Decorated with the cruciform incision chingeleyele inspired by the Maltese cross of the Portuguese, this African mask , a small fetish object, refers to the ancestor pwo. Satin orange-brown patina. Height on base: 36 cm. Peacefully settled in eastern Angola until the 16th century, the Chokwe were then subjected to the Lunda empire from which they inherited a new hierarchical system and the sacredness of power. The African Chokwe pwo masks, 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. Together with their male counterparts, chihongo recognizable by their large, tray-shaped headdress, the pwo are supposed to bring fertility and ...
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150.00 €
African art Kongo. This type of African mask would have been the prerogative of the nganga, priest-soothsayer. The glazed gaze would reflect mediumistic abilities, which the Kongo believed to promote through the use of hallucinogenic substances. This type of mask was called ngobudi. Abraded matte patina, cracks from drying. Height on base: 54 cm. These mediator masks, also present in initiatory processes, were used by fetishists during healing rituals. At the same time, they also served to identify individuals who, through their actions, could disrupt the harmony of the community. In the 13th century, the Kongo people, led by their king Ne Kongo, settled in a region at the crossroads between present-day DRC, Angola and Gabon. The "ntotela" king controlled the ...
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180.00 €
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 copy, which does not have any, takes up the feminine aesthetic criteria in use, finesse of the features, keloids in relief, filed teeth. Velvety dark patina, gaps, erosions. 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 counterparts, ...
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Collection of African art by the artist Amadeo Plaza Garcés. African mask with a moralistic aim, this mask of the Pende established in upper Kwango, Pende Mbangu or Bwala-Bwala, illustrates the result of facial paralysis caused by witchcraft rituals. He dances among masks embodying other characters. The dancer who wears this comedy mask is wearing a hat made of gifuatu guinea fowl, coucal or turaco feathers, or lumbandu, a crown of leaves. He is also often equipped with a hump on his back, exaggerating the disabled appearance of the character. Matte patina, minor abrasions. The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Easterners have established themselves on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. The Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten ...
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According to Marc Léo Félix, this late type of African mask named by the locals "la Belle Madeleine", would have followed from the end of the 19th century the representations of female ancestors. This mediating mask would embody a Catholic nun or a Marian figure. Matte patina, abrasions and small accidents. Formerly subject to the Luba, then to the Lundas, the Zela have adopted a large part of their customs and traditions. Established between the Luvua River and Lake Kisalé, they are today organized into four chiefdoms under the tutelage of leaders of Luba origin. They venerate a primordial couple frequently represented in statuary, mythical ancestors, and devote offerings to the spirits of nature. Ref.: "Luba" 5 Continents. Rooberts; "Kifwebe" F. Neyt, ed. 5Continents.
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African art of the Lwalwa. The African mask male "Shifola" is one of the masks produced by the privileged caste formed by the Lwalwa sculptors. These craftsmen, according to their merits, can become chiefs and organize dances, including the balango, during which acrobatics are performed by young dancers. These masks are then exhibited, or worn during initiation ceremonies, or to appease the spirits after an unsuccessful hunt. A rounded headdress surmounts the face marked by a nose less imposing than that, very specific, of the Mvondo, Nkaki or Mushika masks. The gaze cut into rectangles and the pointed chin remain common elements. The Lwalwa live near the Kasai River, between Angola and Zaire. Historically having a matrilineal society, the Lwalwa after having ...
View details Lualua Mask
490.00 €
French collection of African art. Old African mask of the idiok type with deformed features associated with a pathology. Black patina, cracks, slight losses. Height on base: 39 cm. The Ibibios are a people of West Africa, mainly present in the southeast of Nigeria (Akwa Ibom State), but also in Ghana, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Secret societies are numerous among the Ibibio settled west of the Cross River. Ancestor worship is under the authority of the highest-ranking members of the Ekpo. The latter use masks such as the idiok, linked to fallen spirits, and the mfon, representing saved souls. Statues and puppets are used by the ekon society, every seven years, through theatrical performances accompanied by music. The Anang also use idiok ekpo masks.
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340.00 €
African mask of initiation to the Bwami, supposed to indicate the acquisition of a certain individual wisdom and morality, and the level of initiation reached. Desiccation cracks, abrasions. Height on base: 38 cm. Within the Léga established on the west bank of the Lualaba River, in the DRC, 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. The role of chief, kindi, is held by the oldest man of the clan, who must be the highest ranking. As in other forest tribes, the men hunt and clear land while the women cultivate cassava. Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the chief owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and ...
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Songye mask of reduced format, devoid of sagittal crest. Irregular surface, abrasions, small chips. Matte patina. Height on base: 35 cm. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba, to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of the misfortunes that struck individuals. Also used by the Luba, worn with a long costume and a long beard made of natural fibers, the Kifwebe masks acted as secret police in favor of power. They also appeared during crucial stages of initiation ceremonies.< br>
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French collection of African art A long bifid beak extends this African mask Dan. The Dan populations of the north called Yacouba of Ivory Coast and the Maou of Touba (Maouka), after having borrowed them from the neighboring Mandé people, use them in secret male ceremonies including the Koma of the Maou and the Poro society of the Dan. Among the Dan it is also called a singing mask, accompanied by a small orchestra during entertainment festivals. Height on base: 46 cm. For the Dan of Côte d'Ivoire, a Malinké people also called Yacouba, two very distinct worlds oppose each other: that of the village, made up of its inhabitants, its animals, and that of the forest, its vegetation and the animals and spirits that populate it. Different types of Dan masks have ...
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290.00 €
In African art, sowei masks, the feminine ideal in the Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This African mask named Bundu is here topped with a mini pot. The face is concentrated in the lower part, while a high braided hairstyle, miter type, rises. The face seems squeezed into a neck where the folds represent an abundance of flesh, symbol of prosperity. Painted black or tinted with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Matte black patina, filmy residue. The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures, of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea, are known for the helmet masks of the Sandé female initiation society which prepares young girls for marriage. The male society is the Poro society. A relatively rare occurrence in sub-Saharan Africa, these masks are ...
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450.00 €
Variant of the large African mask suku kakungu, this mask has large eye sockets or hanging cheeks, framing a straight nose overhanging a narrow mouth. Matte patina, dry, abrasions. The Suku and Yaka ethnic groups recognize common origins and have the same social structure as well as similar cultural practices. They can only be differentiated by their stylistic variations. The mukanda is the name given to all the rites around the initiation ceremony of young pubescents, consecrating the end of childhood and shared by many communities. The suku kakungu masks are known to be among the largest masks in Black Africa. These masks supposed to control the rain were brought out during initiation rites but if they did not participate in any dance they jumped and gesticulated. ...
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240.00 €
In African art, sowei masks, the feminine ideal in the Mende culture, embody aquatic spirits. This African mask named Bundu shows a face nestled in a fleshy neck, a symbol of prosperity. Painted black or stained with a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Matte grayish brown patina, minor cracks and abrasions. The Mende, Vai and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for the helmet masks of the Sandé female initiation society that prepares young girls for marriage. The male society is the Poro society. Relatively rare in sub-Saharan Africa, these masks are made by men and worn by women. ("African art" Kerchache and "African masks from the Barbier-Mueller collection" coll. Adam Biro)
Stylized African art of the forest tribes. African masks were brought to ceremonies, or reserved as protective amulets. Old and rare example offering inverted faces. Erosions. The Lengola, are established near the Metoko in the center of the Congolese basin between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers, people of the primary forest dedicated to the worship of a single God, monotheism rare in Africa. Their society, the Bukota, welcoming both men and women, is the equivalent of the Bwami association of the Lega. Their sculptures, subject to the influence of the neighboring Mbole, Lega and Binja, played a role during initiation, funeral or circumcision ceremonies, and were then placed on the tomb of high-ranking initiates. Each of these figures had a name and a meaning for educational ...
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This African Ngbaka mask features large eye sockets in which cowrie shells appear, and features a toothed mouth. Heterogeneous abraded patina, erosions, gaps. Desication crack. Height on base: 43 cm. Tribe settled on the left bank of the Ubangui, the Ngbaka practice agriculture, and their artistic achievements were inspired by those of the neighboring tribes Ngbandi and Ngombe , with a distinctive feature however, the line of the forehead dotted with linear keloids. They are organized in tribes without political unity, under the tutelage of the chief wan and worship a god named Gale through the worship rendered to the spirits of nature. Young people are prepared for adult life through rituals called " gaza" and trained by ancient initiates, the bugaza. Their statues usually ...
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Mask of modest size associated with the diviner-healer, whose gaze is whitened and teeth cut. Polychrome matte patina. Present along the Gabonese coast, the Vili broke away from the Kongo kingdom in the 16th century and the Loango kingdom became a powerful state. Now urbanized for the most part, they still integrate traditional associations, depending on the worship of ancestors such as Mbouiti or Bieri. Like the Kongo group, in order to protect themselves against witchcraft and various plagues, they produce a wide variety of nkisi-type magic ritual objects. Their masks are used by the Ndunga or Djembe association, but also for the funerals of dignitaries and during traditional initiations. Still others are reserved for diviners. The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the ...
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This type of "mask of bravery" (Tehe gla) was shared by the Western Bete, the Nyabwa and the We. Upholstery nails and brass leaves highlight the structure of the mask. Satin black patina, minor erosions and cracks. Height on base: 47 cm. The Dan, in the north, and the Wé of the south (Krou group including the Guéré, the Wobé of the northeast and the Wé of Liberia called Kran or Khran), made use of frequent loans due to their proximity. The elements of the bush, protruding volumes of the forehead, horns and fangs, zoomorphic jaw in certain cases evoking the gaping mouth of an animal creature, are associated with human features marking the duality of the divine. Before the 1960s, masks, whose creation was inspired by visits from spirits during dreams, accompanied most ...
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280.00 €
Three variants of this mask Kifwebe ( pl. Bifwebe) or "chasing death" (Roberts), of the society of the same name, are distinguished: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low or even absent crest, and finally the tallest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, seems to come from the border zone between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. They are worn by a Kifwebe dancer in a state of "bwadi" trances, accessorized with a long braided costume and a long adornment in natural fibers attached to the contours of the mask, during major ceremonies. Height on base: 36 cm. The Songye came from the Shaba region in the DRC and settled along the Lualaba River in the middle of savannah and forests. They are ...
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190.00 €
Ex-collection of French tribal art, the name of the collector will be communicated to the purchaser. Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the Katsinam sculpted objects (song. Kachina ) intervene during the traditional dances organized for the annual festivals in favor of rain. This Hopi-type crest mask, flanked by mobile flattened muffle ears, is painted with colored flat areas in accordance with Indian traditions. Polychrome matte patina, abrasions and desiccation cracks.
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480.00 €
Embodying a spirit, this African Mossi mask offers stylized zoomorphic elements. The geometric patterns are enhanced with an abraded polychrome patina. The black patina was originally obtained from charcoal and gum tree pods. The mask holder and his family worshiped the object through offerings such as millet beer, while invoking its protection. The Mossi masks, personal or lineage, constitute an incarnation of tutelary spirits offering their support. They perform at burials, funerals of clan chiefs, protect crops. True altars without their costume, they can receive libations such as millet beer to honor the ancestors. Their appearance is now frequent during entertainment shows. Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is made up of the descendants of the Nakomse invaders, ...
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Ex-French collection of tribal decoration The Yupik ritual masks illustrate the artistic expressionism of the ceremonial art of the Eskimo peoples, characterized by their matte polychromy. The Arctic regions of North America, known as "Inuit Nunangat", are home to the Inuit people, closely related to the Yupitt and Yupiks of Alaska and Siberia. The Yupik and Inuit, while respecting certain traditional conventions, create a variety of ceremonial masks in terms of size and aesthetics. On each occasion, guided by a dream, the shaman communicates to the carver the specific function and form of the required mask, which he himself will wear. These masks are associated with the souls, or "yua", of different animals or fish, and their use is accompanied by rituals intended to ...
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