Tribal Art

Circular monoxyle seat in the center of which caryatids, arranged around a central pillar, support the upper plate. The contours are engraved with jagged friezes, a symbol related to water and creation. The wood is polished by use at the level of the seat. Cracks and erosions testify to the life of this original piece. The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, esotericism, myths and legends. Their population is estimated at about 300,000 souls living southwest of the Niger loop in the Mopti region of Mali (Bandiagara, Koro, Banka), near Douentza and part of northern Burkina (northwest of Ouahigouya). The villages are often perched on the top of scree on the side of hills, according to a unique architecture. The history of the migrations and settlements of the Dogon (about ...

Ex-collection French tribal art.
Among the chef's regalia, this stool illustrates the importance attached to the prestige of its owner. The protection of ancestors is invoked thanks to the sculpted effigies playing the role of caryatids supporting the used circular seat. While one of them is like a Chokwe tribal leader who could be Chibinda Ilunga, a mythical hunter and hero, founder of the Chokwé ethnic group, wearing his large side winged headdress cipenya-mutwe, the second depicts an 18th century Portuguese settler. The chiefs had a major function in the rites of propitiation intended for the hunting and fertility of women, the objects being decorated with this figure therefore presumably having a protective function. Old prints of upholstery nails. Desication cracks.

Supporting with her fingers placed in a fan shape the circular tray of a seat, or of a shelf, the object can also be used as a pedestal table, a female figure forms the "receptacle of a deceased sovereign chief" (Luba, Roberts). The protruding scarifications, in ears, are scattered across the bust where the umbilicus forms the "center of the world" associated with the lineage, and on the lower abdomen, horizontal, they symbolize fertility. This stool named lupona ,or kioni or kipona , kiona , according to the sources, is the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and the protecting spirits and ancestors, where past and present symbolically and spiritually mingle. It once formed the foundation on which the king was enthroned. The seats were laid out on leopard skins when the new ...

Supporting the circular tray of a seat with her fingers placed in a fan shape, a female figure forms the "receptacle of a deceased sovereign chief" (Luba, Roberts). Carved in the style of the "master of Buli" in the Hemba territory, she has a characteristic face, with large eye sockets and prominent cheekbones. Dark patina with orange highlights, minimal cracks. The prominent scarifications, in spikes, dot the bust where the umbilicus forms the "center of the world" associated with the lineage, and on the lower abdomen, horizontal, they symbolize fertility. This stool named lupona ,or kioni or kipona , kiona and again kitenta ("seat of authority"), according to the sources, constitutes the meeting point of the ruler, his people, and the protective spirits and ancestors, where past ...

A female figure whose face takes the form of the mask Kifwebe plays here the role of caryatide. Another incongruity is that excessive feet develop on a damaged circular promontory, just like the seat. This type of seat could also serve as a pedestal for fetishes mankishi (sing. nkishi). Three variants of this mask Kifwebe (pl. Bifwebe) or "Chasing the mort" (Roberts) stand out: the masculine (kilume) usually with a high crest, the feminine (kikashi) with a very low crest see absent, and finally the largest embodying power (kia ndoshi). This type of mask, still used today, appears to originate from the adjacent area between the northern Luba and the Southeastern Songye. They are worn with a long suit and a long beard made of natural fibers, absent on this copy, during the most important ...

Among the elements of African furniture used daily, a chair lobi from Burkina Faso , whose long oblong seat, curved, is supported by two massive feet. This type of stool for individual use marked the social rank of its owner and did not lend itself under any circumstances.
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. 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.
Patine, cracks and abrasions.

The sanctity of sculpted foundations, regalia of prestige, in early African art.
This seat depicting a crouching female figure, supporting the tray of a circular seat, forms the receptacle of a deceased sovereign leader (Luba, Roberts). The protruding scarifications converging on the umbilical, the centre of the world associated with lineage, those of the lower abdomen, the fullness of volumes, testify to notions of fertility. This stool named lupona, or kioni, kipona, kiona, according to the sources, constitutes the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and protective spirits and ancestors, where symbolically and spiritually past and present mingle. It was once the seat on which the king was inducted. The seats were arranged on leopard skins at the inauguration of the new ...

The seat of this stool of dignitary, equipped with a handle, is here supported by three mfondo masks whose eyes are encrusted with cauris. The masks Mfondo and Nkaki, with a barely dissimilar nasal profile, are difficult to differentiate, but the Mfondo would have a nose lost in the hairstyle. The multiple manipulations helped polish and polish the seat cove. Oiled black patina with underlying mahogany reflections, granular residue. Patina of abrased use.
This is near the Kasai River that the Lwalwa live, between Angola and Zaire. Historically with a matrilineal society, the Lwalwa, after having been influenced by Luba and Songy, adopted a patrilineal system within their rudimentary political and social organization. The nkaki, wood-carved mulela mask, is one of four types of masks ...

Extensively decorated, this prestigious, monoxyle seat belonged to a Dogon chief. A feline sculpture supports the seat, while lion figures form its arms. The decoration of the back evokes the moucharabiehs, entirely sculpted with round-bump patterns describing different scenes: millet pounding, musicians, entwined couples, ploughing. On the other side of the file is a hermaphrodite character, standing on the caryatide animal whose tail he keeps vertically in front of him. This deep seat, with a sloping back, has a comfortable seat.
The characters could also symbolize the Nommos, mythical ancestors linked to the complex legends and beliefs of the Dogon. The Namo founded the eight dogon lineages and instilled weaving, the art of forging, and agriculture in his human descendants. This ...

This object, whose stability is provided by three feet in a slight oblique, and whose ends of the oblong tray curve gracefully, was intended to preserve the complex headdress of its owner. A prestigious object of the nomads also used as a stool, it also affirmed their social status. The ends feature sylized elephant heads, or horns. Featuring a sturdy braided leather conveyor belt, it features decorative accessories in the form of hair stamps.
Glosspatine glossy black brown, braided leather strap, animal hair pom pompoms. Little information has been gathered about this animist people of southern Sudan. Some of these East African tribes were virtually wiped out by the inter-tribal wars and the Islamic slave trade.

A kneeling couple figure, with his back attached, forms the "recepacle of a deceased sovereign leader" (Luba, Roberts). The hands support the central circular tray. The scarifications of the female figure, protruding, in ears, surround the umbilical, "centre of the world" associated with lineage, and those of the lower abdomen, horizontal, symbolize fertility. This stool named lupona, or kioni or kipona , kiona , according to the sources, constitutes the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and protective spirits and ancestors, where symbolically and spiritually mingle past and present. It once formed the foundation upon which King mulopwe was inducted. Seats were arranged on leopard skins at the inauguration of the new leader. It was only after sitting there that his speech took ...

Designed to enhance its owner, the African chair forms an element of furniture designed to inform the social origin of its owner. Its middle part is therefore often adorned with anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figures in relation to the founding myths and beliefs of the ethnic group. A ring forms here the base on which five long-formed caryatid figures, perched on heads, support the circular seat with their raised arms. The latter is painstakingly engraved with regular concentric motifs and broken lines, including curries symbolizing wealth and fertility. The characters with the filiform body present a voluminous head typical of Cameroonian statuary.
The Tikars inhabit the western part of central Cameroon which lies within the medium-altitude secondary dense forest along the Mbam. ...

The sanctity of sculpted foundations, regalia of prestige, in early African art.
This seat with a circular tray carved from a female ancestor figure forms the "receptacle of a late sovereign leader, Luba, Roberts). The protruding scarifications by converging on the umbilical, " centre of the world" associated with lineage, those of the lower abdomen, the fullness of volumes, testify to notions of fertility. This stool named lupona , or kioni, kipona, kiona, according to the sources, constitutes the meeting point of the sovereign, his people, and protective spirits and ancestors, where symbolically and spiritually blend past and present. It was once the seat on which the king was inducted. The seats were arranged on leopard skins at the inauguration of the new leader. It was only ...