African Arts Gallery

French African tribal art collection.
Old Baoule loom comb, the ends of which are lined with leather strips on which fur still remains. A carrying strap was made with a cord. Beautiful patina of use. In Côte d'Ivoire, the most ordinary objects had to meet aesthetic criteria. Furniture, ornaments, utensils, fabrics, are a pretext for refined artistic expression on the part of craftsmen and sculptors. The latter, mainly farmers, carry out this activity in addition. Some of them also produce pieces for neighboring ethnic groups. The creative talent remains however linked to the occult power of the craftsman, the ritual requirements surrounding the work of wood. The technique of cotton weaving spread to West Africa through the movement of the Dioulas. Before colonization, cotton fiber textiles, described as "white gold", were also used as currency. Prestigious ornaments, the woven ceremonial loincloths, sometimes in large numbers, accompanied the chiefs to their graves, among the Kuba, but also among the Baule.
Ref : "Africa, the hands of the world" J.Anquetil