Tribal Art

From the central part of the Bandiagara cliff, bombou-toro, this dogon sculpture was acquired in a gallery by the owner of a large collection of dogon objects. Six hermaphrodite figures are depicted leaning against a central trunk. Their feet disappear into a circular base. The stretched arms, attached to the bust with a tubular abdominal protrusion, join their folded hands at sex level. Dry, grainy, pink ochre patina.
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. The role of sculpted figures was generally to protect or heal the sick. Libations and sacrifices were therefore doomed to them. Parallel to Islam, the Dogon religious ...

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Woman's Figure associated with fertility.
Souvent represented in a noble and graceful attitude, the female statues of the Mangbetu are probably ancestors of the clan. The geometric patterns traced evoke the body paintings and tribal scarifications of the Mangbetu, similar to those of the Asua pygmies with whom the tribe had relations. The latter varied depending on the circumstances. The fan hairstyle was sported by the Mangbetu: from an early age, children were compressed from the cranial box by means of raffia ties. Later, the Mangbetu their hair on wicker strands and applied a headband to the forehead to extract the hair and produce this particular headdress that accentuates the lengthening of the head. The ancient names beli these figures of ancestors stored out of ...

Rare naturalist sculpture depicting a ram, symbol of fertility and vigor.
The animal's head and tail are wrapped in ropes, giving an interesting texture to the coat. The ram is also intended for ritual sacrifices in many ethnic groups. Among the Baules, the ram is honored as a guarantor of prosperity. A replica is carved to transmit, during a ceremony, the strengths of the living animal.
Locally shelled kaolin crusty mingling. Desication cracks.
Ancean restorations of twisted horns using metal staples.
(Ref.: Black African animal sculptures G. Massa)

As if lost in a dream, her eyes closed, wearing a crest flanked by shells falling around her face, this tall female figure, monoxyle, reflects on the part of the sculptor a desire to translate youth through curved volumes, oblongs. In addition to the scarifications in drops and stars around the umbilical, annals indicate bracelets for adornment. The long legs with digitized feet, like columns, seem to be balanced on a dome. Cracking and erosion. Velvet patina, mottled.

The Senoufos, the name given to them by french settlers, are mainly made up of farmers who have dispersed between Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. The councils of elders, led by an elected chief, administer the senoufo villages. Governed by matrilineal traditions, they are composed of clusters of dwellings ...

Côte d'Ivoire in African tribal art
Dosed with a crested hairstyle styling an elegant oblong face adorned with parallel scarifications, this long-design sculpture offers graceful, tubular limbs. The narrow pelvis is carried by reduced thighs, with slightly bent knees. The buttocks are barely protruding. The feet disappear into the base forming a pestle called sedine or dol according to the dialect. Black brown satin patina.

Debele Senoufo figurative , sometimes named ' child of Poro' or ' spirit of the bush' she performed in pairs during funeral processions or at ceremonies marking the end of initiation rites. The initiates of the Poro society, which trained the boys from the age of 7, wore them and pounded the ground with rhythm to the sound of drums, opening and ...

The monumental sculpture of African art from the Yoruba regionTwo Caryatidic figures surrounded by sculptures of musicians support an impressive lidded container adorned with a variety of subjects. These were worked in round-bump and top and bas-relief, forming multiple detailed scenes, and whose iconography refers to Yoruba mythology. A recurrence: the image of the god shango in the form of a horseman, and the maternal figure, priestess and goddess. Extinct polychromy, matte patina, cracks and abrasions.
Centrée on the veneration of her gods, or orisà, the Yoruba religion relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages ( aroko). These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. The cups are intended for votive offerings, gifts for visitors, or divination. ...

Camped on short legs, the abdomen carried forward, this figure with a realistic face is a protective figure with a magical charge, the bilongo. This fetish was used by nganga to heal, protect, promote luck or inflict revenge. Dark brown patina with kaolin highlights.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the group Kôngo, led by King ntotela. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarly, they produced a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview The sorcerers nganga, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through these consecrated figures. Aggressive witchcraft kindoki is the absolute evil that ...

This remarkable Lobi head is supposed to contain the 'khélé', a power present in every human being and which, following the death of an individual or animal, must be controlled so as not to harm. The valiant warriors and hunters joined the cult of the Milkuur in order to charge their strengths in a thil named Milkuur , embodied by the head that will be tuwn in the altar outside the dwellings, forming a supernatural being supposed to protect them from any danger. The top of this rare piece offers grainy libatory residues mixed with chick down and vegetable fibers. The neck is satiny, the wood eroded.
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, they also settled in northern Côte d'Ivoire. ...

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 ...

Usually made in iroko, the sculptures embodying the ancestor of the clan, named singiti, in the northern regions of Shaba and Maniema, were venerated by the group and stored in the chief's house in premises for funeral use. This cephalomorphic figure offers the peaceful expression emanating from the Statuary Hemba, eyes half-closed in an ovoid face, frontal tiara composed of alternating bars, sophisticated cruciform headdress. The face has delicately sculpted features highlighted by a raised pattern depicting a thin beard collar. Hauteu on plinth: 55 cm. Grainy matte patina. Abrasions and cracks, losses in the center.
The Hemba have long been subject to the neighbouring Luba empire, which has had a definite influence on their culture, religion and art. The cult of ancestors is ...

Ex-collection Belgian tribal art.
Frontal representation for this female Figure Senoufo, whose broad shoulders magnify a very slightly arched back, and whose hands rest on the knees on either side of a curved sex cache. The braids of her hairstyle, assembled in shells, form an elegant crest, which reveals shaved temples offering the protrusion of feline ears. Beautiful glossy patina, blackish. Ancient piece from the Belgian Mercier collection, patiently collected over three generations. Abrasions of protrusions, erosion on the posterior part of a leg.
The Senoufos, the name given to them by french settlers, are mainly made up of farmers who have dispersed between Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. The councils of elders, led by an elected chief, administer the senoufo ...

The primitive art of Congo.
The different types of statues Luluwa, Lulua, or Bena Lulua, present multiple scarifications, and glorify local leaders, motherhood, fertility and the female figure. This rider sports a prominent umbilical, center of the body and " object of all solicitudes" ( The power of the sacred , M. Faïk-Nzuji ) Protruding, erogenous and symbolic scarifications, checkered circles and rectangles differentiate it. It features a talisman collar in the form of a figurine, a fly-fly on the shoulder, and a shield. His sword is missing.
Desication Decisions. Chocolate satin patina.
The Lulua, or Béna Lulua from West Africa, settled in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their caste-based social structure is similar to that of the Luba. They produced ...

This female figure depicted sitting on a stool, nursing her child, is wearing braids assembled in shells forming a stylized motif linked to the bird of divination, the calao. Beautiful blackish patina, lustrous, speckled with mahogany brown, residual kaolin in the hollows. Erosions on the back of the headdress. Ancient piece from the Belgian Mercier collection, patiently collected over three generations.
The Senoufos, the name given to them by french settlers, are mainly made up of farmers who have dispersed between Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. The councils of elders, led by an elected chief, administer the senoufo villages. Governed by matrilineal traditions, they are composed of clusters of dwellings named katiolo . Each of them has its own association Poro which ...

African court art Mangbetu and statues of ancestors
Figure to the head port magnified by the long colored curls, she adopts an unusual posture, kneeling, a hand placed on her headdress. The back of the room is fitted with a perforated washer so that it can be carried. Abraded red brown patina. The geometric patterns on this naturalistic male figure evoke the body paintings and tribal scarifications of the Mangbetu, similar to those of the Asua pygmies with whom the tribe had relations. The latter varied depending on the circumstances. The fan hairstyle was sported by the Mangbetu: from an early age, the children were compressed from the cranial box by means of raffia bonds. Later, the Mangbetu \

The suffering face of this sculpted figure refers to the sentence of the condemned Lilwa. The particularity of this piece also lies in the openings of the hips intended to hold the statuette on the stretcher of the condemned with the help of links. The position is characteristic: the legs bent, arms bent uns naturally, hands resting on the thighs. Interesting grainy black patina, punctuated with residue of abrased kaolin. Discreet native resin resturations.
The province of Lualaba had several close ethnic groups with similar associations. The Mbole are known for their statues, according to D. Biebuck, of the hanged, named ofika . The lilwa , an association with dogmatic initiation rites, had the custom of judging and sentencing those guilty of violations of the imposed rules to ...

Iconography of the rider in the African art of Nigeria.

The horse was rare in the regions of Nigeria and only kings and nobles could afford to acquire this type of equine to facilitate its movement. Divinized ancestor, orisa, or divine messenger Esù or Elégba, the character adopts proportions much larger than those of the animal. It also features facies specific to Yoruba statuary, whose main characteristics are the large almond-shaped globular eyes and the deep scarifications known as "claws". He is accompanied by an adept or one of the water goddesses, whose small size highlights its high stature. The gesture of the female figure emphasizes her powers of nutrition and fertility, and her maternal obligations towards men. This object could be an altar dedicated to Sango, the ...

Focused on the veneration of its gods, or orisà, the Yoruba religion relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages ( aroko). These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. This feminine figure, is represented seated, a spherical receptacle in the image of the earth is placed on his lap. It is intended for votive offerings, gifts for visitors, or divination. Sculptures of this type decorated the palaces of the country Yoruba. Subjects surround it, evocations of fertility and ancestors. Linear scarifications mark the faces of the characters in order not only to increase their physical beauty, but also to identify the rank or origin of its wearer. Body marks could be permanent or temporary, such as tattoos made from insect or plant juices, especially for court ...

The African art of the forest tribes.
Orta's introductory form, probably a variant of the effigy 'kakungu', this rare statuette spotted without arms offers a discreetly ringed leather-draped bust. Oiled dark patina, residual inlays of white pigments on the face. This cult male effigy comes from the Metoko and Lengola, located in the center of the Congolese basin between the Lomami and Lualaba rivers, peoples of the primary forest dedicated to the worship of a unique God, a monotheism rare in Africa. Their company, Bukota, welcoming 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 figure of mangbetu ancestor, whose proportions suggest those of a child, has the famous oblong hairstyle at the top of a large head. The pavilions of the ears stand out. The coffee bean eyes are closed. Brown patina with ochre yellow reflections. Good condition despite some abrasions and tiny cracks.
S body paintings, evoked by geometrical lines, travel through the face and body of the character. In the Mangbetu from an early age, the children underwent a compression of the cranial box held tight by rapia ties. Later, the young women were 'knitting' their hair on wicker strands and applied a headband to the forehead to bring out the hair and to form this particular headdress that accentuates the lengthening of the head. The ancient names beli these figures of ancestors stored ...

Ex-collection Belgian African art.

This realistic sculpture represents a delivery scene, a didactic board intended for the sex education of future initiates. The parturient is seconded by a midwife, a second person with a red tint, his back turned, seems to be plugging his ears (the parent?). A calabash is arranged alongside the woman. The scene is set on a delivery table made of logs on four feet. The object could also be used as a magic medium to promote births as part of the fertility cult. Plant pigments, seeds of wither, wicker stems and feathers, line the woman's diaper. Peeling crusted patina consisting of different colored pigments. The Western Pende live on the banks of Kwilu, while the Orientals settled on the shores of Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. The influences ...

Protective statuette depicted in a kneeling attitude, meaning a request for forgiveness 'fukama ye mooko va bunda'. Glossy gilded wood.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo, led by King ntotela. Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the ivory, copper and slave trade. Similarly, beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary with a codified gesture in relation to their worldview. The sorcerers nganga, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through these consecrated figures. Aggressive witchcraft kindoki is the absolute evil that must be fought. To this end, nkisis protective figures are manufactured and loaded by nganga of all the ...