African Arts Gallery

Belgian collection of African art.
In African tribal art, any everyday object can become an artistic medium. The decorative aspect of an object is never its intrinsic function. In African art, any everyday object can be transformed into a masterpiece while retaining its usefulness. The major role played by women in the political life of the kingdom is illustrated by the recurrence of the feminine motif in Luba art. The latter, which stood out for its prestige and quality, therefore greatly influenced neighboring groups. This comb is decorated with a pair of female subjects embodying political and spiritual intermediaries, roles held by women in Luba royalty. The headdress, behind a wide headband revealing a shaved forehead, evokes one of those worn by Luba women at the beginning of ...

A people of Central Africa established in Kasai, neighboring the Kuba, the Ndengese form one of the clans descended from a common ancestor Mongo, some of them originating from the Upper Nile. They produced primitive art statues with missing or truncated lower limbs, covered with graphic symbols, symbolizing the prestige of the chief.
The flared hairstyle topped with a horn at the top is characteristic of the hairstyles acquired by the Totshi chiefs belonging to the ikoho association and evokes particular proverbs. It symbolizes respect, intelligence and maturity.
Lustrous black-brown patina.
Ref.: "Trésors d'Afrique" Tervuren Museum.

ex. Belgian collection of African art This type of African bell, emblem of dignitary power, was used during the manipulation and activation of a Nkisi by the diviner or Nganga. The sound produced by the bell would call upon the spirits. These objects are found in the Khimba initiation society or the lemba peacemaking association. Height on base: 23 cm.

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. Ref. : “African Art” ed. Mazenod; “Treasures of Africa” ...

Old Lobi slingshot with a carved figure that serves as an amulet. This type of object was used by children to hunt small game or birds. Lustrous golden brown patina, cracking.
The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name "lobi", make up a fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Few in number in Ghana, they have also settled in the north of Côte d'Ivoire. 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, the latter being supposed to protect them, with the help of the diviner, against a host of plagues.

Ax with a cephalomorphic motif, the handle of which bears a trace depicting a fish. Glossy patina, blue paint residue. Small accidents.
The Lélé, close to the Tschokwe and the Pende, live to the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural specificities with the Bushoong of the Kuba country. Both groups adorn their prestige objects with similar motifs. 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, the bangang brotherhood responsible for the initiation of young people. The sculptor is responsible for extracting palm wine, he also weaves raffia. He produces the ritual cups in which palm wine is consumed to seal a deal. ...

Old Yela or Tetela knife, whose handle incised with discreet decorative hatching is made of wood.
Linear engravings line the contours of the blade.

Lack and desication cracks.
The province of Lualaba had several close ethnic groups with similar associations. The Mbole and the Yela are known for their statues embodying, according to D. Biebuck, hanged men, named ofika. Scattered throughout the Kasai basin, the Tetela of Mongo origin have been the source of incessant conflicts with their neighbours. Their very diversified sculpture is marked by the influence of the groups living in contact with them: in the North, their art was subjected to the influence of the populations of the forest such as the Mongo, in the North-West that of the Nkutschu , and to the west ...

Lobi slingshot with a carved figure that serves as an amulet. This type of object was used by children to hunt small game or birds. Lustrous patina, minor cracking.
The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name "lobi", make up a fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Few in number in Ghana, they have also settled in the north of Côte d'Ivoire. 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, the latter being supposed to protect them, with the help of the diviner, against a host of plagues.

Throwing weapon with a detailed anthropomorphic motif reminiscent of the deble sculptures of the Senufo. Old matt, dark and velvety patina. Abrasions.
Mainly farmers, the Senoufo group inhabit a region of savannahs that covers southern Mali and Burkina Faso, and northern Côte d'Ivoire. It encompasses about fifty sub-ethnic groups. The Senoufo speak a Voltaic language Gur, Gour, like the Lobi and the Koulango. Living in a reserved area, the Senufo sculptor, whose training spanned seven years, began by making everyday objects, then, little by little, sported increasingly large sculptures. Initiatory rituals completed his learning. Ref. : https://www.art-tribal.fr/art-tribal/livres-art-africain/Sieges-d-Afrique-noire/22180.

Milk container made of a hollowed-out calabash, on which is attached a strap made of animal skin, embroidered with cowrie shells. Some of them are missing. The surface of a beautiful orange must have been polished with cocoa butter, shea butter, etc. Some of them, with a narrow neck, were used as a churn to make butter.
Among the Kalendjins of Nilotic origin living in East Africa, the Pokot live in Uganda and western Kenya, in the arid region extending from Lake Turkana to the south of Lake Baringo. These tribes, who were able to withstand a very harsh environment, had to be content with few possessions, which defined the social status of their owner. The means of subsistence is their livestock, frequently included in the dowry.

Belgian collection of African art African knives or swords were sometimes parade weapons, such as this ancient weapon whose wooden handle is next to metal ribbons. The oxidized blade has fine hatching patterns, slightly abraded. In the northwest of Zaire, south of Oubangui, live the 6000 Moswea-Ngombe of Bantu language. Their neighbors are the Ngbandi and the Ngbaka and various Banda groups. They did not know any god but expected favors from their ancestors, among which health and prosperity. Their throwing knives used for hunting were used as currencies.
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Former French collection of African art.
Slingshot or slingshot with human motif, pretty satin patina.
Children used this type of tool for hunting small game.
In Côte d'Ivoire, the most ordinary African objects had to meet aesthetic criteria. Furniture, finery, utensils, fabrics, are a pretext for refined artistic expression on the part of artisans and sculptors. The latter, mainly farmers, practice this activity as a complement. Some of them also produce pieces for neighboring ethnic groups.

Belgian collection of African art.
Small in size, this object, which is not very common in traditional African art, is reminiscent of a mini brush. Equipped with a handle with a figurative pattern, the palette is bristling with numerous metal spikes. Erosions, satin brown patina. Height on base: 20 cm.
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 same beliefs and traditions, they produced statuary with codified gestures in keeping with 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 urbanized for the most ...

Belgian collection of African art
Within the figurative sculpture of the Kuba, the prestige objects held by members of the Kuba royal family and of the peripheral groups, Bushoong and Dengese, are decorated with engraved motifs. Similar geometric motifs also adorn the diviner's accessories such as this divination instrument with its pusher. These tools, used to solve various problems, take up animal motifs associated with the ngesh (nature spirits) but also human motifs referring to ancestors and masks. Satiny shaded brown patina. Glossy patina of use, minor desiccation cracks.
The Kuba kingdom or "people of lightning" was founded in the 16th century by the main tribe Bushoong which is still ruled today by a king, and whose capital was Nshyeeng or Mushenge.

French collection of African art A prestigious emblem intended for chiefs, this adze represents a warrior's helmet from which the blade emerges. Abrasions of use, black oiled patina.
Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is composed of the descendants of the invaders, horsemen who came from Ghana in the 15th century, named Nakomse, and the Tengabibisi, descendants of the natives. Political power is in the hands of the Nakomse, who assert their power through statues, while the priests and religious leaders come from the Tengabisi, who use masks during their ceremonies. Animists, the Mossi worship a creator god named Wende. Each individual is said to have a soul, sigha, linked to a totemic animal.

Large spoon with twisted handle topped with a sculpted head. Grainy black patina. Desiccation cracks. Height on base: 50 cm. Established near the Niger estuary, speaking a Kwa language, the Igala formed a powerful kingdom until colonization. Human sacrifices once accompanied these ritual festivals, giving this people the reputation of headhunters. The Igala have large helmet masks called agba during ceremonies honoring their king or at commemorative funerals of dignitaries. Other types of helmet masks come out during the festivals of the egu cult celebrating the spirit of the dead and for the yam festivals.
Ref.: "L'Art tribal d'Afrique noire" ed. Assouline and "Arts du Nigeria" ed. Musée Barbier-Mueller.

br> Usual objects in African art.
A functional accessory for ritual ceremonies, this sculpted spoon offers a deep cone-shaped spoon surmounted by a curved handle with a flat end. Very fine streaks adorn the surface.
Scattered throughout the Saharan region of Libya, Mali, Algeria and Niger, the Tuareg (sing: Targui), or "Veiled Men", would come from Berber pastors fleeing the Arabs in Libya in the 7th century. The targui blacksmith also sculpts wood, which is a rare material, carved objects which are often repaired to prolong their use are part of the dowry.
Ref. : "Black Africa, 1" J. Anquetil.

Considered a "bankishi", this African sculpture is said to be endowed, in the Luba culture, with powerful magical and apotropaic powers. These objects come in different forms, such as this female figure surmounting a set of small calabashes. The posture, hands positioned near the breasts, recalls 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, linked to hunting, healing and combat. It was customary, during rituals, to fill the calabash with magical ingredients in order to strengthen its power. The ingredients used produced a sound when the object was shaken, and were only sealed at the end of the ceremony.
(Luba, Roberts)

Belgian collection of African art
These talismans, collectible objects worn as pendants, were used during collective hunts to signal to the team or the dogs and to guide the prey towards a specific target. The whistle emitted could be modulated thanks to a lateral appendage. Specialized hunters used a variety of ritual objects to ensure the success of their expeditions.
The Western Pende settled on the banks of the Kwilu, while their eastern counterparts founded their communities along the Kasai, downstream from Tshikapa. Their vast sculptural production, rich in tribal art, was strongly influenced by neighboring peoples such as the Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu. Among this diversity, the Mbuya masks, made with striking realism every ten years, have a mainly ...

This type of carved panel was intended for the nzaambi affliction cults, also practiced by the Yaka, rituals that made it possible to treat a problem whose source had been established through divinatory practices. While the Holo were likely inspired by Christian iconography, they honored spirits and not a single god. Often intended to promote hunting, fertility or good health, these sculptures had to be ritually coated by the person concerned. Discreetly two-tone patina. Scattered abrasions and cracks. Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo between the Yaka and the Tchokwé of Angola, the small Holo ethnic group migrated from the Angolan coast to settle near the banks of the Kwango. Hunting and agriculture ensure their subsistence. Neighboring ethnic groups, such as the Suku, have ...

Ritual rattle which was used in divination ceremonies. Satin black patina. A people from Central Africa established in Kasai, neighboring the Kuba, the Ndengese, Dengese, form one of the clans descended from a common Mongo ancestor, some of them they being from the Upper Nile. They produced primitive art statues with absent or truncated lower limbs, covered with graphic symbols, symbolizing the prestige of the leader, called "Isikimanji". The flared hairstyle, often topped with a horn at the top, is characteristic of the hairstyles acquired by the Totshi chiefs belonging to the ikoho association and evokes particular proverbs. It symbolizes respect, intelligence and maturity. Ref.: “Treasures of Africa” Tervuren Museum.

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.