Tribal Art

Very low to allow women to be at the height of the fire to prepare meals, this stool has a curved rectangular seat, luster by use. Supported by four massive feet, it is adorned with a head and the posterior face of a body sculpted under the seat. Fault on one foot that does not threaten the stability of the object. Golden brown patina.
The Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is composed of the descendants of the invaders, horsemen who came from Ghana in the 15th century, named Nakomse, and Tengabibisi, descendants of the natives. Political power is in the hands of the Nakomsé, who assert their power through statues, while priests and religious leaders come from the Tengabisi, who use masks during their ceremonies. Animists, the Mossi worship a god who created Wendé. Each individual would be endowed with a soul, sigha, linked to a totemic animal. Established population on both sides of the Black Volta in Burkina Faso and Mali, the Bwa are divided into three endogamous castes: blacksmiths, griots and farmers. The Bwa believe in a god Difini creator of the world, who later abandoned him to his son Do. Source: Sculptures of the Three Volta Massa and LauretProvenant of the tribal art collection Guy Mercier, consultant for the Solvay group, which began it at the beginning of the 20th century. While radiating in West and Central Africa as part of his work, and collecting in-situ works, the majority of his collection is nevertheless derived from Curiosity cabinets which abounded in European capitals during the 1920s. It also comes from prestigious galleries (Paris, Brussels, London, New York). This collection was entrusted to us by his grandson, Mr. Jean Charles Mercier.