Tribal Art

Ancestor figure whose removable head reveals a shallow container. The three-sided head symbolizes the gift of ubiquity. The scarifications recall the scales of the mythical serpent Djo, who is said to have created the world and father of Ebongo, primordial hybrid ancestor of men. Velvety polychrome patina, chips and cracks from drying.
Two totemic clans once formed the Kuyu ethnic group, living along the river of the same name, in the northwest of the People's Republic of Congo: in the West that of the panther, and in the East that of the snake. A secret male association, Ottoté, played an important political role in the appointment of chiefs. The initiation of the young people ended with the revelation of the serpent god Ebongo represented in the form of a head. The Kibe-kibe ...

This prestigious hat is a head ornament worn by members of the highest ranks of the bwami secret society governing the lega social structure. This was open to circumcised adults and their wives and instructed its members in terms of moral perfection. These objects are part of masengo, meaning that they are sacred and can therefore only be worn by initiates. The owner cannot part with it during his lifetime. Bwami has different degrees, with yananio and kindi being the highest. The materials used vary, they can be clothing buttons, cowrie shells, pearls or cocoa beans. Animal teeth line a cap carefully woven from plant fibers. This type of headgear was originally topped with elephant hair in reference to the destructive power of the animal beneath its imperturbable appearance. This ...

Ex-collection of French African tribal art. These conical-shaped masks come from the Nsukka region, but could be of Igala origin. The neighboring Igala indeed have comparable royal masks. This example with lateral fins offers striated patterns linked to the facial scarifications of the igala groups. The mask is topped with a bouquet of feathers. Oiled patina. Desiccation cracks, chips, indigenous restoration.
The Igbo live in the forest in the southeast of Nigeria. The village constitutes the largest social unit, the smallest being the extended family. Each village has a high degree of autonomy and is placed under the authority of the oldest lineage leader. The Igbo religion includes on the one hand the god Chuku, supreme creator, considered omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, ...

The sowei embody the aquatic spirits. This ancient African Mende mask is of the type called bundu associated with Bundu ritual initiations. These masks invariably present features concentrated in the lower area, overcoming folds of flesh which symbolize prosperity and health or the spirit emerging from the waters. On this rare version sits a female figure. Painted black or tinted using a leaf wash, the mask was then rubbed with palm oil. Localized abrasions, drying cracks, signs of use. The Mende, Vaï and Gola cultures of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the west coast of Guinea are known for their helmet masks, including those of the Sandé female initiation society which prepares young people girls at the wedding. These masks are made by men and worn by women.

During difficult discussions, dark-colored African masks punu were used. This type of vigilante mask danced during the ikwara dance. The face with gracefully proportioned features, topped with a single domed shell, has lips colored with pink ocher pigments. Matte dark patina, erosions and gaps.
Height on base: 46 cm.
The white masks of Gabon, itengi, (pl. bitengi) were associated with the different secret societies of Gabon, including the Bwiti, Bwete, and the Mwiri ("to lead"), the latter ranging in several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged, and whose emblem was the caiman. The Punu did not use any mask in the Bwiti rituals, unlike the Tsogo. These powerful secret societies, which also had a judicial function, had several dances, including the leopard ...

Collection of African Tribal Art Claude Auge Dogon statuette anchored in a circular block. The arms are missing, isolating narrow shoulders. A hand remains on the thin bust marked with irregular reliefs. A crest underlines the head with erased features, a labret pointing discreetly at the level of the chin. A notch draws a female sex. In African art, this type of sculpture associated with an individual cult adorned the Dogon family altar. Grainy black patina. Abrasions.

Carved for the most part on order placed by a family, the Dogon statues can also be the object of worship on the part of the whole community. However, their functions remain little known. Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, under the ...

Ex-collection of French African art.
African statues of lineage or clan leaders in the tribal art of the Mbede, Mbete, or Ambete.
This version of the reliquary is illustrated by the arrangement and rhythm of its colored planes and by the sober geometry of the facial features. The cult of onkani ancestors, among the Mbete, is surrounded by African figures such as this sculpture whose dorsal cavity conceals baby bird down and fragments of feathers. Matte patina, desiccation cracks, erosions.
The Mbete form a people of Gabon, on the border of Middle Congo, neighboring the Obamba and the Pounou, whose history has been marked by a long-term conflict against the Teke. They do not have a centralized political organization and practice ancestor worship.

Sculpted with two superimposed heads, separated by prisms engraved with linear patterns, this prestige holo stick is coated with a nuanced, shiny brown patina.
In the Democratic Congo between the Yaka and the Tchokwé of Angola, the small Holo ethnic group migrated from the Angolan coast to settle near the banks of the Kwango River. Hunting and agriculture ensure their subsistence. The neighboring ethnic groups, such as the Suku and Yaka, have influenced their traditional sculptures. The Holo indeed produced helmet masks and prestige items for the ruling elite. The Holo used sculptures to guard against the influence of evil spirits, including that of the moon and the rainbow. These statues were placed near dwellings as protection against lightning. Besides the royal biombo figures, ...

Intended to unmask sorcerers, this type of African mask was carved on the eve of ceremonies. It translates the will to intimidate the occult powers. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, this type of African mask also intervened during initiations out of sight of the profane. Velvety patina. Desication cracks.
The wearers of these masks, always in large numbers, appeared at night, lit by torches. Their intervention was also linked to the judicial function by designating the culprits of bad deeds within the village. This type of mask was used by the male ngil society, a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla, which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft. Guarantor of peace, the Ngil also ...

Intended to counter various problems, songye magical statues have cavities into which components called bishimba are introduced. This copy, desecrated, is visibly devoid of it. A copper strip, held together with long staples, runs from the skull to the end of the nose. The cowrie shells aptly represent eyelids fringed with eyelashes, while the mouth unfolds in a toothed grin. Vigorously cut, the morphology is articulated in powerful and exuberant projections around ample digitized feet and hands. Glossy dark patina then orange from the bust. Desiccation cracks.
The Songye fetish, magical sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large examples are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures reserved for ...

This sculpture depicts a concave face, capped with large extended side panels of two pendeloques. It is plated with copper and brass leaves that a discreet nailing makes adhere to the wooden soul. The set is animated by geometric patterns. The eyes surrounded by a resinous amalgam are made up of bone or horn washers. The Kota inhabit the eastern part of Gabon, which is rich in iron ore, and some in the Republic of Congo. The blacksmith, in addition to wood carving, made tools for agricultural work as well as ritual weapons. The sculptures, playing the role of "medium" between the living and the dead, who watched over the descendants, were associated with the rites of the bwete , comparable to those of the Fang . They are sometimes bifaces, mbulu-viti, symbolizing both the masculine and ...

African statuette depicting a subject with prominent features including bulbous eyes and a sagittal braid forming a loop. The subject adopts an unusually hunched posture, thumbs together extended forward.
The body is streaked with scarified marks. Chipped brown patina.
The Vere, Verre , Were, Duru-Verre, or even Dii, live in the northeast of Nigeria, in the state of Adamawa (former Gongola), and in the north of Cameroon. This very small population lives in circular huts grouped into fortified villages.
The Vere statuettes, whose function remains unknown, are rare, and present analogies with the works produced by the Mumuye, their close neighbors established between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Supports of the ritualist named babalawo (or Babalao, or Babaaláwo, pronounced Baba-a-láwo), priest of Ifa, in the Yoruba language, these trays are most often made of wood. This beaded example is rarer. It is intended for Ifa, a system of divination which represents the teachings of the orisha Orunmila, orisha of Wisdom. The babalawo claim to secure the future through their communication with Orunmila. In Yoruba thought in Nigeria and in those of Benin, the orishas form a variety of divine spirits controlling natural forces. They are found mainly in the Yoruba cosmogony but more widely in West Africa and in the diasporas of Central and South America. The center of the board, aarin opon, forms a chart in which kaolin powder (or flour) allows the diviner-priest to trace the solutions to his ...

French African tribal art collection.
This African mask forms a miniature reproduction of a large mask from the Gelede society, i.e. a human head surmounted by a scene, in this case a seated figure of divinity, surrounded by minor subjects . Intended for individual use, this type of object sat on the family altar. Matte polychrome patina.
The Gelede country in Nigeria pays tribute to mothers, especially the oldest among them, whose powers are said to be comparable to those of the Yoruba gods, or orisa, and the ancestors, osi< /i> and which can be used for the benefit but also for the misfortune of society. In the latter case these women are named aje. Masked ceremonies, through performances using masks, costumes and dances, are meant to urge mothers to use their extraordinary ...

This carved figure Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi )is embellished with feathers at the place where the top horn used to be. Her angular face is powerfully expressive. The magic charge bishimba was introduced into the skull cavity if the abdomen did not have it. The power of the fetish would be further enhanced by the presence of accessories, metal rings in this case. Light wood coated with a locally abraded black patina.
These protection fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the sixteenth century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left ...

The spendents live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the have 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, have a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chef, the soothsayer and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc. The masks of initiation 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. Wearing a loose hat consisting of a taut wicker frame of raffia canvas, and ...

The design of this helmet mask, featuring a crest and forward arching horns, expresses power. The very geometric face is extended by a short outgrowth depicting a beard. The geometric polychromy, faintly visible, peels off locally.
Desication cracks.
These heavy masks, whose design usually revolves around a hemispherical helmet with a crest or horned growths, occurred during agricultural rituals in order to restore the balance of the earth. Their significance was revealed during the initiation of young boys.
Mandingo people, most of whom live in eastern Burkina Faso, but also in southern Mali, the culture of the Bobo Fing is similar to that of the Bambara. They are organized into lineages headed by councils of elders. In each village altars are erected under the ...

Two narrow faces traversed by a long rectangular nose are joined at the top by a crest. The features, underlined by inlaid brass leaves, form the specificity of the marka sculptures. Signs of use, old matte patina, desication cracks, erosions.
The Marka , Maraka in Bamana, Warka , or Sarakolé, are Muslim city dwellers of Soninke origin, established in southern Niger, scattered since the end of the Ghana Empire in Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. They now speak Bamana and have adopted many of the Bambara traditions, such as the Ntomo and the Koré, initiation societies that used masks during their ceremonies. The Bambara and Marka African art sculptors are part of the Numuw, who are not tied to an ethnic group and are free to settle wherever they wish.

In the north of Benoué, this type of anthropomorphic sculptures are used during funerals, agricultural festivals or in cases of danger. Their role is that of mediator between the afterlife and the priest. Partially shiny dark patina, grainy residue with a matte appearance. Erosions and desiccation cracks.

The Jukuns are a population of West and Central Africa living mainly in Nigeria in the upper Benue Valley, also in the northwest of Cameroon.
The Southern Jukun have of a tradition of masks, including the male akuma mask linked to the cult of the same name and of which four types were listed by A.Rubin. They often have horns evoking the ram or the antelope, in relation to the Akuma cult. The statues are rare, and relate to the Mam cult widespread in eastern Nigeria. They ...

Equipped with frightening features, this type of African initiation mask, Mbuya, of the Pende, was supposed to incorporate a particularly threatening character.
Black patina, drying cracks, abrasions. Height on base: 50 cm.

The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Easterners have established themselves on the banks of the Kasai downstream of Tshikapa. The Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, have a festive function, and embody different characters difficult to differentiate without their costume, including the fumu or chief. ufumu, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the jester, tundu, the possessed, etc... Mbuya initiation masks linked to mukanda< initiation /i> and those of power, the minganji, represent the ancestors and ...

Assembly of logs with tenons for this rectangular seat whose figurative motifs refer to the statues ntadep, tadep.
Polychrome patina, cracks.
Despite their small number, the thirty thousand Mambila (or Mambila, Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbo, Bang, Ble, Juli, Bea)(the "men", in Fulani), settled in the northwest of Cameroon, created a large number of masks and statues easily identified by their heart-shaped faces. Although the Mambila believe in a creator god named Chang or Nama, they only worship their ancestors. Their leaders were buried in granaries like wheat as they were believed to symbolize prosperity. Masks and statues were not to be seen by women.