Tribal Art

Miniature in silver and bronze alloy depicting a rider on his mount, which represents an exceptional attribute of prestige in the arid regions of the Sahel. This talisman constitutes, for the Sao, a protection against madness. The rider symbolizes the genius who possesses the madman, the horse representing the victim.
Between the 12th and 14th centuries, the Sao, ancestors of the Kotoko, were established on hills in the border regions of Chad, northern Cameroon and Nigeria, in order to repel invaders. Subjected to successive attacks from their neighbors in Kanem and then to hordes from the East, the Sao had to abandon their lands to settle in the North-West of Cameroon where they mixed with the natives, thus giving birth to the Kotokos. The Kotoko still attribute today to the ...

Prestigious sculptures in the African art of Mali
This wooden sculpture depicts an indeterminate animal on which is perched a subject treated in a very schematic way. According to Gabriel Massa, only wealthy people can order this type of prestigious, rare sculpture from the blacksmith, intended for individual worship.
Old grainy patina, and desication cracks.
The frequent representations of riders among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men, resuscitated by the creator god Amma, descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because ...

The clearly contrasting proportions of this Dogon sculpture are striking here, highlighting the supernatural nature of the subject.
Old restoration of an arm. Matte patina speckled golden brown. Minor desiccation cracks.
In Dogon mythology, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men resurrected by the creator god Amma, descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he should not set foot on the ground. In the region of the Sangha cliffs, inaccessible on horseback, the priests wore it, while neighing in reference to the mythical ancestor Nommo. The rider and his horse are a theme frequently treated among ...

In the Yoruba pantheon, Orunmila is the deity of the which is consulted in case of problems through the divination ifà via the soothsayer babalawo (iyanifà for a woman). Intended to stand on the altar of the god, this sculpture consists of a cup that contained the sacred palm nuts and a rider figure. The character would embody Esu or Elegba , divine messenger who unites orisa to men. Cracks on the pot.
Centrée on the veneration of her gods, or orisà, the religion yoruba relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages ( aroko). They are designed by sculptors at the request of followers, soothsayers and their clients. These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu were born following the disappearance of the civilization Ifé ...

Dogon sculpture with a rectangular, geometric and refined aspect. The weapon the horseman wielded is missing. Beautiful velvety light brown patina of use, desication cracks and abrasions.
The frequent representations of riders among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men, resuscitated by the creator god Amma, is said to have descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he was not to set foot on the ground. In the region of the cliffs of Sangha, inaccessible on horseback, the priests wore it, while neighing in reference ...

This Bamoun rider controlling a prancing horse would represent King N'Doya in his victory over the Peuls in the 19th century. Dark brown leather dresses the shapes of the character and his frame, lighter leather covers the hooves. The king armed with a sword is dressed in a traditional costume, the Hausa having introduced clothing transformations among the Bamoun, he wears leather stirrups connected by a rigid wicker rod. The various decorative elements and materials used here form an exceptional work.
The Bamun live in a region full of wooded landforms as well as savannahs. This large territory called Grassland located in the southwest of Cameroon is also the seat of other nearby ethnic groups such as the Bamiléké and the Tikar. Bamoun art is illustrated by bas-relief ...

The original proportions of the rider and his horse, in the N'duleri style, mark the desire to personify chimerical beings and give all the grace of this Dogon sculpture. Very beautiful mottled, velvety, chipped patina.
Minor cracks and erosions.
The frequent representations of riders among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of men, resuscitated by the creator god Amma, is said to have descended to earth carried by an ark transformed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he was not to set foot on the ground. In the region of the cliffs of Sangha, inaccessible ...

This sculpture depicting a Bamoun horseman controlling a rearing horse would represent King N'Doya in his victory over the Fulani in the 19th century. Originally armed with a sword of which only the scabbard remains, he also wielded a sabre. Leather sheaths the shapes of the character and his mount. The king is dressed in a textile habit, the Hausa having introduced clothing transformations among the Bamoun, and his feet are slipped into wicker stirrups. Cracks and abrasions.
The Bamun live in a region that is both full of wooded landforms but also of savannas. This vast territory called Grassland located in the southwest of Cameroon is also the seat of other close ethnic groups such as the Bamiléké and the Tikar. Bamoun art is illustrated by sculptures in bas-reliefs, depicting ...

A figure of a horseman, sculpted in the round, surmounts the Yoruba Sango-type staff. It glorifies a deified ancestor. The equine, rare in the region, was also an attribute of prestige which was reserved for the nobility and the sovereigns. Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà , the Yoruba religion is based on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). They are designed by the sculptors at the request of the followers, soothsayers and their clients. These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. Chipped polychromy, semi-satin patina.
Height on base: 74 cm.
The Yoruba, more than 20 million, occupy southwestern Nigeria and the central and southeastern region of Benin under the name of Nago. They are patrilineal, practice excision and ...

Ex-collection of French African art. The Bamana, like the Dogon, magnify the ancestors through representations of horsemen on horseback. These last ones constitute major characters of the theater of puppets organized by the associations of young people.
These works also evoke the horse races between young Bamana. The ears and hands of this naked rider, riding without stirrups, have been symbolically accentuated.
Beautiful warm brown patina, velvety, residual ochre inlays. Misses.
The Bambara of central and southern Mali belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and Malinke. Groups of Bambara artisans nyamakala , more specifically the blacksmiths named numu , are in charge of carving ritual objects, endowed with the nyama , occult energy. Using fire ...

Glorifying an ancient deified king, a rider figure surrounded by servants forms the central subject of the scene established on a circular handle tray. This sculpture is associated with the cult sango symbolized by a double axis. The equine, rare in the region, was an attribute of prestige that was reserved for the nobility and the sovereigns. At the top, a plank connecting the heads is carved from an iguana or crocodile. . Focused on the veneration of his gods, or orisà, the religion yoruba relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). They are designed by sculptors at the request of followers, soothsayers and their clients. These spirits are supposed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare. Crusty patina. Cracks and abrasions.
Soruba, more than 20 million, occupy ...

Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà, the Yoruba religion relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages (aroko). This African altar sculpture, allowing communication with the afterlife according to the Yoruba, depicts one of the many female goddesses, the earth goddess Onilé ("owner of the House"), guarantor of longevity, peace, and resources, and linked to the powerful Ogboni society among theYoruba Egba and Ijebu. She could also symbolize Orunmila, goddess of divination. Hairstyle and integumentary ornaments also indicate the social rank of the character. Thick matte polychrome patina, locally cracked, cracks.

The kingdoms of Oyo and Ijebu arose following the disappearance of the Ifé civilization and are still the basis of the political structure of ...

Prestigious sculptures in African art from Mali This wooden sculpture features a Dogon chief with a scarred face, riding his mount. According to Gabriel Massa, only the wealthy could commission the blacksmith to make this type of rare, prestige sculpture for individual worship.
Old matt patina, erosion and desiccation cracks. The frequent representations of horsemen among the Dogon of Mali refer to their cosmogony and their complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos, ancestors of the men, resuscitated by the creator god Amma, came down on the earth carried by an ark metamorphosed into a horse. Moreover, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious chief named Hogon, paraded on his horse during his enthronement because according to the custom he should not put ...

This African sculpture figurative male adopts some of the canons of the Baule statues, and the famous "Baule settlers" with a helmeted figure simultaneously displaying the traditional scarified signs. Perched on an animal of modest proportions, mixing elements of horse and leopard, he has an egg, indicating a ritual sacrifice.
Grainy polychrome patina. About sixty ethnic groups populate the Ivory Coast, including the Baule, in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed the ritual cults and sculpted masks. Two types of statues are produced by the Baoulé, Baulé, within the ritual framework: The Waka-Sona statues, "being of wood" in Baoulé, evoke an assié oussou, being of the ...

The African art sculptures of the Bobo , Bwa ("Red Bobo") , Kurumba and Mossi, frequently take up and combine stylized elements borrowed from humans, animals or even insects.
It is the spirits of nature that are supposed to determine the well-being and prosperity of an individual, and adversity will be considered as the result of neglect of collective rites.
This is a representation of a masked dancer embodying the Do spirit, dressed in his leaf costume and a crest mask with a horseman motif. This figure plays the role of mediator between men and their creator god Wuro. This sculpture comes from the village of Tominian in Mali. Matt patina, cracks and abrasions. The Bwa live in the west of Burkina Faso, extending into Mali, and are surrounded to the east by the ...

The Bamana, like the Dogon, magnify the ancestors through representations of cavaliers. The latter are major characters in the puppet theater organized by youth associations.
These works also evoke the horse races between young Bamana. The character rides without stirrups, and is wearing the traditional cap.
Grayish matte patina. Misses.
The Bambara of central and southern Mali belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and Malinke. Groups of Bambara artisans nyamakala , more specifically the blacksmiths named numu , are in charge of carving ritual objects, endowed with the nyama , occult energy. Using fire and magical objects, the role of healer and diviner is also attributed to them. Their powers are transmitted to their women, who alone have the right ...

A couple of riders are riding bareback an animal of prestige for the Dogon, the horse, whose limbs are stretched and whose head is rather geometric. The human figures, probably dignitaries, are wearing braids and bracelets. Matt patina. Erosions.
The frequent representations of horsemen, among the Dogon of Mali, refer to their cosmogony and complex religious myths. Indeed, one of the Nommos , ancestors of men, resurrected by the creator god Amma, descended to earth carried on an ark metamorphosed into a horse. In addition, the highest authority of the Dogon people, the religious leader named Hogon, paraded on his mount during his enthronement because according to custom he was not to set foot on the ground. In the region of the Sangha cliffs, inaccessible by horse, the priests ...

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 ...

In African art, Sao Sokoto-inspired works are mostly imprinted with the equestrian world. Within the ethnic group, small copies of riders usually in bronze are melted and worn like talismans, patinated and lustrous by friction. They are seen above all as a remedy to fight possession by evil spirits. The horse represents the spirit of the person who is possessed, while the genius who possesses it is symbolized by the rider.

More than an ethnic group, the Sao are a civilization that has disappeared. They were found between the 12th and 14th centuries in a geographical area stretching along the borders between Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. This bronze, inspired by the finest Sao achievements, has a copper patina. The warriors depicted on their mounts have their heads wrapped in a ...