Tribal Art

An actor of the social order, the Dan mask is, according to Eberhard Fisher, female or male. Consistent with the criteria of the women's masks gle mu , with an oval and regular face, ajar eyelids, a thin nose and a protruding and luscious mouth, this copy is accompanied by a goatee of vegetable fibres. This type of mask is worn by a dancer evolving with graceful gestures. Glossy dark brown patina, kaolin-surrounded look. For the Dan, or Yacouba, living in western Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, the "d-" force that would animate the world would manifest itself in sculpted masks. It is in this way that she seeks to bring knowledge to man in order to support him, using the channel of dreams beforehand. The spirits then indicate how to name the mask they wish to see made. These masks of different ...

Ex-collection African tribal art Polargo USA 1955 - Mercier Belgium 1978.
This anthropomorphic figure of balanced proportions is depicted frontally, perched on a promontory whose base with holes allowed to fix the basketry and fabrics that concealed the dancer. The semi-flexed legs evoke the tribal dance mbobo of the girls during the ceremonies of the Ogbom , taking place in front of the altar at the end of periods of confinement. This danced ritual was dedicated to the deity of the earth named Ala in the Igbo , and Isong in the Ibibio. The masks were then kept near the chimney ducts of the huts in order to be protected from insects. Glossy dark patina, localized abrasions. Ex. Belgian collection Mercier.The Eket, established in southeastern Nigeria, are a subgroup of the Ibibio ...

Always finely sculpted, the African mask equipped with a voluminous braided headdress supported by a basket structure, and a woven raffia hood, illustrates the beauty of the young Tschokwe women. The hairstyle is reminiscent of the red earth-like hairstyle of the women of the clan.
Red brown patina, red ochre pigments on the headdress.
African masks Chokwe pwo among the many masks akishi or "akixi" (sing: mukishi , indicating power, are exclusively female representations that were accompanied by accessories and adornments. They were, however, carried by high-ranking men. Joined to their male counterparts, cihongo recognizable by their large plateau-shaped headdress, the pwo must bring fertility and prosperity to the community. The characteristic patterns on the forehead, and ...

Reduced version of the large heaume mask ecwabuka (big head) used during the tribal ritual of the male society Kalunga , Alunga , exercising social control over the clan, and responsible for public dances and ceremonies before the hunt. A hem mask embodying the god Alunga, it usually has four large and large concave orbits with a conical pupil in relief. Here he forms a stylized face framed by ears. These objects with apotropaic virtues were the property of every lodgemaster in society.
Satin dry patina. Localized abrasions, very beautiful patina. The Bembe is a Luba branch that is said to have left Congo in the 18th century. Their society and artistic tendency are influenced by their neighbours in the Lake Tanganyika region, the Lega, the Buyu, etc. Indeed, like the Lega, the Bembe ...

This Dan mask is a variation of the Deangle. The sunken gaze is enhanced here by a carved wolf encased in kaolin. The ajar lips protrude strongly. A grainy aggregate remains at the top on either side of a metal element. Smooth, sained skate. Dan masks, of varying size, usually occur during highly theatrical entertainment parties where women play a leading role. The so-called Mask, called Deanglé, defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is carved in honour of the village's young girls or renowned men. Also used during circumcision rites, they appear in the company of the gle s and the large go ge masks relating to the go society, which exercises justice and maintains peace. In general, dan masks also have the peculiarity of being not representations of bush spirits but of ...

Ex-english african art collection
African crest mask composed of a large helmet whose summit brings together, supported by a serpentiform base, anthropomorphic sculptures and bird figures. The latter are often intended for ritual sacrifices and related to the mythological repertoire. These scenes also refer to wisdom proverbs known to the Yoruba. The faces of the characters, with protruding eyes and deep incisions on the face, are characteristic of the Yoruba style. Polychrome shades are attenuated by the matt ritual coating, the object of which is covered. A peculiarity in African art, the Gelede cult entered the contemporary heritage, based on ancestral traditions: UNESCO inscribed it in the ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) in 2008.
Concerning the ceremonies of ...

This mask of African art, carved from heavy wood, was acquired by Mr. J. Henry, an expatriate hydrologist, on a mission for the Belgian state in Zaire and Burundi, now deceased, a savvy collector, a cultured personality, and whose patient selection of works testifies to its aesthetic requirement. A large nasal appendage develops in a face with full volumes. Under the rounding of the forehead the circular eyes conferring a hypnotic look are surrounded by different colors, evoking the supernatural mink. The gaping of the mouth reveals holes in which teeth, bone or wood, had once been implanted. Ancient divination mask, from Ituria, which would be named nsembu (De Mahieu, quoted in Biebuyck 1986; 2:234)Red and white pigments appear to have been applied manually to the surface of the object. ...

Ex-collection French African art.
Almond eyes, a thin nasal ridge joining an eyebrow arch in the heart descending laterally to the incised lips of the teeth, and especially the presence of horns, make up the characteristics of this African mask lega Kayamba. This sculpture indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society composed of different ranks, and which were joined by the wives whose spouse had reached the third level, that of the ngandu.
Beautiful light brown patina, residual white clay inlays around the eyes. Long raffia beard. Within the Lega, 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. Following their exodus from Uganda in ...

Ex-Belgian African art collection.
Two long, toothed mouths on either side of a rounded volume form this mask wanyugo two-headed senoufo , which belonged to the company wabele , active against witchcraft. Circular eyes are hollowed out only on one side. Small horns are placed at the top. One of the faces still has small nails, which probably allowed to attach accessories such as feathers or raffia. These powerful masks, often an amalgam of different zoomorphic elements, embody hybrid beings, their components can evoke both buffalo, hyena, warthog, antelope. They were preciously kept in a particular square, or in the sacred wood with the magical objects of the Poro. The piece features colorful dotted patterns, patinated and abraded by time. Living in a reserved neighbourhood, the ...

Blade masks in African art.

This mask is made up of two parts. On the one hand, an extremely stylized concave face that divides a crenellated ridge, and on the other hand, a high open blade. Geometric shapes encrusted with white pigment and red ochre are delicately sculpted on the surface. The board is associated with yaaba-soore , a path that the ancestors followed during the creation. The graphic signs symbolize the ritual imperatives required to enjoy divine favors.
It is not surprising to find this type of mask among the Mossi because this people is made up, in the north, by Dogon tribes with various types of blade masks. The mask sirige for example inspired the company wango which officiated with a derivative but similar version.
The masks mossi, personal or ...

Mossi masks, personal masks or lignagers, are an embodiment of tutelary spirits offering their support. They perform at funerals, at the funerals of clan leaders, protect the crops. Genuine altars without their costume, they can receive libations such as mil beer in order to honor the ancestors. Their appearance is now frequent during entertainment shows. Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is made up of descendants of the Invaders Nakomse, horsemen from Ghana, and the Tengabibisi, descendants of the natives. Among them, farmers and blacksmiths, saaba , used masks, wando, receptacles of the guardian spirits, which often represented the totem animals of the clan. The convex face of this mask indicates a origin from the northeastern Mossi region. Masks from this region have ...

The western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the oriental settled on the banks of the Kasai river downstream of Tshikapa. The influences of the neighbouring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba and Salempasu, were imprinted on their large tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity the masks Mbuya , realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chef, the soothsayer and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc. The initiation masks and those of power, the minganji, represent the ancestors and occur successively during the same ceremonies, agricultural festivals, initiation rituals and circumcision mukanda, induction of the chief.
Governs by heads of family, the jogo, to the priestly function, ...

The Mbole are one of the many clans belonging to the Mongo Ethnic Group including the Bolia, Bokote, Bongandu, Ekonda, Mbole, Dengese, Nkutu, Ntomba, Kole, Sengele, Songomeno, Iyasa, Bakutu, Bakusu, Iyadjima (Iyaelima), Boyela and the Batetela. These are divided between the southern province of Ecuador (province) and the northern province of Bandundu (province) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tribe of the Mbole group, the Jonga live in the forest south of the Mbolé, hunting and agriculture. Their artistic production, mainly representing ancestors, is poorly documented. All of these groups had similar associations and initiation rituals in which masks were used. This mask, whose protrusion of the eyebrows houses the slanted slits of the eye, has a placid and smiling appearance. ...

Ex collection African art Emile Robyn.

This Mask Mumuye, which is referred to as a female mask or buffalo or monkey, is very similar to that published by Kerchache, Jacques, Jean-Louis Paudrat and Lucien Stephan, ", The African Art" Paris: 1988, pl.126.
Estimated price in the auction room: 5,000 euros.
The mask is composed of two distinct parts: the red face from which comes a long mouth, and on which there are round eyes pierced, finally a marked nasal ridge. The black headdress that finishes the mask ensues. The back of the mask is eroded.

It was Emile's grandfather, Abel Robyn, who began the collection in 1850.It was passed down over three generations. When Abel died in 1895, his son, Jerome Robyn, inherited the collection, which he extended until ...

The absence of a crest indicates here that this mask ("bifwebe") embodies a female spirit or ancestor, although it is still worn by men. Worn with a voluminous raphia collar that concealed the dancer, this mask was usually danced in the company of a zoomorphic mask. In the Luba, white is synonymous with the relationship with the spiritual world, by evoking the moon evoked by the circular form of the object. The almond eyes are hollowed out, an angular nose, the mouth with an orifice moves forward in a quadrangle. The set is engraved with parallel grooves. Velvet patina. These rather rare Luba masks are frequently confused with those of the Songye and their neighbours. The streaks would return to the same symbolism, including that of the zebras. This type of mask appeared at the funerals ...

Ex-French African art collection.

This mask with a characteristic, very elongated look has a beautiful bluish patina. On the forehead and the central part of the face are chiseled geometric shapes. From the top stands out a bird's head, probably a calao, with a red beak joining the mask. A small mouth covered with a red patina is projected from the bottom of the face.
The contour of the mask has a rope connected to the perforations present in the wood.

The Markha are organized into societies of structured masks and hierarchical as found in many other ethnic groups. They have an initiation language, a means of communication in the hands of the initiates. The Markha, also known as Warka, live in the north of the Bambara territory and have, therefore, been ...