediators between the healers and the spirits that took hold of them as part of the logbu cult and are still used today. Mottled kaolin patina, desiccation cracks.
The lagoon populations of eastern Côte d'Ivoire mainly include the Attié, Akyé, Ebrié and Abouré. Their sculptures offer many similarities. These kingdoms had the first commercial establishments offering gold, ivory, slaves and pepper to Westerners. Among the ...

Among the great stylistic variety of Zande sculptures, this African mask bears linear marks referring to the keloids in use. Under the slightly overhanging forehead, the eyes are simply hollowed out in an almond shape, the wide, triangular nose, and the hollowed, incised mouth, lets imagine the teeth. Chipped polychrome patina.
Height on base: 39 cm.
Formerly designated under the name "Niam-Niam" because considered as cannibals, the tribes grouped under the name of Zande, Azandé, settled, coming from Chad, on the border of the R.D.C. (Zaire), Sudan and the Central African Republic. According to their beliefs, man is endowed with two souls, one of which is transformed upon his death into an animal-totem of the clan to which he belongs. The African tribal art of the Zande, or ...

French African art collection.
African cup cephalomorph Kuba composed of two containers. In the Kuba tradition, these objects strengthen the prestige and authority of the dignitary who owns them. All the canons of Kuba art can be found on this cut, the scarifications on both faces, the royal headdress etc.... These cups had no other uses than to quench their thirst during festivities.

French collection of African tribal art, the identity of the collector will be communicated to the purchaser.
African Punu mask particularly atypical in terms of the structure of the face. The elegant headdress goes around the jaw from which a rounded mouth emerges. This African mask was manifested during the Okuyi dance and cults dedicated to the ancestors. These ceremonies integrated all the ritual practices that the Lumbu shared with the Punu. The face is devoid of the "mabinda" scarifications, only a pattern is inscribed on the forehead. Within the group named Shira, the Lumbu Loumbu, Balumbu, of Bantu origin and originally from the Congo kingdom, settled on the coastal part of Gabon, and in the Republic of Congo, in the middle Ogooue. Among the Lumbu, the boyo is a local ...

Belgian collection of African art Small, carefully carved charm, depicting a subject with a headdress and dressed in skin. Marks of use and cracks.
The Lele , close to the Tschokwe and the Pende, live in the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural specificities with the Bushoong of the Kuba country. Both groups decorate their prestige objects with similar motifs. Their society, led by a king " nymi ", comprises three classes, that of the Tundu or war chiefs, the Batshwa ("those who reject Tundu authority") and the Wongo named after the neighboring ethnic group. The ritual ceremonies are under the authority of the oldest, chiefs of each village who hold the secrets of medicinal plants. These elders once formed, with the parents of twins, spiritual intermediaries, ...

Ex-French collection of African art African mask Kwele Pipibuze, Pibibuze, ("the man") symbolizing the light and clairvoyance required to fight against the forces of witchcraft. The different versions of this mask refer to the antelope or duinker, the main game of the Kwele region. Kwele masks were not always intended to be worn, but to decorate the walls of huts. Abraded matte patina. Erosions and small accidents.
Depending on the presence of horns and their arrangement, the masks are called pibibudzé, Ekuku zokou, etc... and are associated with the ancestors or spirits of the forest, "ekuk". A tribe of the Kota group, the Kwélé, Bakwélé, live in the forest on the northern border of the Republic of Congo. They live from hunting, agriculture and metallurgy. Practicing the cult ...

Three variants of this mask Kifwebe ( pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing death" (Roberts), of the society of the same name, are distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low or even absent crest, and finally the tallest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, seems to come from the border zone between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. They are worn by a Kifwebe dancer in a state of "bwadi" trances, accessorized with a long braided costume and a long adornment in natural fibers attached to the contours of the mask, during major ceremonies. Height on base: 36 cm.
The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of savannah and forests. They are ...

Belgian collection of African art. Ceremonial African mask kifwebe. The term Kifwebe designates the mask, the society of masks, and the wearer of the mask belonging to the male secret society bwadi bwa kifwebe which ensured social control. Chipped matte patina, erosions and cracks.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba, in Katanga and Kasai. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the neighboring 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 misfortunes which struck individuals. The masked performances of male masks provided an ...

French African art collection.
Ample kilume mask, provided with a summit crest and whose slightly asymmetrical features arise from the oblique plane of the face. Wide streaks, in abraded colours, enliven the surface.
Abrasions and gaps on the internal edges.
Three types of African mask Kifwebe are listed: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) would present a more modest or even absent crest, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi).
Also practiced by the Luba, the cult kifwebe ("mask" in Songye) acted as a secret police in favor of power, so as to control individuals through magic. Worn with a long costume and a long beard made of natural fibers, Kifwebe masks also appeared during crucial stages of initiation ceremonies, ...

Belgian collection of African art. African ceremonial mask of the kifwebe. The term Kifwebe refers to the mask, the society of masks, and the wearer of the mask belonging to the male secret society bwadi bwa kifwebe which ensured social control. The notch on the crest allowed feathers to be inserted. Abraded matte patina, cracks.
Height on base: 59 cm.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba, in Katanga and Kasai. Their society is organized in a patriarchal manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the neighboring Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination allowed them to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of the misfortunes that ...

Huge orbits, divided by a ridged ridge, occupy the face of this African mask Ngbaka The upper lip reveals a row of teeth. Heterogeneous light golden satin patina, old kaolin inlays. Minimal cracking and abrasions. Height on base: 40 cm.
Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship rendered to the spirits of nature. Young people are prepared for adult life through rituals called " gaza" and trained by ancient initiates, ...

Initiatory rituals and tribal art Ngbaka.
Offering a rounded volume, this mask has discreet lines in low relief. The face is marked with many linear patterns composed of a succession of small checkerboards. The smooth, satiny surface has been rubbed with light clay, encrustations of which remain around the eyes. Small crashes.
Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship rendered to the spirits of nature. Young ...