The Ngbaka, Ngbandi and Ngombe have scarification on their foreheads that extends to the nasal bridge, the crenellation is repeated here on the eyebrow line and runs under the eye sockets. This type of mask appeared in pairs during the Gaza initiations of the Ngbandi. Erosions. Height on base: 56 cm. In the northwest of Zaire, south of the Oubangui, on the banks of the Lualaba, live the 120,000 Bantu-speaking Ngombe, led by a chief and a warrior society Elombe. Their neighbors are the Ngbandi and the Ngbaka whose statuary has had an influence on their tribal sculpture, and various Banda groups. Their masks, sometimes of geometric appearance, are used during the rites of the Mani society. They also produce hunting fetiches with protective purposes, and prestige objects ...
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160.00 €
The African mask Mbole comes into play during the funeral of Lilwa dignitaries or is used by the blacksmith during circumcision rituals. The eyes and mouth are cut into the flat surface, the forehead and nose forming a slight relief. Polychrome matte patina. Height on base: 44 cm. 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 breaches of the imposed rules, which however remained exceptional. These offenses ranged from murder to adultery to breaking the secrecy surrounding the lilwa. Dishonored, the bodies of the condemned ...
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An emblem of feminine beauty, always worn by initiates of higher rank, this African mask embodying an ancestor is decorated with a headdress representing that, modeled in clay, of the Tschokwe women. Dark brown satin patina. Abrasions. Height on base: 36 cm. The African masks Chokwe pwo, among the many akishi masks (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African Chokwe art, embody an ideal of beauty, Mwana Pwo, or the Pwo woman and appear today during festive ceremonies. The pwo are supposed to bring fertility and prosperity to the community. The characteristic motifs present on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are part of the Chokwe aesthetic canons but also served as public markers of ethnic identity. The recurring cruciform frontal motif would also have a cosmogonic ...
View details Chokwe mask
180.00 €
Ex-French collection of African art African mask Kwele Pipibuze, Pipibudze, ("the man") symbolizing the light and clairvoyance required to overcome witchcraft. The zoomorphic attributes evoke the antelope or duinker, the main game of the kwele region. This type of mask was not always intended to be worn, but decorated the walls of the huts. Two-tone patina, erosions. Depending on the presence of horns and their arrangement, the masks are called pibibudzé, Ekuku zokou, etc... and are associated with the ancestors or spirits of the forest, " ekuk ". A 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, ...
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280.00 €
French collection of African art . Mask depicting an imaginary creature with deformed features. It would seem that some lateral elements (ears?) have come loose. Matt patina of use, cracks and erosions. Height on base: 40 cm. The Ijo live mainly from fishing and agriculture on the southern coast of Nigeria, their villages are located in marshy areas west of the Nun River. References to their warlike and commercial past abound in reliquaries, rituals and masked celebrations. Their masks and other artistic productions are intended to honor the aquatic spirits, otojo, whom they venerate and to whom sacrifices were intended. The fishermen had to be careful not to offend these spirits, otherwise they could unleash their wrath on the various dangerous animal species in the region, such as ...
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African animal mask associated with the secrets of the bush. Lustrous patina of use, abraded on the corners. Cracks of desiccation. Established in central and southern Mali, in a savannah zone, the Bambara, "Bamana" or "unbelievers" as the Muslims have called them, belong to the large Mande group, along with the Soninke and the Malinke. Mostly farmers, but also breeders, they make up the largest ethnic group in Mali. Groups of Bambara artisans nyamakala , more specifically the blacksmiths named numu , are in charge of sculpting ritual objects, endowed with nyama , occult energy. Using fire and magical objects, the role of healer and diviner is also attributed to them Six male associations, the Dyow , using Bambara masks, structure the Bambara community: young people first ...
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150.00 €
Belgian collection of African art Lustrous red-brown patina. Abrasions and minor accidents. The Chokwe pwo masks are among the many akishi (or mukishi, for the singular) masks of Chokwe African art . They embody an ideal of feminine beauty, symbolized by Mwana Pwo , or the Pwo woman, and are often presented during festive ceremonies. Pwo masks are associated with fertility and prosperity, playing an important role in community life. This mask is accompanied here by its braided raffia headdress. The characteristic motifs present on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are essential elements of Chokwe aesthetic canons. They also served as public markers of ethnic identity. The recurring cruciform frontal motif has a cosmogonic significance, according to some ...
View details Chokwe Mask
br>African Chokwe pwo masks, among the many akishi masks (sing: mukishi, indicating power) of African Chokwe tribal art, are exclusively female representations which were accompanied by accessories and finery. Together with their male counterparts, cihongo recognizable by their large plate-shaped headdress, the pwo must bring fertility and prosperity to the community. The characteristic patterns present on the forehead, and sometimes on the cheekbones, are part of the Chokwe aesthetic canons but also served as public markers of ethnic identity. This recurring cruciform frontal motif would also carry a cosmogonic significance. Always worn by initiates of higher rank, these feminine masks were often decked out with buttons and accessories of European origin. Teeth cut to a point used to ...
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190.00 €
Ex-collection of French tribal decoration. Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the Katsinam sculpted objects (song. Kachina ) are expressed during traditional dances accompanying the annual festivals in favor of rain. This Hopi-inspired mask has a helmet framed by a beak and mobile ears. The colors would indicate the nature of the spirit represented. The patina is matte, abrasions and cracks.
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390.00 €
Ex-German collection of African art . Crest mask of a rare type, with a satin, polychrome patina that varies from pink to orange with dark highlights. Kaolin encrustations remain on the surface. An orifice crosses the part to the top of the cap. Minor cracking. The Idoma established themselves at the confluence of the Benué and the Niger. Numbering 500,000, they are made up of farmers and traders. The neighborhood and therefore the influences of the Igbo, those of the Cross River and Igala ethnic groups have generated stylistic borrowings. Royal lineage members of their oglinye society, glorifying courage, use masks and crests during funerals and festivities. They also produced fertility statues with whitened faces and displaying incised teeth. Janiform crests are ...
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240.00 €
Borrowed from the Igbo of the Cross River, Idoma crest masks also relate to warrior masquerades. A double rattan rim forms the base of the mask symbolizing a water spirit, anjenu,. The scarification which divides the forehead is typical of the Idoma, as well as the protruding scars of the temples. The Idoma settled at the confluence of the Béné and Niger. Royal lineage members of their oglinye society, glorifying courage, use masks and crests during funerals and festivities. Janiform crests are generally displayed at the funerals of notables. Members of the male Kwompten society, for their part, used statues called goemai as part of healing rituals. Crusty matt patina. Minor erosions and cracking. Ref. “Nigerian Arts” 5Continents.
The spirit of a primate is said to be embodied in this African Hemba mask split by a large jaw. Grainy black patina, cracks and chips. Height on base: 32 cm. Only two types of Hemba masks have been identified: that of an anthropomorphic type with regular features, whose pointed chin recalls statuary, and those depicting monkeys, the soko mutu, and whose functions remain little known, but which probably belonged, according to J. Kerchache, to the secret societies Bugabo and Bambudye. The smallest examples (about twenty centimeters) would have been carried by hand during rites intended for the protection of the home and fertility. During the 18th century, the Hemba settled on the vast plains of the right bank of the Lualaba. Their society is made up of large clans descended from a ...
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290.00 €
French collection of African art Small "Kpélié" mask or "jumping mask" used during initiations symbolically marking a death followed by a rebirth. This mask is said to belong to a Muslim religious society, the "Confrérie des Dattiers". Old beige gray patina, small accidents. Height on base: 40 cm. The African masks of the Sénufo are worn by male members of the Poro society, an institution that controls political and economic life. Kept in the sacred enclosure called sezang in order to hide them from the gaze of the uninitiated, their function is to honor the elders or appear at funerals. The anthropomorphic masks are said to mainly chase the spirit of the deceased from their place of residence. Named “wife of the Dô” by the Dyoula, she also took part in major Muslim ...
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370.00 €
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 ...
View details Lega mask
140.00 €
This African mask Lega indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society composed of different grades. Thick partially chipped kaolin patina. Desication cracks. Within the Léga, the Bwami society, open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. Following their exodus from Uganda during the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. The role of chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man in the clan, who must be the highest ranking. Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and irreproachable behavior. During ritual ...
French collection of African art An old African mask of flat shape, whose only relief is in the eyebrow ridge. Satin patina, colored highlights. Height on base: 40 cm. Mixed by alliance with the Lega, Ngengele and Zimba, the Songola or Babili , or Goa , are governed by the elders of the lineages. They borrowed from the Luba and Songye the institution Luhuna composed of dignitaries and that of the Bwami by their Lega wives. The Songola live from hunting and fishing, they devote themselves to sculpture although the objects associated with the cult of the Bwami come from the Lega. Among their reduced statuary, the figures of ancestors of the Nsubi society evoke those of the Mbole, other sculptures were preserved in baskets as among the Lega. Masks such as our example ...
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This African face mask embellished with upholstery nails is associated with the totemic animals of the Dan tribes. Belonging to the Kran , Dan sub-group established in a minority way in Côte d'Ivoire but especially in Liberia, it has prominent reliefs including a flat forehead, in circular visor, associated with three side panels in semicircles framing two hooked noses. The narrow, flat orbital cavities are pierced in triangles. A toothed mouth consisting of two articulated beaks, placed side by side, completes the extravagant hybrid face. Grainy two-tone patina, partially chipped, break on the front. The Kran practice an animistic religion, revere their ancestors, and are organized into a secret society called gla. This mask also appears nowadays during ceremonies ...
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Among the primitive art masks, this African mask named Nsembu was produced in male-female pairs, and was used by the Nkunda society of diviners within the clans living in the north of the Ituri region. Satin patina with kaolin residue. Abrasions. Height on base: 41 cm. The Kumu, Bakumu, Komo, live mainly in the Northeast and center of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their Bantu language is Komo or Kikomo. Several ethnic groups are closely intertwined, with similar associations: the Mbole, the Yela, the Lengola, and the Metoko. Their artistic production also has great similarities with that of the Metoko and the Lengola. Their divination masks were exhibited during the closing ceremonies of the initiation and circumcision of the young people of the nkunda society.
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Supposed to make invulnerable and in order to terrify the enemy, the African mask kpongadomba or " Pongdudu " of the Boa was ordered by the chief kumu who offered it to the most valiant warrior . It was then kept in his wife's hut. Two-tone patina, erosions. Height on base: 32 cm. Close to the Mangbetu and the Zande, the Boa inhabit the savannah in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some Boa would have used these masks for educational purposes with children since the pacification of the Uele region.
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Ex-French collection of French African art. Flanked by large pierced ears, as were once the ear flaps of the Boa of the East, and a mouth filled with scattered teeth, this African mask gave its wearer an impressive appearance. Supposed to make one invulnerable and with the aim of terrifying the enemy, the African mask kpongadomba or "Pongdudu" of the Boa was ordered by the kumu chief who offered it to the most valiant warrior. It was then kept in his wife's hut. Two-tone abraded patina. Close to the Mangbetu and the Zande, the Boa live in the savannah in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some Boa have used these masks for educational purposes with children since the pacification of the Uele region.
View details Boa Mask
Among the clans living in the north of the Uituri region, the Nkunda society of diviners used this type of African mask called Nsembu in male-female pairs. Matte patina. Height on base: 40 cm. The Kumu, Bakumu, Komo, live mainly in the Northeast and center of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their Bantu language is Komo or Kikomo. Several ethnic groups are closely intertwined, with similar associations: the Mbole, the Yela, the Lengola, and the Metoko. Their artistic production also presents great similarities with that of the Metoko and the Lengola. Their divination masks were exhibited during the closing ceremonies of the initiation and circumcision of the young people of the nkunda society. It is in fact in the Maniema region around the Lualaba River and the Great Lakes that ...