Tribal Art

Belgian African art collection.
This sculpture, which time and insects have not spared, has a face with the features of the judicial mask of the okukwé society, worn on the occasion of a funeral or the birth of twins. Satin patina, lustrous. Cracks and misses. The Galoa (or Galwa), a subgroup Pounou , live downstream from Lambaréné on the Ogooué River, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. They also produced masks called Okouyi used by initiation societies to reveal witchcraft and their authors through divination. Several neighbouring ethnic groups, including the Adouma and Kota, use contrasting flats in Gabon, including kaolin that is supposed to have apotropaic virtues. Groups in Gabon practice the cult of bwiti, the cult of ancestors, and their relics are topped with a sculpture ...

Baga religious practices and African art.
This shoulder mask, pierced with holes under the breasts to allow the wearer's vision, features an elaborate decoration consisting of rafters and incisions highlighted by inlays of tapestry nails.
Belle patina of use.
Mêlés in Nalu and Landuman, the Baga live along the coasts of Guinea-Bissau in areas of swamps flooded six months a year. They believe in a creative god called Nagu, Naku , which they do not represent, and which is accompanied by a male spirit whose name is Somtup . Apart from the famous Nimba mask, they have created a powerful mask, hybrid snake, gazelle, chameleon and crocodile, with the aim of communicating with the spirits of the forest. The face of the Baga Nimba mask is characterized by a buzzed nose evoking ...

Rare anthropomorphic sculpture depicting a masked dancer dressed in a natural fiber cape attached to the thick leather cap that covers his neck, and wearing high leggings also in raffia. The face of the mask is characterized by its powerful formal contrasts, the pointed forehead under which the eyes are sheltered opposing the broad split, sneering, semi-spherical jaw. Lack on one foot. Patine mate.
The Hemba are a subgroup of the Luba ethnic group living in southeastern DR Congo, east of the Lualaba River, best known for their statuary representing chiefs. The pieces called soko mutu , suku muntu , (from Swahili, man brother, and KiHemba, ibombo ya soho : 'monkey face') belonged to the cult of ancestors and existed in two forms: on the one hand large masks used during ritual ...

Classic Mangbetu cannons but a great sensitivity in the treatment of this small female sculpture. A conveyor belt made of plant fibres is also attached to the character's ears. The body lines, like those of the face, are the traditional paintings of the ethnic group, inspired by the tattoos of the nearby Asua pygmies, which varied according to the circumstances. Indeed, in the Mangbetu from an early age, the children of the upper classes were compressed from the cranial box, held tight by raffia bonds. Later, the hair was \

This anthropomorphic container depicts the leader, mythical hero Chibinda Ilunga, wearing a headdress of a certain size, chipangula or cipenya mutwe . These hairstyles consisted of various materials, more precisely a wicker frame covered with fabric, brass, leather, beads. The chief had taught his people the art of hunting. The chiefs had a major function in the propitiation rites intended for the hunting and fertility of women, the objects being adorned with this figure thus, presumably, a protective function. In this case the bust forms a box whose circular lid consists of the head and shoulders of the character. A native restoration using a metal sheet was carried out on the back. Crusty residues (vegetable oil) line the inner flanks of the container. Satin mahogany brown patina.

The Kota of the Sebe Valley, located in Gabon but also in Congo, produced this type of sculpture that played the role of "medium" between the living and the dead and continued to watch over their descendants. They are sometimes bifaces, the mbulu-viti , symbolizing the masculine and feminine aspect at the same time.
This type of coins, called ngulu, served as the relics over the baskets containing the mortuary remains of high-line ancestors. In the exclusive presence of insiders, the clan's major decisions were made during ceremonies during which the reliquaries were taken out and used. In order to reactivate the magical charge, the initiates rubbed the relic with sand. In the Kota, these figures have reached a staggering degree of stylization and abstraction: reduced to the ...

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. ...

Sitting on a narrow stool, legs parallel, an infant figure carved in bas-relief on the abdomen, this representation of woman to child has a concave head on which are drawn wide eyes below features indicating the hairstyle. This wooden sculpture, the Bateba, was placed on the altar after a ritual to become the receptacle of a spirit of the bush, the Thil, and thus become an active, intermediate being who fights against sorcerers and all other harmful forces. The light wood is tinged with a beautiful semi-crusty, locally abraded dark patina. Long crack of desication running from the head to the bust.
When they are honored, these spirits show their benevolence in the form of abundant rains, good health, many births; Ignored, they remove it and lead to devastating epidemics, drought and ...

This tribal statue, stylized, engraved on massive feet, is engraved with alternating parallel grooves representing the Keloid scars, also associated with the status of the character, a worthy old man having been a victim of witchcraft, ngu. The exorbiting pupils, protruding in the center of large orbits, give it a hallucinated look. White clay was rubbed into the hollow of the furrows, indigo pigments on the reverse, giving a clear patina, grayed, to the sculpture. Lacks and abrasions, long cracks of dessication, patina of velvety use. Kakungu cult statue belonging to the Metoko and Lengola, peoples of the primary forest dedicated to the worship of a single God, rare monotheism in Africa. Their three-grade society, Bukota, was structuring daily life and welcoming both men and women. It ...

Impressive warrior frozen in an aggressive posture, tingling a medium dog, the elements giving him additional powers were hidden in a double abdominal cavity. At his feet, a gourd. The multiple nails recorded attest to the agreements made and exacerbate his mystical strength. The beard of this village fetish is made up of nails arranged at regular intervals, then coated with the same crusty patina covering the entire room.
Shez the Kongo, nganga took care of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the terms of 'sacred' or 'divine'. The most influential category of 'minkisi kongo' consisted of instruments to help regional leaders enforce the law. A metal object was nailed to a wooden figure as soon as a decision ...

This Chokwe statue, usually associated with therapeutic cult type Hamba, embodies a female ancestor supposed to guarantee fertility or healing. These figures were arranged around the altar muyombo, a tree at the foot of which sacrifices and offerings were once made. Sculptures such as figures made in sticks or poles (Mbunji or mbanji), planted in the ground, were also included. The related ethnic groups had the same type of altar, a witness before which rituals, oaths and important transactions were concluded.
The character's head takes on the features of the famous mask Mukishi wa Mwana Pwo worn during Mukanda initiation ceremonies, associated with fertility and fertility. A figure of a fertile woman, the sculptor opted for solid volumes, combined with refined details such as ...

Male figure depicted seated, embodying an edjo. The statue has great similarities to the igbo sculpture, but stands out for its deep vertical facial scarifications. Yellow patina, matte and grainy, dark highlights. Damaged base.
Urhobos, living near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, are the main ethnic group in The 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 Isoko, whose art is close, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures depicting the spirits of nature, edjo, or the founding ancestors of the clan, to whom sacrifices were offered, were grouped in shrines within the villages. They also produce figures similar to the ikenga of igbo called iphri , ivwri , of ...

African art from South West Cameroon.
Sculpted by members of the secret societies of the Bafo or Bafaw in southwestern Cameroon, this female figure whose oversized face evokes raw art. A wide mouth discovers rows of sharp teeth, a bleached look appears exorbiity, and, placed high, the pavilions taken off circular ears attract attention. She is wearing a simple textile beret. The long bust is carried by stocky legs under a sagging posterior. Engraved patterns are associated with traditional ethnic scarifications or tattoos. Locally abraded matte patina. Desication cracks.
Usage unknown but probably related to a fertility cult.

This bust comes from the Lengola native to Uganda and living near the Metoko in the center of the Congolese basin between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers, people of the primary forest dedicated to the worship of a unique God, monotheism rare in Africa. In addition to the akunga figures used by women in the initiation society ekongo , the Lengolas have statues associated with the different levels of society bukota who embody spirits or impetuous. Bicolo
re mate patina. In addition to the Lilwa, their company, Bukota, which welcomes both men and women, is the equivalent of the association Bwami lega. Their sculptures, influenced by the neighbouring Mbole, Lega and Binja, played a role in initiation, funeral or circumcision ceremonies, and were then placed on the tomb of high-ranking ...

This Lobi figure embodies a bateba or lineage ancestor. Its straight body, whose right-angle arms are welded to the bust, has long parallel legs. The hands are gathered under the abdomen. Satin patina, scattered erosions and dorsal crack.
The populations of the same cultural region, grouped under the name lobi, make up one-fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. Few in Ghana, some of them also live in northern Côte d'Ivoire. It was at the end of the 18th century that the Lobi, coming from northern Ghana, settled among the indigenous Thuna and Puguli, the Dagara, the Dian, the Gan and the Birifor. The Lobi believe in a creator God named Thangba Thu , to whom they address through the worship of many intermediate spirits, the Thil, the latter being supposed to protect them, with the ...

Hermaphrodite figure depicted kneeling, holding a cut on the head. There is a child motif sculpted in relief on the upside. The wood is reneitled, criss-crossed, with a velvety dry patina. Sculpted mostly to a family's custom, Dogon statues can also be worshipped by the entire community. Their functions, however, remain little known. Parallel to Islam, the Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lebe, relating to fertility, under the spiritual authority of the Hogon, the Wagem, cult of ancestors under the authority of the patriarch, binou invoking the spirit world and led by the priest of Binou, and the society of masks concerning funerals.

The Urhobos, living near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, are 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. With the Isoko whose art is close, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures depicting the spirits of nature, edjo, or the founding ancestors of the clan, to which sacrifices were offered, were grouped in sanctuaries within the villages. They also produce figures similar to the igbo ikenga called iphri, ivwri, half-animal, half-human. They personify male aggression and are intended for warriors and notables. However, after consultation with the soothsayer, young children can also wear miniature iphri strapped to their necks in the form of geometric amulets. ...

The Vili, The Lri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kongo formed the group Kôngo , led by the Ntotela King. Their kingdom reached its apogee in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarbeliefs and traditions, they produce a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview. In the Kongo, the nganga took care of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the concepts of "sacred" or "divin".This is a protective object in which one or more magical charges are introduced like the statuette çi-contre.
Camped in a determined attitude, this feminine figure imbued with a certain realism was "charged" by the ritual specialist of magic ingredients. These were ...

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 independence thanks to the wealth provided by the ivory trade. Just as the influence of the Luba is noticeable in the societies and rites of the Tabwa, the Tanzanian tribes have also marked the tabwa statuary with regard to geometric decorative motifs. This fetish wears linear checkerboard scarifications on the torso and face, its skull also sporting a headdress hatched with small diamonds. The figure stands, legs half bent, on a small circular base, and with his two hands laid flat around his abdomen, he highlights his prominent navel, evoking the importance of ...

Great sculptural quality for this rare work of Kambari style (south of the Bandiagara cliff) where empty and full symmetry mingle with empty symmetry, sharp angles and spherical volumes. This intriguing assemblage of a human figure sitting on a sphere, associated with the complex cosmogony of the ethnic group, presents a relatively uns hatched crusty patina. The original fault or inauguration of a priest of Binu, the meaning of the gesture of the hands on the face is not established. Desication cracks.
Sculpted mostly by a family, Dogon statues can also be worshipped by the entire community when they commemorate, for example, the founding of the village. Their functions, however, remain little known. Parallel to Islam, the Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: ...

In place of the magic charge or bilongo placed behind the glass of the abdominal cavity, it is a face that appears here on this amazing kongo figure. The arms, raised, are connected to the headdress by textile ties. We do not have information about the context of the use of this piece. The headdress is characteristic of the statuary Beembé and Yombé, other tribes of the Kongo group.
Chez the Kongo, the specialist named nganga , was in charge of the rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to refer to the terms 'sacred' or 'divine' These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men, bulwark against diseases and evil spells. Large, nkonde , nkond i, ...