African Arts Gallery

Initiation mask of the Lega or the Leka, whose society, the Bukota, welcoming both men and women, is the equivalent of the Bwami association of the Lega. A braided raffia cord highlights the oval shape of the mask, whose very close eyes surmount a nose crossed by a groove, and asymmetrical nostrils. The wide mouth, from the corners of which rise broken lines, is split horizontally. Star patterns complement the tribal scars.<

The Leka sculptures, subject to the influence of the neighboring Mbole, Lega and Binja, played a role during initiation, funeral or circumcision ceremonies, and were then placed on the tomb of high-ranking initiates. Each of these figures had a name and a meaning for educational purposes, following the example of lega traditions. Kaolin patina, rings ...

Supports of the ritualist named babalawo (or Babalao), priest of Ifa in the Yoruba language, these trays exist in three shapes, including the circular (opon ribiti) like this copy. They are intended for Ifa, a system of divination which represents the teachings of the orisha Orunmila, orisha of Wisdom. The babalawo claim to secure the future through their communication with Orunmila. In Yoruba thought in Nigeria and among those in Benin, the orishas form a variety of divine spirits controlling natural forces. They are found mainly in the Yoruba cosmogony but more widely in West Africa and in the diasporas of Central and South America. The center of the board, aarin opon, forms a chart in which kaolin powder (or flour) allows the diviner-priest to trace the solutions to his client's ...

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.

Utility object of the Bashi or Shi, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The specificity of this drinking cup, or beverage jug, lies in the unusual diamond shape of its base and its neck, its open handle and its modest decoration engraved in a frieze.
Satin patina, small erosions.
Installed in the east of the DRC, on the shores and islands of Lake Kivu, the Bashi, Omushi (sing.: mu-shi), or even Banyabungu, form a Bantu group from the west, with which they came to mingle of the Lega, which pastoral populations from Rwanda then joined. They live mainly from agriculture and livestock breeding.

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 ...

Harvested in Mali by Jacques Anquetil, weaver and author of "Black Africa", published by Dessain and Tolra, this geometrically shaped wooden container was designed by the Soninke to store indigo vegetable dye or other make-up (made from the indigo plant), with which the fabrics were colored (such as the sails of the Tuaregs). Crystallized residues, blue and green in color, line the bottom of the container. Patina of use nuanced with browns, small accidents. -Jacques Anquetil, theater man who became master weaver initiated among the Dogon, president of the Métiers d' French art, author of "Africa, the hands of the world" at Solar editions and "Black Africa" at ed. Dessain and Tolra, and "The Hands of the World" by

Belgian African art collection.
Anthropomorphic spoons are recurring in tribal art. This is distinguished by the quality and finesse of the sculpted figure perched on the bowl. We find the canons of Kongo art. Although ritual, the spoon also quickly became an outward sign of wealth and prestige.

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 statuary endowed with codified gestures in keeping with their vision of the world.

French collection of African tribal art. Small used medicine receptacle, made of a dried gourd whose wooden cap represents a head. Abrasions and cracks. This piece of tribal artcomes from the northeastern region of Tanzania, bordering 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. Among the Zigua, sculptures served as an initiation support for educational purposes.

Pole weapon whose blade shaped in an arc is solidly connected to the handle thanks to three rods. The Nsapo, a Songye subgroup established in Lulua territory following wars with the Arabs, were subject to various influences. Their ceremonial weapons served to assert the prestige of their leaders. Old patina of use.

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. ...

Collection of French African art.
Kuba ceremonial belt, embroidered with pearls and cowrie shells, an ancient currency. br /> Several tribes make up the Kuba group, established between the Sankuru and Kasaï rivers: Bushoong, Ngeendé, Binji, Wongo, Kété, etc... Each of them produced a variety of sculptures, statues, prestigious objects, masks, frequently decorated geometric patterns.
The Kuba, whose name means "lightning bolt", also produced African tools and weapons, including throwing knives, which later became transaction values, and heavy war swords, Ilwoon.

Fetish fly swatter whose handle has been hollowed out at the top. Fine lines, between discreet marks suggesting scarifications, form the face of the subject represented. The section extending the neck is coated with a resin on which necklaces of multicolored pearls fix the horsehair. Shiny patina, desication crack.
A tribe of the Tabwa group, the Rungu are established in a region between the R.D.C. (Democratic Rep. of Congo), Zambia and Tanzania. Under the influence of the neighboring Lubas and Bemba, the Rungu produced prestigious objects intended for dignitaries, stools, combs, spoons and scepters, frequently adorned with figures of couples or twins. Their king, called mwéné tafuna, lives in Zambia. A women's association, Kamanya, has dolls such as those of the Tabwas.

The doors of the Dogon constructions are collector's items, and once this is the case, this piece is sober, devoid of motif or anthropomorphic representation.

It consists of two large planks securely fastened with iron staples. The lock and the hinges are always present. The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, their esotericism, their myths and legends. Their population is estimated at about 300 000 souls living south-west of the Niger loop in the Mopti region of Mali (Bandiagara, Koro, Banka), near Douentza and part of northern Burkina Faso (northwest of Ouahigouya). ). Villages are often perched on top of the hillside scree, in a unique architecture. The history of migrations and installations of the Dogon (about ten main groups, about fifteen different ...

Among the Bamiléké as in other ethnic groups, objects of African art testified to the place of their owner in society. The materials and shapes of objects varied according to social status. This palm wine cup was used by notables to conclude agreements during ritual ceremonies.
Located in the border region of Nigeria, the North-West province of Cameroon, Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations and secret societies, were organized around the Fon, which would have broad powers.

Among the prestige objects of the Kuba groups, this cephalomorphic bowl decorated with geometric patterns has a handle. Satin patina.
The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestige objects created for members of the higher ranks of their society. Indeed, several Kuba groups produced anthropomorphic objects with refined designs including cups, drinking horns and beakers. The Lele are established in the west of the Kuba kingdom, at the confluence of the Kasai and Bashilele rivers. Intercultural exchanges between the Bushoong of the Kuba territory and the Lele have made the attribution of certain objects difficult, as both groups use the same iconography, composed of faces with elaborate hairstyles and geometric decorative motifs. 

Ex-collection of Belgian African art.

Small, meticulously sculpted figure, with large digitized hands placed in front of the bust, and under which a pastille indicates the umbilicus. The legs are fleshy, tight, and half bent. The face with stylized features appears meditative. Satin patina with granular residual incrustations. Established on the plateaus of the People's Republic of Congo (formerly Brazzaville), and not to be confused with the Bembé group north of Lake Tanganinyika, the small group Babembé, Béembé, was influenced by the Teke rites and culture, but especially by that of the Kongo. Settled in the current Republic of Congo, the Béembé originally formed the kingdom of the Kongo, with the Vili, Yombé, Bwendé and Woyo. They were under the tutelage of the king ntotela ...

Ex. Belgian African tribal art collection.
This type of bell, an emblem of dignitary power, was used during the manipulation and activation of a Nkisi by the diviner or Nganga. The sides are incised with geometric shapes. The music produced by the bell is said to appeal to the spirits. These objects are found in the Khimba initiation society or the peacemaking association lemba with a figure bent forward at the top of the bell.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé, and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, headed by the king ntotela. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the ivory and copper trade and the slave trade. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary with a codified gesture related to ...

The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of decorative art objects created for members of the high ranks of their society: cups and drinking horns, baskets, weapons, neck rests, chairs, masks and statues. These items were also offered to passing visitors. The Leus live in the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural characteristics with the Bushoong of the Kuba country. Both groups adorn their prestige objects with similar motifs.
Their musical instruments, among which there are various carved drum forms, accompanied the masked dances or funeral ceremonies of the initiation societies. Decorated with zoomorphic figurative motifs evoking forest animals, this drum set on a flared base is also equipped with a handle adorned with a face extended with one hand. Held by small ...

Cephalomorphic cup with a long handle, among the prestigious insignia of the Pende. The lower part of the face, as if swollen, gradually joins the neck. A discreet point is enough to indicate the chin. The upturned nose softens the sketchy features where small holes show teeth, pupils and nostrils. A hairstyle is outlined, disappearing behind the horseshoe ears.
Satin black brown patina. Erosions of use, crack of desication.

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 ...

Supposed to render invulnerable and in order to terrify the enemy, the African art mask kpongadomba des boa was commanded by the chief kumu who offered it to the most valiant warrior. It was then kept in his wife's hut. This panel intended to be hung in the boxes is carved from a mask motif with oversized ears, perforated like the pavilions of the ears of the Eastern Boa, the bavobongo. It gave an impressive appearance to its wearer, accentuated by the contrast of colors. Close to the Mangbetu and Zande, the Boa live in the savannah in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some Boas have reportedly used these masks for educational purposes with children, since the pacification of the Uele region.
Patine polychrome matte, dandruff. Abrasions, restorations using metal staples.

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.