African Arts Gallery

Belgian collection of African art
This African mask of Mbuya initiation is decorated with a basketwork headdress and raffia canvas. Its patina results from a mixture of ocher bark and palm oil.
This mask comes from the collection of Monsieur Urbain, collector and expert in Pende art.
The western Pende are found on the banks of the Kwilu, while the eastern Pende are established on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. Their large tribal art sculpture is infused with influences from neighboring ethnic groups such as the Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu. Among this artistic diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic and produced every ten years, have a festive function and embody a variety of characters difficult to discern without their costume. Among ...

Collection of BelgianAfrican art, the name will be communicated to the buyer.
This African initiation mask, Mbuya, comes from the Pende of the West, where the Yaka influence is notable through the slightly upturned nose, and the line of the eyebrows recalls the features of the neighboring Chokwe. This mask symbolizes the masculine and feminine qualities of the leader. The Western Pende are established on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern Pende reside on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. Their tribal sculpture is marked by the influence of neighboring ethnic groups such as Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu.
Within this cultural diversity, the Mbuya masks, realistic and produced every ten years, have a festive function. They embody different ...

African statuette depicting a founding ancestor and mythical hero, Chibinda Ilunga, wearing the chipangula, an attribute of chiefs. The chiefs had a major function in the propitiation rites intended for hunting and the fertility of women.

Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subject to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. Three centuries later, they ended up seizing the capital of the Lunda weakened by internal conflicts, thus contributing to the dismantling of the kingdom. The Chokwé did not have centralized power but large chiefdoms. It was they who attracted artists wishing to put their know-how at the exclusive service of the court. The artists created so many ...

Ex-Belgian collection of African art African statuette associated with the ancestor and mythical hero, founder of the ethnic group, Chibinda Ilunga. The head, with oversized palms and feet, has a noble headdress with curved side wings (cipenya-mutwe), wicker frame covered with fabric, brass, leather, and pearls. The chief had taught his people the art of hunting.
Brilliant nuanced brown patina, erosions and desiccation cracks.
The Tschokwe, of Bantu culture, had established themselves in eastern Angola, but also in the Congo and Zambia. Following different alliances, they mingled with the Lunda who taught them hunting. Their social organization also affected Tschokwe society. The Tschokwe, however, ended up dominating the Lunda, whose kingdom was dismantled at the end of ...

This statuette, symbol of power, would feature the mythical ancestor founder of the ethnic group, Chibinda Ilunga wearing his impressive adornment. This type of figure, represented without the hunter's accessories, is called mwanangana (chief statue). Easily recognizable by this ample headdress with curved side fins (cipenya-mutwe), he had taught his people the art of hunting. Skate rather clear, dull, abraded. Slight cracks.
Paisiblely settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sanctity of power. Nevertheless, the Chokwé never fully embraced these new social and political contributions. Three centuries later, they eventually seized the capital of the Lunda, ...

African masks Lwalwa, Lwalu.
It is near the Kasai River that the Lwalwa live, between Angola and Zaire. Historically having a matrilineal society, the Lwalwa, after being influenced luba and songye, adopted a patrilineal system within their rudimentary political and social organization. The male mask nkaki, nkaaki, carved from wood mulela, is one of four types of masks produced by the privileged caste formed by their sculptors. These craftsmen, according to their merits, can become conductors and organize dances, including the balango, during which acrobatics are performed by young dancers. These masks are then displayed, or worn during initiation ceremonies, or to soothe the spirits after an unsuccessful hunt.
A conical hairstyle painted with geometric patterns overcomes a ...

The result of cooperation between the nganga, the sculptor and the client, this African statuette songye was loaded with bishimba elements and accessories intended to reinforce its action. Brown patina, cracks and losses.
The fetish Songye, protective sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures belong 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 history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through common ancestors.

British Traditional African Art Collection.
Among the wide range of Songye sculptures, details distinguish this Songye statuette such as the horn inserted into the head at the tip, and the tiny metal crown at the top. The magic power of the bankishi, (sing. Nkishi) is supposed to be reinforced thanks to the addition of accessories, talismans, metallic elements, seeds, shells. The abdominal cavity is filled with a magical charge that can be made up of therapeutic ingredients. Glossy patina, desication cracks.
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. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to which they are related through common ancestors.
Very ...

French African art collection
This female bust, which embodies a spiritual medium, has a flat face bordered by a tiara and an ample concave circular headdress. Therapeutic and magical substances were placed in the cupule at the top. The attitude, hands on breasts, indicates that the secrets of royalty (the bizila) belong to women thanks to their role as political and spiritual intermediaries. Satin black patina. Lack.
The Luba (Baluba in Chiluba) are a people of Central Africa. Their cradle is Katanga, more precisely the region of the Lubu river, thus the name (Baluba, which means “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 revered in the form of a ...

African sculpture Yela featuring two faceted characters standing back to back, separating from the bust, and of which two massive blocks form the feet. The heads, cut in diamond, have just incised features.
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. The lilwa , an association with dogmatic initiation rites, used to judge and sentence to hanging those guilty of violations of the imposed rules. These offenses ranged from murder to adultery to breaking the secrecy surrounding the lilwa. Dishonored, the bodies of the condemned enjoyed no funeral and were buried in the forest. It was during the ceremonies at the end of the initiation, ...

Singular African statuette whose anatomy is feminine but whose head represents a chief from the Moxico region, wearing the chipangula cheffale. The chiefs indeed had a major function in the propitiation rites intended for hunting and the fertility of women. Applications of castor oil and coloring plant decoctions were generally applied to Chokwe sculptures.
Glossy patina, minor cracks.

Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subject to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. Three centuries later, they ended up seizing the capital of the Lunda weakened by internal conflicts, thus contributing to the dismantling of the kingdom. The Chokwé did not have centralized power ...

Collection of African tribal art by the painter Amadeo Plaza Garcès.
Voluminous African mask gelede of the zoomorphic type. In Nigeria, also in Benin, this ram mask worn on top of the head was used for the rejoicing dances of the Gelede society, and on the occasion of the funerals of its followers. These masks are produced in pairs, each with a specific name, and the sculpted subjects are often associated with proverbs and have a didactic role. Patina of use, erosions. Desiccation cracks.
The Gelede country in Nigeria pays homage to mothers, especially the oldest among them, whose powers are said to be comparable to those of the Yoruba gods, or orisa , and ancestors, osi and who can be used for the benefit but also for the misfortune of society. In the latter case ...

Always worn by initiates of higher rank, these African masks embodying a female ancestor mwana pwo were often adorned with buttons and accessories of European origin. This sober copy takes up the feminine aesthetic criteria in use, finesse of the features, keloids in relief, filed teeth. Cracks, glossy black patina.
Height on base: 31 cm.
Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwé were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. African Chokwe pwo masks, among the many akishi (sing: mukishi, indicating power) masks of African Chokwe art, embody an ideal of beauty, Mwana Pwo, or the woman Pwo and appear nowadays during festive ceremonies. Joined to their male ...

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.

Devoted to the Lemba cult, a religious association seeking, among various objectives, family harmony, these subjects represented standing have the glazed gaze of Kongo nkisi fetishes. Matte black patina. Cracks, minor erosions (base).
Established near the Woyo on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean between the former Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Republic of Congo, the Kakongo carved works related to proverbs. Their statues were frequently equipped with magical charges such as the nkisi fetishes of the Kongo of the northwest. They additionally produced female figures and maternity wards. 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. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced ...

French African art collection.
Ample kilume mask, provided with a summit crest and whose slightly asymmetrical features arise from the oblique plane of the face. Wide streaks, in abraded colours, enliven the surface.
Abrasions and gaps on the internal edges.
Three types of African mask Kifwebe are listed: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) would present a more modest or even absent crest, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi).
Also practiced by the Luba, the cult kifwebe ("mask" in Songye) acted as a secret police in favor of power, so as to control individuals through magic. Worn with a long costume and a long beard made of natural fibers, Kifwebe masks also appeared during crucial stages of initiation ceremonies, ...

Used as an amulet credited with apotropaic virtues, this small bronze sculpture constitutes, for the Sao, a talisman worn permanently, supposed to protect them from madness. The genius who possesses the madman is represented by the rider, the horse representing the victim. This horseman wearing a cheche rides an equine which was a rare attribute of prestige in these regions of the Sahel.
The Sao, ancestors of the Kotoko, were established between the 12th and 14th centuries in a geographical area extending over the borders between Chad, northern Cameroon and Nigeria. They established themselves on hills, which enabled them to repel invaders. Subjected to successive attacks from their neighbors in Kanem and then to hordes from the East, the Sao had to abandon their lands to settle ...

Miniature in bronze alloy depicting a rider on his mount, the latter representing an exceptional attribute of prestige in the arid regions of the Sahel. This talisman constitutes, for the Sao, a protection against madness. The rider symbolizes the genius who possesses the madman, the horse representing the victim.
Between the 12th and 14th centuries, the Sao, ancestors of the Kotoko, were established on hills in the border regions of Chad, northern Cameroon and Nigeria, in order to repel invaders. Subjected to successive attacks from their neighbors in Kanem and then to hordes from the East, the Sao had to abandon their lands to settle in the North-West of Cameroon where they mixed with the natives, thus giving birth to the Kotokos. The Kotoko still attribute today to the copper ...

Ex-French African art collection Among the many African akishi masks (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African tribal art Chokwe, the powerful male counterpart of the Mwana mask Pwo is the cihongo. These miniature masks are worn on costumes or the initiation headdress.
Always worn by dancers of royal blood, this mask with a very specific structure, embodying a spirit, symbolizes power and wealth. He also occasionally intervened in judgments.
Abraded matte patina, chips. Height on base: 38 cm.

The masks of the Chokwe, Luda, Luvale/Lwena, Luchazi and Mbunda clans are called "makishi" (sing. likishi) in Zambia. This name comes from "kishi", a Bantu concept that evokes the manifestation of a spirit or an ancestor. These agents of social, moral and spiritual ...

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.