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African art - Mask:

The African mask is without question and with force, what it represents, what it embodies. It can be an ancestor, a spirit, etc. .... This is the reason why African masks are treated like humans, they are fed with offerings, they have personal sanctuaries. Most African masks are made to dance. Fang, Punu, Baule, Lega, monochrome or polychrome, zoomorphic, anthropomorphic or even hybrid, coated with kaolin, raw or with a sacrificial patina, they are linked to ritual cults, with various functions (agriculture, initiation, funerals, enthronement etc...). Some have a social, legal, police or peacemaking role.


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Igbo Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Igbo Mask

Janiform version of the African Igbo mask Agbogo Mmwo offering the classic criteria glorifying youth and beauty according to the traditional Igbo conception. Openwork discs surmount the faces.
Abraded matte patina, indigenous restoration, erosions.
The Igbo live in the forest in southeastern Nigeria. They have managed to combine a strong sense of individuality with an equally strong sense of belonging to the group. Their political system is complex and little known. The village constitutes the most important social unit, the smallest being the extended family. Each village has a high degree of autonomy and is placed under the authority of the oldest lineage chief. The religion of the Igbo includes on the one hand the god Chuku, supreme creator, considered omnipotent, omniscient ...


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390.00

Lingit Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Lingit Mask

Mask inspired by the Tlingit, Lingit, or Tide People of Canada, established in Alaska on the Pacific Northwest Coast and the islands facing it. The Lingit society is organized into tribes with a very hierarchical society and a matrilineal system. During the second half of the 19th century, masks accompanied ritual dances. Their function may have been protective. Some depict a woman wearing a labret, the prerogative of nobles, others animals known for their qualities. These subjects also decorated totems and headdresses. Matte polychrome patina, locally chipped.


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390.00

Gouro Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Gouro Mask

A bird sculpture hangs over the female face of this African mask. Polychrome satin patina. Among the group of Mande from the south, in the center of Côte d'Ivoire, the Gouro have used since the 1950s a family of African masks associated with the dance Zaouli . Indeed, like the Goli masks of the Baoulé, all the Guro masks come in two zoomorphic masks followed by a third anthropomorphic, which is considered to be the wife of the zamblé mask, the Gu . The Gu, whose function is apotropaic, represents a young woman endowed with the criteria of beauty specific to the Guro. It is while singing in honor of the zamblé that the Gu moves gracefully, following the sound of the flute.


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190.00

Urhobo Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Urhobo Mask

Appearing during major annual festivals, this African urhobo mask is associated with a water spirit (edjorame). Surmounted by a horned headdress and a head symbolizing the ohworu genius, the face embodying a nubile young girl offers lowered eyelids, a toothy mouth, and strange pointed ears. The high forehead displays scarified patterns extending over the bridge of the nose. Grainy matte patina, slight sheen.
The Urhobos, living near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, form the main ethnic group in Delta State among the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They speak Urhobo, a language of the Niger-Congo group. Together with the closely related Isoko, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures representing the spirits of nature, edjo, or founding ...


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240.00

Fang Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Fang Mask

African art among the Fang.

Formerly called Pahouins, the Fang form a very large ethnic group settled, following migrations, in Central Africa, in the three republics of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. This mask offers a realistic face, scarified, and topped with a crest. Upholstery nails carefully delineate the headdress. Satin brown patina, erosions and cracks. Height on base: 40 cm.
Linked to the cult of ancestors, the Byéri, this mask was responsible for discerning troublemakers, especially sorcerers. It comes out nowadays for entertainment festivals. It also appears now during festivals, funerals, birth celebrations, and on the occasion of an important decision within the village. It was also worn by the Fang Okak and Ntoumou, Ntumu men of Equatorial Guinea ...


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290.00

Kota Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Kota Mask

Accompanying the circumcision rites in the Ivindo valley, this type of mask had the role of entertaining or impressing by begging donations for the young people invited to the ceremonies. The wearer's costume was made of raffia fibers. Two-tone patina. Chips, abrasions, minor cracks.
The Mahongwe, Obamba, Shamayé and Sango form with the Kota a group with similar rites and society. It is in the eastern part of Gabon that they live among the forests.


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340.00

Zande Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Zande Mask

Deep mask with linear patterns forked from the nose to the upper part of the forehead. Metal teeth adorn the mouth. Zande masks were used during funeral ceremonies of the Mani society.
Irregular matte patina, erosions and small accidents.
Formerly known as "Niam-Niam" because they were considered cannibals, the tribes grouped under the name of Zande, Azandé, settled, from Chad, on the border of the DRC (Zaire), Sudan and the Central African Republic. According to their beliefs, man would be endowed with two souls, one of which transforms upon his death into the totem animal of the clan to which he belongs. The African tribal art of the Zande, or "those who own a lot of land", apart from their court art consisting of spoons, receptacles, pipes and harps, includes two types of ...


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290.00

Makonde mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Makonde mask

African face mask Makonde associated with an ancestral spirit. This sculpture is characterized by a deeply sunken look highlighting the relief of the cheekbones and the ears placed in height. The hairstyle forms a double crest. A labret deforms the upper lip. Dark satin patina.
Height on base: 37 cm.

The Makonde of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania wore helmet masks called lipiko during initiation ceremonies for young people. The Makonde venerate an ancestor, which explains the abundance of naturalistic female statuary. Besides the face masks worn during mapiko dances and ngoma ceremonies that educate young people about the demands of marriage and family life. the Makonde also produce body masks featuring the female bust. For the Makonde, the ancestors would return ...


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120.00

Pende Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Pende Mask

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 ...


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175.00

Luba mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Luba mask

Reduced mask, semi-spherical, which has similarities to the Songye masks. However, it did not perform the same function. This category of rather rare African masks are called "bifwebe". They appeared at funerals and investitures.
They performed during the ritual ceremonies of the kazanzi society, responsible for the fight against witchcraft. "Bifwebe" (Sing.: Kifwebe) would also mean, according to C. Faïk-Nzuji, "to chase death". Worn with a voluminous raffia ruff that concealed the dancer, this mask was generally danced in the company of a zoomorphic mask. Among the Luba, white is synonymous with the relationship with the spiritual world, by the evocation of the moon evoked by the circular shape of the object. Matte patina.


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160.00

Lega Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Lega Mask

Manipulated during rituals but not worn, this African mask Lega of reduced size indicated the stage that its holder had reached within theBwami, apprenticeship society composed of different grades, and which were joined by wives whose spouse had reached the third level, that of ngandu.
Within the Léga, the society of Bwami open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. Following Social recognition and authority also had to be earned individually: the leader owed his selection to his heart (mutima), good character, intelligence, and impeccable behavior. During ritual ceremonies, Idumu masks, collectively owned, were presented to initiates placed on a ...


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180.00

Luvale
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Luvale

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 order, forming a panel of different characters, sociable, aggressive, or unpredictable, in fact embody the spirit of an illustrious ancestor (male or female), their appearance manifesting itself mainly during rites mukanda, including circumcision, during which their true identity must remain hidden from the eyes of the profane.
Ocher brown velvety patina, abrasions.
Of Lunda origin, the Lwena emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, other groups ...


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140.00

Songye mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Songye mask

The asymmetry of the powerful features of this tribal mask participates in the strength that it expresses. Large bands of contrasting colors, locally abraded, mark the surface. Eroded contours. Abrasions.
 Three types of African Kifwebe art masks are listed: the masculine (kilume) generally with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) would present a more modest crest or even absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi).
Also practiced by the Luba, the cult kifwebe ("mask" in Songye) acted as a secret police force for power, so as to control individuals through magic. Worn with a long suit and a long beard made of natural fibers, Kifwebe masks additionally appeared during crucial stages of initiation ceremonies at the new moon.
The Songye came from ...


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290.00

Mossi Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Mossi Mask

This facial mask topped with a female figure is the Mossi equivalent of the African "satimbe" masks of the Dogon of Mali. This ancestor effigy is supposed to commemorate the life of an elderly woman who gave birth to children and fulfilled her obligations to her in-laws. Good condition.
The African art sculptures of the Bobo, Bwa, Kurumba and Mossi, living in Burkina Faso, frequently take up and combine stylized elements borrowed from men, animals or insects. It is the spirits of nature that are supposed to determine the well-being and prosperity of an individual, and adversity will be considered as the result of neglecting collective rites. It is therefore during different celebrations that the mask will personify a spirit of nature or that of an ancestor in order to influence ...


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490.00

Kongo Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Kongo Mask

Mask with two faces that could be associated with the primordial couple and would therefore intervene during cults glorifying mythical ancestors or during funeral ceremonies. These masks could also belong to the Lemba cult promoting understanding within the couple. Abraded matte patina. The old base can be repainted on request.
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 sculpted works related to proverbs. Their statues were frequently equipped with magical charges such as the nkisi fetishes of the Kongo of the northwest. They also produced female figures and maternities. The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombe and the Kôngo formed the ...


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280.00

Kwele Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Kwele Mask

Ex-French collection of African art African mask Kwele Pipibuze, Pipibudze, ("the man") whose physiognomy marked by gentleness symbolizes the light and clairvoyance required to counter witchcraft. Its zoomorphic attributes refer to 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 velvety patina, abrasions and desiccation crack. 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 ...


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180.00

Igbo Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Igbo Mask

Symbolizing courage, this type of large African mask produced in the Awka region, and called "the time of the brave", combines double horns and a stylized face with a mouth composed of fangs. Grainy, matte patina, minor losses and cracks.
Among the Igbo living in the forest of southeastern Nigeria, these aggressive masks, often accompanied by a motley paraphernalia of quills, raffia, palm leaves and weapons, are performed during spectacular festivals during the dry season, the most famous being the okumkpa, and at some funerals. The largest are worn by mature initiated men of the Ekpo society. Each of the mask wearers embodies a spirit whose name the mask adopts.


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390.00

"Eskimo" mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > "Eskimo" mask

Ex-French collection of tribal art.
The expressionism of Yupik ritual masks, ceremonial art of the Eskimo peoples. Yupik type mask, to hang. This mask has a joyful face coated with polychrome, matte colors. Abrasions. In the Arctic regions of North America called "Inuit Nunangat" lives the Inuit people related to the Yupitt, Yupiks, of Alaska and Siberia. The Yupik and Eskimo, Eskimo, make, while reproducing certain traditional conventions, ceremonial masks of very varied size and appearance. For each occasion, following a dream, the shaman will indicate to the sculptor the function and shape of the required mask and that he will wear himself. The masks are associated with the "yua" souls of different animals or fish, which should be honored through rituals.


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380.00

Yoruba Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Yoruba Mask

The Ekiti of the northeastern part of the Yoruba region use polychrome helmet masks depicting the prosperity of the community. The base of the mask, named ikoko, is surmounted by a female figure associated with one of the multiple orisa gods of the Yoruba pantheon. The release of these masks, which will have been painted by their owners, takes place every two years. Despite the weight of the masks, the dancers perform spectacular acrobatic demonstrations. These ceremonies are also believed to increase fertility. Polychrome patina. Abrasions. Native restoration on one arm (resin).
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy southwestern Nigeria and the central and southeastern region of Benin under the name of Nago. The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu arose following the disappearance of ...


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350.00

Dan Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Dan Mask

Ex-collection African art Mercier.
Dan danglé mask, known as a portrait mask, whose features in high relief, despite a slight asymmetry providing a certain naturalness, form a particularly naturalistic type of face.
Height on base: 45 cm. Grainy, brown-grey matte patina. For the Dan, or Yacouba, living in western Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, the "dü" force that animates the world is manifested in carved masks. It is in this way that she seeks to bring knowledge to man in order to support him, and first uses the channel of dreams. The spirits then indicate how to name the mask they wish to see made. These masks of different types are endowed with social, spiritual and political functions, often changing over time.


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380.00

Yela Mask
African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Yela Mask

Ex-Belgian collection of African art African mask whose surface bears deep streaks alternating red ocher and black pigments. These broad bands could correspond to the group's ritual paintings. Reduced features are uncommon. Grainy matte patina.
The Tetela and Yela groups are of Mongo origin and are neighbors. Tetela sculpture takes varied forms, borrowed from the clans they live with, including Songye inspirations with polychrome works. Several ethnic groups divided into lineages live closely together in the center of Zaire: the Mbole, the Yela, the Lengola, and the Metoko, and have similar associations. This proximity has generated certain stylistic borrowings. Their artistic production indeed presents great analogies with that of the Metoko and the Lengola. Their divination ...


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280.00