African Arts Gallery

French African art collection.
African sculpture depicting a seated subject, whose hands conceal the mouth. The gesture could refer to a proverb. From the top of the hollowed head points the end of a cord. Brown satin patina, abrasions of use, shine (base).
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.

Source: "the ...

A subgroup of the Akan people present in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the Yaoure created masks on which the influence of the Baule and Gouro style can be read, and vice versa. This African mask is surmounted by a figure of a drinking bird.
Beautiful patina of use, partially abraded, slight residues of polychrome pigments. This example, which could be attributed to the Anoman group, Lomane , (bird) is part of the fourth of the seven I masks that originally danced around the deceased and bent over until it touched him for purifying purposes. It also appears currently during celebrations. The African art masks Yaouré , or Yauré , of which the Baoulé possess almost analogous models, are divided into two groups that are difficult to differentiate, the je , sometimes with the ...

This Chokwe or Lwena statuette, associated with the Hamba type therapeutic cult, embodies a female ancestor. These figures were arranged around the muyombo altar, a tree at the foot of which sacrifices and offerings were once made. Sculptures made in sticks or poles (Mbunji or mbanji) planted in the ground were also associated with it. The related ethnic groups had this same type of altar, a witness before which rituals, oaths and important transactions were concluded.
Beautiful abraded dark brown patina, desication cracks. Of Lunda origin, the Lwena emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repulsed by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, others, the Lovale, found refuge in Zambia. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena became known for ...

Everyday objects in African art.
A functional accessory for ritual ceremonies, this sculpted spoon offers a deep bowl in the shape of a cone extended by a flat, curved handle. Fine parallel streaks form intersecting patterns on the matte surface. Velvety patina, abrasions from use.
Height on base: 30 cm.
Disseminated in the Saharan region of Libya, Mali, Algeria and Niger, the Tuareg (sing.: Targui), or "Veiled Men", come from Berber pastors fleeing the Arabs in Libya in the 7th century. The targui blacksmith also carves wood, this being a rare material, the carved objects which are often repaired to prolong their use are part of the dowry.
Ref. : "Black Africa, 1" J. Anquetil.

The dolls of the Namji or Dowayo , a people of animist mountain people living in northern Cameroon, have recently become known. This stylized anthropomorphic figure, standing on bowed legs that the shoulders reproduce, has a long neck and a reduced head, topped with a crest. Fine necklaces of glass beads encircle the body and a small sachet-talisman accompanies the ornaments.
Glossy, velvety patina.
These African tribal dolls are carved in wood by the blacksmith, initially for the play of little girls. But these dolls are mainly used by sterile women in complex fertility rituals, the doll becoming a surrogate child that they will treat as such. In some cases the groom offered it to his future wife, the doll representing their future offspring. The decoration of the doll can ...

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 ...

Protruding forehead marked with a rib joining the nasal bridge, flat and horizontal eyelids, incised, and fine intersecting teeth on full lips. The gaze is punctuated by a series of small perforations. This is a variant of the African mask named Gela, Geh-Naw, from the Bassa group in Liberia. Old speckled patina.
The Bassa group of Liberia is established on the coastal region, more particularly around Grand-Bassa. Its culture and its artistic production have been influenced by the Dan and the neighboring Kpellé, who speak the Mandé language. The Bassa have female and male initiation societies, including the chu-den-zo which gave birth to this type of sculptural creation. The geh-naw mask, or gela, was worn on the dancer's forehead, attached to a wicker frame, accompanied by fabrics ...

The "inverted doubles" in the sculptures of African tribal art of the Baule
. Male figure representing a carefully detailed standing figure.

About sixty ethnic groups populate the Ivory Coast, including the Baoulé,in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed ritual cults and sculpted masks. Two types of statues are produced by the Baoulé , Baulé, in the ritual framework: The Waka-Sona statues, "being of wood" in Baoulé, evoke an assié oussou, being of the earth. They are part of a type of statues intended to be used as a medium tool by the diviners komien , the latter being selected by the spirits asye usu in order to communicate revelations from the beyond. The second type ...

Belgian African art collection
African mask said Minyangi , a reduced version of the giphogo , marking the right to collect fees from subordinate chiefs following circumcision rituals. This mask has become flatter over time to fit the chieftain's hutch door. The growths on the top do not represent horns, but symbolize the arms of the chief.
The Pende Westerners live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Easterners have 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 on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief, the ...

African mask known as Minyangi , a smaller version of the giphogo , marking the right to receive fees from subordinate chiefs following circumcision rituals. This mask became flatter over time to fit the door of the chieftaincy hut. The protrusions at the top do not represent horns, but symbolize the arms of the chief. Matt polychrome patina. Slightly missing.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba, and Salempasu have been imprinted on their extensive tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the realistic Mbuya masks, produced every ten years, have a festive function, and embody different ...

African mask known as Minyangi marking the right to receive fees from subordinate chiefs following circumcision rituals. This mask has become flatter over time to fit the door of the chieftaincy hut. The protrusions at the top do not represent horns, but symbolize the arms of the chief. Abraded matt patina. Misses on the contours. Height on base: 40 cm.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba, and Salempasu have been imprinted on their extensive tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity, the realistic Mbuya masks, produced every ten years, have a festive function, and embody different characters, ...

In African art, sowei masks, a feminine ideal in Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This janiform mask forms an example of the most important type of mask called bundu among the Mendé. The face is concentrated in the lower part, while a high braided, mitre-like hairstyle rises. The face seems encased in a neck where the folds represent an abundance of flesh, a symbol of prosperity.
Painted black or tinted with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Velvety matte patina, abrasions and desication cracks.br> The Mende, Vai and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for the helmet masks of the female initiation society Sandé which prepares young girls for the marriage . The male society is the Poro ...

Ex-collection german african art.
Small african mask of reduced volume depicting an animal. In its more important version, it was worn in company of a circular kifwebe mask accessorized with a voluminous raffia collar that concealed the dancer. This type of mask forms a fetish sculpture with a protective purpose. These masks occurred during different traditions: investitures, funerals, and rites against witchcraft in the different initiatory societies. In the eastern part of the Luba region, important ceremonies take place in homage to the ancestors of the clan, deceased chiefs, and to the new moon. Offerings are then made to nature spirits, who act as intermediaries between the group and the ancestors.

Ci wara mask in carved wood representing a single schematic silhouette of antelopes whose heads emerge in superposition. The refined sculpture is devoid of ornamentation. Eroded wood, metal pupils. Established in central and southern Mali, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers", as the Muslims have called them, belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and the Malinke. Sculpted by the blacksmith numu, who also plays the role of diviner and healer, this crest embodies the animal - genius Ciwara or "wild animal of the earth", who is said to have learned the Bambara to cultivate the land. Worn at the top of the skull and held in place by a basketry hat, these crests accompanied the dancers during the rituals of the tòn, an association dedicated to agricultural work. The masks ...

This knife, also called Trumbash, whose double-edged, curved blade is shared with a raised rib, has a wooden handle. A weapon of combat and prestige, it could also form a popular accessory during ritual dance ceremonies. Established in the forest in the northeast of Zaire, between Bomokandi and the Uele river, the Mangbetu kingdom expressed itself through architectural works that fascinated European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, ornaments, pottery and statuary were imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. Several groups established in the south of Uele were placed from 1820 under the authority of the Mangbetu kingdom: Bangaba, Makere, Mamvu, etc... A profusion of prestigious objects, as well as utilitarian objects, were produced for the dignitaries . From 1892, ...

Weapons, jewellery, coins, metal objects are inseparable from traditional African art. Metallurgy is intimately associated with the founding myths in many African cultures, such as blacksmiths who became kings (Zaire), the hammer anvil being the symbol of power among the Luba. Cult accessories, metal alloy gongs, some highly decorated, take on a wide variety of shapes. This double gong, in its simplicity, was a sacred instrument and the emblem of one of the many male societies of the people of Grassland, the Kwifoyn , whose headquarters adjoined the royal palace. The tinkling of wooden chopsticks on hollow metal heralded the beginning of ceremonies: communication with the supernatural world, ancestors, deities, could be established. Also objects of prestige, they accompanied the respect ...

Circular box made of wickerwork, with a lid that fits together. The dense, elaborate weaving incorporates certain geometric patterns borrowed from scarification, also visible on shoowa raffia textiles. The inner edge of the lid is missing.

The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestige objects created for the higher ranks of their society. The Lele live to the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural characteristics with the Bushoong of Kuba country. Both groups decorate their prestige objects with similar motifs.
The extremely organized and hierarchical Kuba society placed at its center a king or nyim inspiring the statuary of the ethnic group.
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Source: Kuba, ed. 5continents, Binkley and Darish.

African mask from Ivory Coast and animal symbolism in African art. A face with fine features surmounted by an animal subject composes this African Gouro mask. The whole is painted in luminous tones. Desication crack, small chips.
Among the group of Mande from the south, in the center of Côte d'Ivoire, on the banks of the Bandama, the Gouro animists have used since the 1950s a family of masks associated at the Zaouli dance . Indeed, like the African Goli masks of the Baoulé, the set of Guro masks, relating to the geniuses of nature, comes in two zoomorphic masks followed by a third anthropomorphic, which is considered to be the wife of the mask zamblé , the Gu . The Gu , whose function is apotropaic, represents a young woman endowed with the criteria of beauty specific to the ...

This African mask has a rounded forehead that is divided vertically by a prominent scarification, a particularity of the region between the Guro and the Bétés. The rounded horns distinguish this example. This mask, whose function remains poorly documented, would symbolize male strength, and perhaps also a powerful notable called "migone". Black satin patina, abrasions. An indigenous restoration is to be noted at the base of one of the horns.
The Bété form a tribe established on the left bank of the Sassandra River in southwestern Côte d'Ivoire. Close to the Kouya and the Niabwa, the workmanship of their masks, as well as their function, offers great similarities.

"Guro" ed. 5Continents.

Minimalism for this anthropomorphic figure in black iron. A graceful male figure that seems to be propelled by contrast thanks to the size of its body. Crusty mottled patina. The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name "Lobi", make up one fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Although they are not very numerous in Ghana, they have also settled in the north of the Ivory Coast. It was at the end of the eighteenth century that the Lobi , coming from northern Ghana, settled among the indigenous Thuna and Puguli, the Dagara , the Dian , the Gan and the Birifor . The Lobi believe in a creator God named Thangba Thu, to whom they turn through the worship of numerous intermediate spirits, the Thil, the latter being supposed to protect them, with the help of the ...

African sculpture of Dogon inspiration depicting a man riding his mount. Thick grainy patina, gaps and erosions.
The frequent representations of riders among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men, resurrected by the creator god Amma, descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he was not to set foot on the ground. In the region of the cliffs of Sangha, inaccessible on horseback, the priests wore it, while neighing in reference to the mythical ancestor Nommo.