Tribal Art

Fringed garment, loincloth, bordering a hand-woven belt made of plant fibers and highlighted with glass beads. More than an accessory, this type of adornment above all forms a “rampart” against evil spirits.
Height on base: 36 cm.
The group of animist peoples Kirdi, or "pagans", as the Islamized peoples have called them, are established in the far north of Cameroon, on the border of Nigeria.
They include the Matakam, Kapsiki, Margui, Mofou, Massa, Toupouri, Fali, Namchi, Bata, Do ayo... They live from agriculture, fishing and livestock.
Among the Fali, the cult of ancestors is illustrated by a great importance given to the skulls of the deceased, because thought and knowledge resided there.

This functional adornment for archers was worn to the left to protect the forearm from bumps. In Rwanda, the Tutsi used a herb-covered pad, so wooden protections called igitembe were rare. Our model has an internal circumference of 8 cm, and has three rectangular metal inlays on each side. The surface of the wood is abraded by use. A crack runs through the center of the bracelet.
nomadic People, the Tutsi were particularly decimated by the Islamic slave trade and recurrent infighting. Population groups called "Bantous interlacustres", established between Lake Victoria and the Limpopo River, include the Ganda, Nyoro, Nkole, Soga, Toro, Hima, and the Tutsi Rwanda and Burundi. Their cultures have similarities, as do their artistic production and their everyday objects. The Tutsi raise ...

Among the Nyangatom or "yellow guns" and the Toposa of the Omo Valley, women wore this type of triangle "hide-sex" apron called akwalac . Depending on the case, this garment-adornment which was adapted to the morphology of each one is made of animal skin and pearls of ostrich egg shells such as the model presented, the akwala na akirim, reserved for married women and paid for with small livestock. Some models feature metal beads, others in glass or plastic, and sometimes simultaneously.
Ref. : " Omo Peoples and Design" G. Verswijver, H.Silvester. Ed. de la Martinière, p. 47.

This adornment was fixed around the horns of the "favorite ox" belonging to each young boy within the groups established on the borders of Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya. Cattle, an indicator of status, constitute a crucial asset for these pastoral peoples living on the arid plains of the Omo. Young people grow up alongside their assigned animal, a powerful bond developing between them. The owner will shape the horns of his ox, possibly share his ration of milk or blood, and compose the songs to surround the castration of the bull.
Height on base: 36 cm.
Ref. : "Omo Peoples and Design" (p.15) G. Verswijver, H. Silvester, ed. de la Martiniere, Africa Tervuren.

The name of the collector and the related documents will be transmitted to the purchaser.
Population of the Ambo group, the Cuanhama live in the south of the People's Republic of Angola. The herds of cattle, "objects of all care", constitute the main resource of the Cuanhama and the cattle are only killed on the occasion of events of major importance. The adornment presented was used to maintain the skirt of red fabric composing the traditional feminine dress reserved for celebrations. Shell bottoms used as coins and blocks of ivory were attached to a thong of bovine leather (omuya). According to the number of omakipa blocks symbolizing the size of the herd, this adornment determines the fortune of the man. The omakipa prestige belt is thus offered to the young bride by her spouse ...

The groups established on the borders of Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya, in the Omo Valley, are made up of the Murle, Mursi, Suri, Kwegu, Nyangatom, Kara, Daasanetch, Banna, Hamar and Bashada. Cattle, an indicator of status, constitute a crucial asset for these pastoral peoples living on the arid plains of the Omo. Traditional adornment composed of horns, animal skin, metal rings and bell, aluminum foil trim and braided rope coated with grease. It was worn on the head, the horns falling laterally on either side of the face. https://www.art-tribal.fr/art-tribal/livres-art-africain/Omo-Peuple---design/19546

Paleocurrencies in African art
Voluminous circular metal adornment whose points form the points.
Height on base: 44 cm.
This type of object taken could also be used as money during social transactions, for the dowry for example. In Africa, before the colonial period, payments were never made in coins. The transactions take place by means of cowries, pearls, cattle, kola nuts, but also metals, including iron more particularly. In Sierra Leone, goods were awarded against iron bars named barriferri. In 1556 in Djenné Jean-Léon the African observed that the populations used iron to pay for "things of little value". The king generally controlled the production or routing of the kingdom's currency. The variety of these metallic forms is wide, and these sometimes take on ...

Master bronze smiths in African art .
. Gan bronzes, metal objects melted by the blacksmith using the lost wax technique, form individual protective fetishes. They embody a sacred mythical animal whose role was crucial for man, and are declined in the motifs of the turtle, chameleon, crocodile or panther. Some, composing the royal regalia, were placed in shrines.

This zoomorphic pendant, a protective jewel, figures a lion devouring its prey. Khaki brown patina with golden reflections. Neighboring people of the Lobi in southwestern Burkina Faso, the Gan or Kaa (Kaaba pl.), form a "relic people" according to Madeleine Père, living within a wooded savanna. Their king "Gan Massa" is elected by the notables from different villages. Hypotheses diverge as to their origins. ...

These sticks with a figurative pattern forming the Edan, carved in bronze, were worn as a pendant around the neck by members of the Ogboni society. Khaki brown patina, traces of oxidation. Height on base: 25 cm.
The Ogboni or Oshugbo secret society is one of the most famous Yoruba religious worship societies. Some have suggested that the feminine and masculine representations could allude to the sky as a male entity and to the earth symbolizing femininity, or to the founding couple of human society. Although some Ogboni works are made of wood, terracotta, or ivory, the majority are made of iron-reinforced brass, which has a connection with Osun, the goddess of the river and fertility. Iron is also sacred to Osun, god of tools and weapons. The Ogboni expression, "Ogbodirin" means ...

Circular and flat, this bidjogo ornament is an adornment that was worn on the arm. It is coated with contrasting polychrome patterns, summarily applied.
Patina of use, matte, abrasions.
Height on base: 40 cm.
Their raids in large canoes along the African coasts forged the Bidjogos of the Bissagos Islands in Guinea Bissau a reputation as daring warriors. In order to exalt their qualities, the initiation ceremonies staged animal masks reflecting power, courage and agility, their dances matching the nature of the animal represented.
This population cultivates rice in the swampy regions, and also makes a living from fishing. Other zoomorphic masks are produced, some related to aquatic fauna, as well as triangular-faced statues embodying deities, named ...