Tribal Art

Collection of French African art.
Schematic African doll amulet. Beautiful brown patina, alterations from use.
When menstruation appears, in Africa, the young girl is considered a potential mother, aided by ritual sculptures. During the initiatory period of seclusion, the doll, which requires care, becomes the young girl's only companion. Subsequently, it will be carried on the back, or tied around the neck. Wooden dolls (biiga), carved in their free time by blacksmiths in Burkina Faso, are given to girls and boys by their parents. The wealthier Mossi buy plastic dolls. In the case where the girl does not give birth, a larger doll is sculpted to treat her like a real newborn. The doll will not be abandoned after the birth of the child, the mother will continue to take ...

Anthropomorphic figure in bronze evoking a young Mossi woman. A ritual statuette supposed to help in conception, it was made in metal by the Mossi blacksmith, who was also in charge of the carved wooden examples. The use of dolls by young African women is not exclusively within the context of initiation. When menstruation appears, the young girl is considered as a potential mother. In many ethnic groups, the search for fertility is then done through initiation rites. Wooden figures are then carved, some reflecting both genders, often dressed in beads and clothes. During the period of seclusion, the doll, which becomes a child that requires daily feeding, washing and anointing, becomes the girl's only companion. After the initiation, they will be carried on the back of the women, or ...

Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the sculpted Katsinam (sing. Kachina) objects are expressed during traditional dances accompanying the annual festivals in favor of the rain. Traditional Kachina dolls are, for the Amerindian Pueblo group (Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village, Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), educational tools offered to children at the end of ritual celebrations. These statuettes, embodying a great diversity of spirits, represent the katchina dancers and the colors are associated with the cardinal points.
The patina is matte and velvety, minor abrasions, restoration on one foot.

Akuaba doll statuettes (plural Akua'mma) are amulets used by Ashanti women to promote fertility. They are easily identifiable thanks to their simplified structure. Their circular head has a high forehead occupying the upper part, the features are generally drawn in the lower third of the face. Abraded matte patina.
This people considers the woman as the final arbiter of all decisions. Fertility and children are the most common themes evoked in Ashanti woodcarvings. This ethnic group has built a relatively democratic society based on the moral value of the individual. The Ashanti founded a monarchy in the 17th century. The identities of the various Akan ethnic groups have been influenced by both Islam and Christianity.

These ancient, lustrous sculptures, embodying twins, are depicted naked, perched on circular bases. One of them is wearing anklets. Renewed ritual anointings have left solidified residues of a light hue. Desication cracks, abrasions from use.
In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. This ibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. Support for the soul of the twin, the ibeji influences the life of the family, becoming a source of benefits for his parents, the latter continuing to send him prayers and to devote worship and libations to him.
The occurrence of twinning is, among the Yoruba, relatively frequent. This particularity therefore naturally influenced and ...

French African Tribal Art Collection.
Adorned with traditional accessories linked to prestige, including the refined element of the beaded micro panty, this African doll from the Namji or Dowayo >, an animist mountain people established in the north of Cameroon, symbolizes the values surrounding the traditional African doll.
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 also reproduce the finery of the new initiates after their period of ...

Used among the Ashanti and Fantis of Ghana, Akuaba (plural Akua'mma)doll statuettes are amulets used by Ashanti women to promote fertility. They are easily identified by their stylized appearance. Their flat and circular head has a high forehead occupying the upper part, the features are generally drawn in the lower third of the head. A mark of beauty, the ringed neck also symbolizes prosperity. Worn on the back of women, these statues are also accompanied by various rites, such as the ingestion of a potion, or the placing of the object on the family altar. After the birth of the child, the sculpture is used as a toy, and sometimes still offered to the healer to witness its effectiveness. Velvety grainy patina.

Loaded with a sumptuous disparate decoration, this large wooden doll of the Namji or Dowayo , animist mountain people living in the north of Cameroon, forms a refined version of a traditional African doll.
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 also reproduce the finery of the new initiates after their period of confinement.

Fertility dollschematized, the appearance of the head of which varies according to the region. The tubular bust, slightly bulging at the level of the abdomen, has a chest. The angular, stylized head evokes the female crest hairstyle, the parallel incisions, the scarifications and the braids of the ethnic group.
Beautiful glossy black patina.
Among many ethnic groups, the search for fertility is done through initiation rites. Wooden figures will be carved, some reflecting both genders, in many cases clothed in beads and garments. During the period of confinement, the doll, which becomes a child who asks to be fed, washed and anointed on a daily basis, becomes the girl's only companion. After the initiation, they will be carried on the women's backs, or tied around their necks. ...

Togolese version of the Ibedji fetish statuettes of the Yoruba of Nigeria, the doll carved in light bleached wood has abundant ornaments of colored pearls. Desication cracks, abrasions.
The Ewe regard the birth of twins called Venavi (or Venovi) as a happy omen. The latter must be treated identically and fairly. Both will be fed and washed at the same time and will wear the same clothes until puberty. If one of the two twins dies, the parents obtain a statuette intended to replace the deceased child and contact a specialist in order to activate its magical virtues.
She will be of the same sex as the child she represents and replaces but projects herself into the future that the child will not have known by displaying adult features.
Source: "Isn't she a doll?" E.L ...

Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the sculpted Katsinam objects (song. Kachina) are expressed during traditional dances accompanying the annual festivals in favor of the rain. Traditional Kachina dolls are, for the Amerindian Pueblo group (Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village, Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), educational tools offered to children at the end of ritual celebrations. These statuettes, embodying a great diversity of spirits, represent the katchina dancers and the colors are associated with the cardinal points. The patina is matte and velvety, minor abrasions.

A Togolese version of the Ibedji fetish statuettes of Nigeria's Yoruba, the female figure carved from light wood features rounded volumes and an ovoid face with protruding eyes. The arms with digitized butns are spread from the bust, and the feet, one of which is missing, are blackened. Honey glossy patina.Ex. collection of the painter 'a href'U'0022http://wiki.ibb.town/Karl-Heinz_Engstfeld" Karl Heinz Engstfeld and 'a target' _blank' href'https://evibb.de/home/wir-trauern-um-ruth-engst Ruth Engstfeld-Schremper , glazier artist. The Ewe consider the birth of twins called Venavi (or Venovi) as a happy omen. They must be treated equally and fairly. For example, both will be fed and washed at the same time and will wear the same clothes until puberty.
If one of the twins dies, ...

Old fertility doll adopting the classic morphology, but whose narrow head ending in a point remains rarer. From the leather the sheath to the upper part of the neck that a fine braid delimits. Beautiful patina of use, contact abrasions and desication cracks.
The hope of a pregnancy is accompanied in certain groups by initiation rites. Wooden figures are then carved, some reflecting both genders, in many cases clothed in beads and clothes. During the period of confinement, the doll, which becomes a child who asks to be fed, washed and anointed on a daily basis, becomes the girl's only companion. After the initiation, they will be carried on the women's backs, or tied around their necks. The wooden dolls (biiga), carved in their free time by the blacksmiths of Burkina Faso, are ...

The Ibeji, surrogate images in African art .
Traditionally carved from iroko, whose roots and leaves are also used for ritual purposes, this stocky "ere" (statue) figure of a twin has been vigorously carved. The massive head, from which the eyes protrude, is framed by large ears and engraved with scarification marks.
Satin patina, erosions. In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. This ibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of him; she can wash and feed him regularly. If she dies, it is the remaining twin who takes over.
Sometimes a man would also have ibeji carved for his wife to induce pregnancy. As a carrier of ...

Ex-French African art collection.
Used among the Ashanti and Fantis of Ghana, the Akuaba (plural Akua'mma)doll statuettes are amulets used by Ashanti women to promote fertility. They are easily identified by their stylized appearance. Their flat and circular head has a high forehead occupying the upper part, the features are generally drawn in the lower third of the head. This doll is of an unusual type, its stretched form carrying a small cubic bust on which the breasts point.
Black glossy patina. Worn on the back of women, these statues are also accompanied by various rites, such as the ingestion of a potion, or the placement of the object on the family altar. After the birth of the child, the sculpture is used as a toy, and sometimes still offered to the healer in ...

Fertility symbols in African art Ashanti
This stylized female figure is called Akua'ba (plural Akua'mma). It has traditional features: a flat, circular head surmounting a tubular bust with horizontal arms. A similar miniature effigy, depicting the child, is housed in the textile of which it is draped. These stylized wooden effigies were worn by pregnant women, huddled in their loincloths, to ensure the arrival of beautiful children. The overwhelming majority of these statues are female, with breasts.

Shanti are one of the ethnic groups of Ghana (formerly "), part of the Akan group, living in a forested area. Like other people living in the central and southern part of Ghana, she speaks a language of the Twi group. This people regard women as the final arbiter of all ...

The African tribal art of the Tabwa, prestige objects.
Used by the feminine initiation society, this figure with a cylindrical bust with breasts and an umbilicus in relief, has scarifications comparable to those, traditional, of the members of the tribe, and has a remarkable honey-colored patina. Carefully carved into an ovoid head, the delicately modeled juvenile features are also framed by chequered keloids. The hairstyle is meticulously figured, following the contours of the head. Good condition despite a very slight crack.
The Tabwa ("to scarify" and "to write") are an ethnic group present in the southeast of the DRC. Simple farmers without centralized power, they federated around tribal chiefs after being influenced by the Luba. It is mainly during this period that ...

African art and tribal cult vodun of the ewe and fon populations.
These naturalistic figures, depicting a couple or twins venovi , carry a thick crusty film resulting from ritual anointings. An underlying clear wood appears locally. Blackish mate patina.
Au togo, African fetishes are part of beneficial or evil rituals according to the intentions of their owner. The fetishists, following the divination ritual of fa using palm nuts, make them to order to offer protective and medicinal virtues but also offer versions ready to use more conventional. The Ashanti of Ghana also use rare similar statuettes covered with sacrificial coating.
These practices still in use today are sometimes decried and considered animist and gone in the age of Christianization and Islamization. ...

Set on two thin legs apart from the width of the pelvis, this feminine figure, reduced, has amazing protruding and asymmetrical pupils giving it the appearance of an insect or even a small animal. Stretched eyebrows largely overlook the eye, while the nose and mouth are carefully sculpted into the extremity of the chin. The tubular neck extends from two tiny breasts supported by the character's hands. It is a fetish for individual use from Akpro-Missérété. Smoothed by a regular grip, the patina has adopted an orange-brown hue. Long desication cracks.
Vingt-five million Yoruba are scattered between Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Among the broad pantheon Yoruba, the god named Ogun god of iron and war, was also that of blacksmiths and sculptors. The creator Olodumare reigns over four ...

These naturalistic sculptures depict a young couple only dressed in a loincloth, their ringed neck forms a specificity of agni productions. Their attitude, arms removed from the bust, head held high, and their appearance give them a worthy interiority. Interesting patina matte, grainy and locally velvety (old kaolin residue?). Abrasions and cracks.
The lagoon populations of eastern Côte d'Ivoire mainly include the Attié, Akyé, the Ebrié and the Abouré. Their sculptures offer many similarities. These kingdoms had the first commercial settlements offering gold, ivory, slaves and pepper to the West. The Agni settled in the northeast of this region.
Among the Akan group, the Attié, Akye, of Akye-Fo, the holders of the blade, are divided between those of the North and those of the ...

The African tribal art of Tabwa, prestigious objects.

The Tabwa ("scarifier" and ", write") are an ethnic group in southeastern DRC. Simple farmers without centralized power, they united around tribal leaders after being influenced by the Luba. It was mainly during this period that their artistic current was expressed mainly through statues but also through masks. The Tabwa worshipped ancestors and dedicated some of their statues named mkisi . Animists, their beliefs are anchored around the ngulu, nature spirits present in plants and rocks. The Luba dominated the Tabwa in the Lake Tanganyika region between Zaire and Zambia. "Tabwa" or " being attached" presumably refers to the system of slavery practiced in the past by Islamic merchants.
The Tabwa then regained their ...