African Arts Gallery

Within the group named Shira, the Lumbu Loumbu, Balumbu, or even Mbumba, 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. They keep the bones of their ancestors in reliquary baskets decorated with statuettes, heads, and other prestigious objects. This type of sculpture "reliquary guardian", evocation of a deceased woman, was also exhibited during Bwiti ceremonies, ancestor worship also shared by the neighboring Tsogho. The eyes are glazed as in the statuary of the neighboring Kongo groups. Minor abrasions.

Ex-French collection of African art African fetish depicting a gorilla. The head is composed of an authentic animal skull, which extends at the top with a hollowed-out bone for a magical charge.
This animal statue has a locally abraded dark gray patina and clay deposits.
Losses and cracks from desiccation.
The Boulou, an ethnic group of the Fang group, live in Cameroon, on the border of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo, on a vast plateau in the equatorial forest near the Bakwele whose customs and traditions are comparable. Like the Fang of South Cameroon with their white masks of justice, the Boulou have also used the Ngil ritual to counter witchcraft and poisoning. Future initiates, following their integration into the secret society, identify with the Ngi, a ...

A crenellated body established on thick feet distinguishes these African statues supposed to embody the ancestors. A large concave face, with bulging pupils, projects forward, accompanied by the flexion of the arms. Thick dark cracked patina, erosions and desiccation cracks.
Despite their small number, the thirty thousand Mambila (or Mambilla, Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbo, Bang, Ble, Juli, Bea) (the "men" in Fulani), settled in the northwest of Cameroon, created a large number of masks and statues easily identifiable by their heart-shaped faces. Although the Mambila believe in a creator god named Chang or Nama, they only worship their ancestors. Their leaders were buried in granaries like wheat because they were supposed to symbolize prosperity. Masks and Statues were ...

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 ...

In addition to their weapons and prestigious objects and their funerary sculpture, the Sundi made use, individually and collectively, of conjuration fetishes often equipped with a magic charge. The naturalist-type character carries a load made up of a mass of various elements. Baby bird down remains on its headdress. Nuanced brown patina, desiccation cracks.
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 a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world.

Small African fetish sculpture depicting an ancestor. This type of carving formed an individual type protective charm.
The abdomen is fitted with a cavity for a magic charge. Satin patina, slight erosions and cracks.


Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu, had the right to life or death over his family, the importance of which determined his prestige. The chief of the clan, ngantsié , kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié which supervised all the ceremonies. According to the Téké, wisdom was absorbed and stored in the abdomen. It is also according to the directives of the sorcerer that the worship was ...

Dressed in a loincloth and wearing necklaces, the realistically depicted subject offers an imposing head in which the eyes seem blind. Golden khaki patina.
The dwarves of the king's entourage or Oba, who appeared in the 15th century, were intended not only for diversion, but also for surveillance. Occult gifts were indeed attributed to them. According to Fagg, these characters were also acrobats and illusionists. Their bronze figures were to adorn the altars of the ancestors.

Before the destruction of the palace of the Kingdom of Benin in 1897, the divine character of the kings, the Oba, was illustrated by multiple codified works celebrating their power. Warlike scenes glorifying them were reproduced on narrative plaques, in bronze, and affixed to the walls. Sumptuous ...

This rare African male statue, dedicated to ancestor worship, healing or divination rites, presents the "mabinda" relief motifs. These patterns were scarified on the skin of adolescents. Determination and power emerge from this work. Abraded polychrome patina, minor cracks, erosions at the top.
The Punu are a Bantu people of Central Africa established mainly in the south of Gabon, also in the Republic of Congo in the Niari region. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest.

Former Canadian collection of African art.
Decorated with their protective adornments, the "abiku", colored beads and metal jewelry, these "ere" doll-statues (statues), incarnations of twins in adult guise, were said to have been sculpted on the advice of the "babalawo".
Satin black patina.

In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They embody the figure of a deceased twin. This ibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It also happened that a man had ibeji sculpted for his wife in order to induce pregnancy. Support of the soul of the twin, the ibeji influences the life of the family, becoming a source of benefits towards his parents, the latter continuing to address prayers to him and to devote cults ...

Ex-French collection of tribal art . Animating the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the Katsinam sculpted objects (sing. Kachina ) intervene during traditional dances accompanying the annual festivals in favor of rain. The traditional Kachinam dolls are, for the Pueblo Native American group (Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village, Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), educational tools offered to children at the end of ritual festivals. These statuettes, embodying a great diversity of spirits, represent the katchina dancers and the colors are associated with the cardinal points. The polychrome patina is matte and velvety, slight abrasions.

Ex-Belgian collection of African art A means of communicating with the spirits of the ancestors, this type of statue embodies the ancestor of the clan. Light brown matte patina.
Erosions and desiccation cracks.
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 line with their vision of the world. Belonging to the Kongo group, the Yombe are established on the west coast of Africa, in the southwest of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities.

Ex. French collection of African art .
Traditional African art includes two types of Azande statues: The Kudu , between 30 and 50 cm, represent ancestors, and the Yanda statues of 10 to 20 cm, of animal or human form, having an apotropaic role, exhibited during divinatory rites during rituals. This statuette has a face with an bulging gaze, crenellated limbs, and is decorated with concentric motifs. Shiny orange-brown patina, erosions. Formerly known as "Niam-Niam" because they were considered cannibals, the tribes grouped under the name of Zande, Azandé, settled from Chad on the border of the DRC (Zaire), Sudan and the Central African Republic.

African statue inspired by Lumbu. This type of sculpture was placed in the center of baskets of ancestral bones constituting the relics. Granular patina pink ochre. Erosions (base).
The Punu are a Bantu people of Central Africa established mainly in the south of Gabon, also in the Republic of Congo in the Niari region. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest. Within this same group named Shira, the Lumbu, Loumbu, Balumbu, settled on the coastal part of Gabon, and in the Republic of Congo, keep the bones of their ancestors in reliquary baskets decorated with statuettes and other prestigious objects.
Litt. : "Punu", L. Perrois and C. ...

French collection of African art .
The pfemba or phemba maternity figures, symbols of the mythical ancestor, are associated with fertility cults, the child embodying the matrilineal transmission of power. The Yombe decorated their textiles, mats and loincloths, with motifs related to proverbs glorifying work and social unity. Black patina, alterations and losses.
The Solongo cultures of Angola and Yombe were largely influenced by the Kongo kingdom from which they borrowed the naturalistic statuary and religious rites by means of sculpted fetishes nkondo nkisi.
The Yombe are established on the west coast of Africa, in the southwest of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities whose use remains little known.

Former Belgian collection of African art Teke fetish including the chief's regalia sculptures. The bust draped in a textile houses the mystical charge called "Bonga". Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Teke were organized into chiefdoms whose chief was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu, had the power of life or death over his family, the importance of which determined its prestige. The chief of the clan, ngantsié, kept the large protective fetish tar mantsié which supervised all the ceremonies. It was the healer and diviner who "charged" the individual statuettes or nkumi with magical elements, for a fee. According to the Teke, wisdom was absorbed and stored in the abdomen. It was also according to the diviner's ...

French collection of tribal art These Tchicheri, or cicilg, present themselves to us either in reduced forms intended for the family altar, or in the form of personal talisman, the yendu tchicheri. Only the sons of diviners were authorized to sculpt this protective effigy. In West Africa, the tchitcheri sakab (pl. of Tchicherik) embody a founding ancestor of the clan. This crude-looking sculpted figure, devoid of features and now eroded and furrowed, was initially planted in the earth.
The mediating object is supposed to increase the magical power of the family or community altar. Light patina, dark drips.

Lit. : "The soul of Africa", S. Diakonoff.; “Africa” Ed. Prestel; “The Ewa and Yves Develon African Collection” Musée des Confluences.

Belgian collection of African art
African statuette Nkisi , nkishi (pl. mankishi ) of the Songye with a hallucinated look. The arms free up a space to slide metal hooks as was customary. Matte red ochre patina. Resin residue at the top.
The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between god and men, responsible for protecting against various evils. Large examples are the collective property of an entire village, and smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songye migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination allowed them ...

French collection of tribal art The ancestor cult, among the Mbede, Mbete, or Ambete, is accompanied by these African statues whose dorsal cavity frequently plays the role of a reliquary. Carved according to classical principles, the subject adopts a long bust on legs whose flexion indicates the beginning of a ritual dance. Irregular, crusty, flaky patina, alternating from red to dark brown.
The Mbete form a tribe of Gabon, on the border of Middle Congo, neighboring the Obamba, whose history has been marked by a long-term conflict against the Teke. They do not have a centralized political organization, practice ancestor worship and use statues instead of classic reliquary boxes.
Ref. : "Congo River", F. Neyt - Mercator Fund, Quai Branly Museum.

African animal figure Nkisi (pl. mankishi) of "koso" type in which a bishimba magic charge has been placed behind a glazed cavity in the center of the sculpture. The power of the fetish, according to local beliefs, was further accentuated by the presence of various accessories, such as nails, cords, metal. Among the Kongo, the dog, renowned for its knowledge of the supernatural world, its flair and its vision, had the role of mediator between the living and the dead. 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 a statuary endowed with a codified ...

French collection of African art A Togolese version of the Ibejdi of the Yorubas, these figurines of missing twins have a light beige patina of use. The golden heads probably had to benefit from ritual anointings. Missing.

The Ewe, often confused with the Minas, are the largest ethnic group in Togo. They are also found as minorities in Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The Ewe consider the birth of twins called Venavi (or Venovi) as a happy omen. They must be treated identically and fairly. For example, both will be fed and washed at the same time and will wear the same clothes, until puberty.
If one of the twins dies, the parents obtain a statuette intended to replace the deceased child and contact a witch doctor to activate its magical virtues.

Source: ...

Ex. French collection of African art.
Sculpted figure of the Tiv type. According to some authors, these statues were no longer sculpted from the beginning of the 20th century. According to Christine Mullen Kreamer in "Art of Sub-Saharan Africa" ​​(p.33) these statues were used in rituals related to hunting and circumcision.
Abraded brown patina. Peoples with varied traditions settled in the savannah north of the Niger and Benue rivers. The Tiv are made up of farmers living on the banks of the left bank of the Benue. Their statues are of two types: of a naturalistic type, these figures take the form of female representations, some of which formed the top of reception hut posts. The second, called ihambé, associated with fertility, mainly represent seated figures. Ref. : ...