African Arts Gallery

African Art Collection Amadeo Plaza Garcés The Oshe of the Yoruba intervene during ritual dances. They are carried in the left hand by the dancers. These African sculptures represent through their double-axe headdress, the god of thunder and youth Shango, or Sango, mythical ancestor of the kings of Oyo.
Sango was also the protector of twins, whose occurrence was very frequent in the region.
This is a divinity feared for its unpredictability. It is venerated because it is supposed to bring beneficial rains to crops. It is also to her that the fertility of women is attributed.

Matte patina, weak polychrome residues, traces of kaolin.

Yoruba society is highly organized and has several associations whose roles vary. While the male society egbe ...

The Ashanti, Asante, mastered the art of lost wax casting, copper metal being sacred and considered inferior to gold. The production of ritual and prestige objects, such as the brass Kuduo intended, in addition to the storage of gold powder, for family and royal domestic cults, also included small weights for weighing gold, masks, ornaments. The decorative motifs are often from Islamic traditions. Golden patina with verdigris inlays.
The Ashanti are one of the ethnic groups of Ghana (formerly the "Gold Coast"), of the Akan group, inhabiting a region covered with forests. Like other populations living in the central and southern part of Ghana, they speak a language of the Twi group.

African motherhood depicting a character carrying a child. The eyes are encrusted with pearls while large ears frame a neutral countenance. Rough patina, residual ocher encrustations.
This piece of tribal art comes 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 Madagascans and Bataks with whom, via maritime trade, contact could once have been established. This sculpture was probably used for didactic purposes during male initiations. She could also embody an ancestor or a spirit. Lit. : "Black African Tribal Art" J.B. Bacquart.

African art lega and initiation materials.
African tribal sculpture Sakimatwematwe (Multi-headed) belonging to an initiate of the Bwami, among many others used over the lega initiations. The structure is in the form of a trunk on which faces are directed towards the four cardinal points. Relative to a Lega proverb, with two or more heads, this statuette would illustrate the need for a global vision of events, and therefore the prudence, wisdom and impartiality that should result from it. (Biebuyck 1973)
The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where masks and statuettes were exhibited, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of these metaphors, the latter largely referring to proverbs. and sayings. ...

African masks zoomorphic evoking the ancestor gorilla, worn by the warlord to assert his authority. The construction favors the cranial block under which pierces the hollow gaze. Fine pigmented lips are inscribed horizontally in the lower segment of the face extended by points. Two-tone satin patina. Abrasions.
Tribe of the Kota group, the Kwélé , Bakwélé , live in the forest on the northern border of the Republic of Congo. They live from hunting, agriculture and metallurgy. Practicing the cult called Bwété borrowed from the Ngwyes, which was accompanied by obligatory initiation rites, they used at the end of the ceremonies the masks ekuk evoking the antelope whose horns meet in a loop under the chin. The blood of the antelope was also used among the Kwélé for therapeutic ...

The Nkishi figures are renowned for their singular plasticity characterized by sometimes outrageous deformations. Devoid of ritual accessories, this sculpture is carved according to traditional Songye criteria. Satin black patina. Desication crack, abrasions, small chips.
The Songye fetish, magic sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays among the Songye the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures belonging to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga and South Kivu. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through common ...

The African sculptures of Kusu protection were inspired by Songye fetishes. The magic charge, made up of ingredients of various origins, was inserted at the top of the head (this copy has none).
Dark patina, desication cracks.
The Kusu established on the left bank of the Lualaba have borrowed the artistic traditions of the Luba and the Hemba and have a caste system similar to that of the Luba.
In this region, between the Bembe, Boyo, Hemba, Songye and Tetela, ritual objects were subject to stylistic exchanges and influences. The primordial ancestor, named Soba, is said to be embodied in the sculpted figures of the Kusu. Their initiatory society, the bagabo, also uses protective fetishes against witchcraft.

Swiss African art collection.
African statuette Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi) of the Songye whose face reproduces the kifwebe mask. The arms, whose hands surround the protruding abdomen, provide space to carefully grasp the sculpture using metal hooks, as dictated by custom.
Satin patina. Abrasions.
These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between god and men, responsible for protecting against various evils. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, and the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. ...

The African art and the refinement of Kuba weaving.
Produced in Zaire by the Shoowa, Bashoowa, subgroup Kuba, these fabrics forming true paintings of primitive art, consist of a raffia textile base on which the geometric patterns formed represent the body scarifications of the ethnic group or the decorations of sculptures. These refined fabrics were intended to be used at the royal court, as a seat or cover, to enhance its prestige. In many cases, they were used as currency, or followed their owners to the grave, covering the body of the deceased. It was King Shamba Bolongongo who introduced the technique of velvet weaving to Kuba country in the 17th century. He had previously introduced the Kuba to the art of blacksmithing. It was the men who softened the fibers of young ...

This traditional African mask from Gabon presents a face whitened with kaolin, evoking a deceased woman. It was used during the Okuyi dance and cults dedicated to the ancestors, ritual practices shared with the Punu. The regular face is devoid of scarification marks, the arched eyelids are half closed, the mouth with colored lips is half open, and the chin is narrow. The presence of horns, with damaged tips, is probably associated with a bush spirit. Within the group named Shira ,the Lumbu Loumbu, Balumbu, 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 and other prestigious objects.
Among ...

French collection of African art African mask depicting a face with bulging, pierced eyes, and whose cheeks bear the characteristic incisions of the Yoruba. A particularity in African art, the Gelede cult has entered contemporary heritage, on the basis of ancestral traditions: UNESCO has registered it with the ICP (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) in 2008.
Polychrome satin patina. Erosions and drying cracks.
The ceremonies of Gelede, Efe, are mainly practiced in the western Yoruba kingdoms. They are used as part of masquerades dedicated to women in their maternal dimension, and more particularly to the "Supreme Mother", whose identity varies from city to city. These festivals ...

This sculpture of African tribal art, supposed to facilitate communication with the sacred, reminds the divinity of its duties towards men. Distinctive markers of Yoruba tribal statuary, the keloid scars of Yoruba nobles. The paint on these statues was frequently renewed before rites.
Partially peeling crusty patina.


The main Yoruba cults are the Gélédé , Epa , Ogboni , and the Esu cults. Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà , the Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko ). They are designed by sculptors at the request of followers, diviners and their clients. These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare.

Ex-French collection of African art, the name will be communicated upon sale.

African mask of the Eastern Pende named Gitenga, haloed with fibers and feathers, and adorned with a hood made of fiber mesh. This is a police mask from the circumcision camp, representing the sun at its rising and setting. Léon de Sousberghe identified two types of masks, the minganji in plant fibers, associated with male society and the mbuya wooden masks generally, linked to the village, with a few exceptions however. The Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu. The influences of neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu are imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the realistic Mbuya masks, produced every ten years, have a festive function ...

Ex-French collection of African art This African mask appears during important ceremonies among the Kran, a Dan subgroup established as a minority in Côte d'Ivoire but especially in Liberia. Its prominent, specific reliefs are triangular. Heterogeneous crusty patina abraded.
In this region of western Côte d'Ivoire, bordering Liberia, the Dan to the north, and the Wé to the south (including the Guéré, the Wobé of the northeast and the Wé of Liberia called Kran or Khran), have made frequent use of borrowings due to their proximity, making the precise attribution of certain pieces difficult. The latter share in most cases oversized volumes, tubular or prominent eyes, and full lips. The Kran practice an animist religion, worship their ancestors and are organized into a secret ...

Ex. French collection of African art
The African Mbuya initiation masks are associated with the mukanda initiation ritual, while the power masks, the minganji, represent the ancestors. These two types of masks are presented successively during the same ceremonies, such as agricultural festivals, mukanda initiation and circumcision rituals, as well as during the enthronement of the chief. The western Pende are established along the banks of the Kwilu, while their eastern counterparts have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. Their tribal art is marked by the influence of neighboring ethnic groups such as the Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu. In this rich artistic diversity, the Mbuya masks stand out for their realism and their festive function. ...

Swiss collection of African art . Female statuette in a seated position, presenting the mboko cup, a calabash filled with kaolin, symbolizing purity and the spiritual world, and with which the king's visitors would smear themselves out of respect. According to P. Nooter, these figures represented the wife of the diviner, which underlines her importance in the bilumbu divination process. Glossy patina, slight cracks.

The Luba (Baluba in Tchiluba) are a people of Central Africa. Their cradle is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu River (Baluba or "the Lubas"). They were born from a secession of the Songhoy ethnic group, under the leadership of Ilunga Kalala who killed the old King Kongolo, who has since been venerated in the form of a python. In the 16th ...

Mask offering the physiognomy of a primate. Kaolin residues. This sculpted work indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society made up of different ranks, and which were joined by the wives whose husbands had reached the third level, that of ngandu . Height including beard: 48 cm. Within the Léga, the Bwami society, open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven initiation levels, each associated with emblems. Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in DRC. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks were presented to initiates placed on a barrier and surrounded by smaller masks. The teacher guided the aspirant to a place where ...

Ex-Belgian collection of African art In accordance with the aesthetic conventions specific to African sculpture Yoruba, this statuette offers large globular eyes, and a braided hairstyle mounted in a bun. Its protective adornments are the ajebu.
Satin patina, colored highlights.
In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. This ibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of him; she can wash and feed him regularly. If she disappears, it is the remaining twin who takes over.
It also happened that a man would have ibeji carved for his wife in order to induce pregnancy, the object becoming a support for fertility. Supporting the soul of ...

This African mask with a long narrow face framed by tongues and decorated with horns is plated with metal. The slats, nailed to the surface and accompanied by circular motifs, are streaked with hatching. Matte brown patina. Small accidents. In African art, the Marka, Maraka in Bamana, Warka, or Sarakolé, are Muslim city dwellers of Soninke origin, established in the south of Niger, scattered since the end of the Ghana empire in Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. They now speak Bamana and have adopted many Bambara traditions, such as the Ntomo and the Kore, initiation societies that used masks during their ceremonies. The Bambara and Marka sculptors of African art are part of the Numuw, who are not tied to an ethnic group and are free to settle wherever they wish.

In addition to their weapons, prestige objects and funerary sculpture, the Sundi used, individually and collectively, conjuration fetishes often equipped with a magical charge. The latter forms an agglomerate of disparate materials on the subject's back, extended by a sausage of cloth around the kidneys. Smooth marbled patina, blackish residues. 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 a codified gesture related to their vision of the world.

African Art Songye
The African initiation masks of the Songye .
In the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, this type of female mask "kalyanga" which offers finely striated planes accentuating its volumes, is still worn today with a long costume and a long beard of natural fibers, during masked rituals. Matte patina, minor abrasions and desiccation cracks.
Height on base: 60 cm. Three variants of this type of Kifwebe mask (pl. Bifwebe) or "hunting death" (Roberts) can be distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest or even absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River. They are governed by the yakitengé ...