African Arts Gallery

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.

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.

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.

The ritual consumption of palm wine in an individual cut, Kopa, Koopha, was the prerogative of the lineage leader or the matrilineal supreme leader at ceremonies, such as a wedding. It was then passed on to the next generation. Refined cup whose grip has satin the surface, it integrated into the treasure of regalia, objects of prestige symbolizing the status and reserved for the chieftaincy.
Symbols in the form of summary incisions are engraved between the two spouts. Patina nuanced. Similar models called koopha were used by the Yaka (Fig.6 p.17 in "Yaka" ed 5Continents.) The Suku and Yaka ethnic groups, established in a region between the Kwango and Kwilu rivers, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, recognize common origins and have some similar social structures and ...

Turkana neckrest from Kenya established on a circular base, decorated with a braided handle and endowed with a deep lustrous golden mahogany patina. Its sufficiently wide tray also made it possible to sit down. Although it comes from traditional African art, its refined shapes give it a contemporary design.
These objects were initially intended to protect the elaborate hairstyles of their owner (man or woman) during the night. But among the Turkana, it is the emblem of the tenderness of the fiancé for his bride, a pledge of union in the same way as an engagement ring.
Over time, the creation becoming more complex until they became real little masterpieces of sculpture, they also became individual objects of prestige and power, placed on family or collective altars.
Desiccation ...

The vernacular term "Asen" comes from the verb "sé" or to render one's duties, expresses the concept of offering, of worship. This type of altar is also found among the Ewes of Togo where it is called "Assanyi". The Yoruba of neighboring Nigeria used similar sticks, decorated with emblems representing birds, intended for diviners. These objects were used during divination ceremonies linked to the god of herbalists and occult sciences, Osanyin, or to the god of divination, Orunmila. Placed in the family courtyard, it allows one to pay homage to the deceased and thereby to the family lineage. Made of iron, the upper scene glorifies the deceased in a scene where he distinguished himself during his life. The rituals linked to these altars took place during ceremonies called "ahanbiba", ...

African tribal art from Congo.
Luba or Hemba hatchet whose carved motif personifies an ancestor. Orange-brown satin patina.
The Hemba settled in the south-east of Zaire. Formerly under the domination of the Luba, these farmers and hunters practice ancestor worship by means of effigies long attributed to the Luba. The singiti statues were preserved by the fumu mwalo and honoured 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.
(Source: "Trésors d'Afrique, Musée de Tervuren)

Ex-Belgian collection of African art
Ritual object intended for divination sessions. Small spherical calabashes are topped with an African statuette embodying the mediating spirit. Seeds and elements called bijimba with magical virtues were introduced into the dried fruits, producing a sound when handled. These bankishi sculptures (sing. nkishi ) were used in the context of the bugabo , a society dedicated to hunting, healing and war. Dark satin patina.
The Hemba have long been subject to the neighboring Luba empire which has had a certain influence on their culture, religion and art. Ancestor worship, which influences justice, medicine, law and sacrifices, is central to Hemba society. Genealogy is indeed the guarantor of privileges and land distribution. Mastering ...

Carved from dense wood, this protective female figure is said to be associated with the mythical ancestor and to intervene in human fertility, land fertility, and successful hunts. The face forms a miniature replica of the powerful mukishi wa pwo nyi cijingo ca tangwa mask topped with the kambu ja tota. ("Chokwe and Their Bantu Neighbours" Rodrigues de Areia.) br> Brown satin patina. Abrasions, cracks.
br>Originally Lunda, the Lwena , Luena, emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, pushed out by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, others, the Lovale, found refuge in Zambia. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena became known for their sculptures embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks related to the ...

French African art collection.
Prestigious African comb with a traditional doll motif. Light brown satin smooth patina. The Zaramo and the tribes around them designed dolls generally associated with fertility, but to which other virtues would be attributed. Its primary role is played during the period of confinement of the young initiate Zaramo. The novice will behave towards the object as with a child, and will dance with it during the closing ceremonies of the initiation. In case the young woman does not conceive, she will adopt the "child". Among the Zaramo, this carved motif is repeated on the top of canes, decorates ritual objects, such as combs, hairpins, and even appears on burial posts.

Worn on the left to protect the forearm from impacts, this functional adornment was intended for archers. In Rwanda, the Tutsi used a pad covered with grass, and wooden protections called igitembe were therefore rare. Minor abrasions. Height on base: 28 cm.
A nomadic people, the Tutsi were particularly decimated by the Islamic slave trade and by recurring internal wars. The population groups called "Interlacustrine Bantu", established between Lake Victoria and the Limpopo River, include the Ganda, Nyoro, Nkole, Soga, Toro, Hima, and the Tutsi of Rwanda and Burundi. Their cultures have similarities, as do their artistic production and their objects of daily use. The Tutsi raise livestock. They also excel in the art of weaving and basketry. Source: "Africa, the art of a continent" ...

Ceremonial club-scepter whose shaft bears a pattern sculpted in the image of the "phumbu" chief's mask. The club is dug with a cavity. Orange wood, satin finish, coated with a partially abraded black patina.
Desication cracks.
Height on base: 50 cm.
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 neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc... The masks of initiation and those of ...

A functional object, this broom was intended for the maintenance of ritual altars. The refined carved motif refers to the ancestors. Good condition, very minor accidents.
The people known as Fang, or "Pahouins", described as conquering warriors, invaded in successive leaps, from village to village, the entire vast region between Sanaga in Cameroon and Ogooué in Gabon, between the 18th and the beginning of the 20th century. The boxes containing the relics of illustrious ancestors were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". Topped with a statue or a head that acted as guardian of the "byeri" boxes, they were stored in a dark corner of the hut, supposed to ward off evil influences. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" ...

African Art Luba

Considered a "nkishi", this African sculpture, ritual rattle is said to be endowed, in the Luba culture, with powerful magical and apotropaic powers. These objects come in different forms, including this female figure perched on gourds mounted on a stick. The posture, hands positioned on the breasts, reminds us that the secrets of royalty belong to women thanks to their role as political and spiritual intermediaries. This object was used in the context of the Bugabo association, active during the colonial period among the Luba and related groups, a society linked to hunting, healing and combat. It was customary, during rituals, to fill the gourd with magical ingredients in order to strengthen its power. The ingredients used produced a sound when the object ...

French collection of African art .
Functional object of tribal art, particularly aesthetic thanks to its dotted decoration, from the northeastern region of Tanzania. 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.

The rich production of African art among the populations of the Cameroonian Grassland is illustrated mainly by traditional wood carving: commemorative sculptures of kings, queens, princesses and titled servants, as well as parents of twins.
Within the large Bamileke people in western Cameroon, the Bangwa constitute a small kingdom made up of nine chiefdoms. The influence of the Bamileke on bangwa statuary is notable for relatively comparable facial features and morphology.
Typical of the Bamileke country, Bangwa statues often represent fertility but also power and fighting spirit. This male statuette sculpted in the round is in fact camped with bent knees, arms outstretched from the bust. This dynamic position would announce a ritual dance. The character is adorned with noble ...

Everyday objects in African art.
A functional accessory for ritual ceremonies, this sculpted spoon offers a deep bowl in the shape of a cone extended by a flat, curved handle. Fine parallel streaks form intersecting patterns on the matte surface. Velvety patina, abrasions from use.
Height on base: 30 cm.
Disseminated in 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.
Ref. : "Black Africa, 1" J. Anquetil.

Aesthetics of everyday life for African art from Ivory Coast.
In Ivory Coast, the most ordinary objects had to meet aesthetic criteria. Furniture, ornaments, utensils, fabrics, are pretexts for a refined artistic expression on the part of sculptors. Weaving, among the Gouro, was an artistic activity exclusively practiced by men. Anthropomorphic or zoomorphic, these pulleys are extremely varied: displaying a human or zoomorphic face among the Baoulé and the Gouro, the Senoufo for their part decorated them with hornbill figures. Smooth, black, semi-matte patina. Crack (back side).

Ex. French coll. of African art
Ornamental rattle that was available to members of the Ogboni society. Old heterogeneous golden/brown patina. The secret society Ogboni or Oshugbo of the Yoruba is one of the most famous religious cult societies that venerates the Owner of the Earth, Onilè, and it is still powerful today. Although some Ogboni works are made of wood, terracotta, or ivory, the majority are made of brass reinforced with iron, which has a link to Osun, the goddess of the river and fertility. Iron is also sacred to Ogun, god of tools and weapons. The Ogboni expression, "Ogbodirin" means "Grow old and always be as strong as iron". Similarly, the motto of the Ogboni society is "Longevity and prosperity".

Fruit of the hollowed out and dried calabash tree, surmounted by a sculpted bust evoking a monkey, and whose base is trimmed with a leather fringe.
Abrasions, losses. The Makonde of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania wore helmet masks called lipiko during initiation ceremonies for young people. The Makonde venerate an ancestor, which explains the abundance of naturalistic female statuary. Besides the African face masks worn during mapiko dances and ngoma ceremonies that educate young people about the demands of marriage and life family, the Makonde also produce body masks featuring the female bust. Young Makonde boys and girls must submit to a period of seclusion of about six months, during which they are taught songs, dances and practical activities. The rules of behavior ...

Used by children to hunt small game or birds, this slingshot offers miniature representations of the gela mask . Grainy patina speckled with brown/red ochre. Abrasions from use, cracks from desiccation.
The Bassa group of Liberia is established in the coastal region, more particularly around Grand-Bassa. Its culture and artistic production have been influenced by the neighboring Dan and Kpellé. The Bassa have female and male initiation societies, including the chu-den-zo . The geh-naw , or gela , mask was worn on the dancer's forehead, attached to a wicker frame, accompanied by fabrics concealing the wearer, and evolved in a graceful dance to mark the end of the initiation of young boys. They are worn nowadays during ceremonies welcoming distinguished visitors.
Sources: ...