Tribal Art

Belgian African art collection.
Effigy of figurative ancestor seated, hands resting on knees. In African tribal art, this type of sculpture associated with individual worship adorned the Dogon family altar. Thick ritual crusty patina.

Carved for the most part on commission by a family, Dogon statues can also be the object of worship by the entire community. However, their functions remain little known. In parallel with Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lebe, relating to fertility, under the spiritual authority of the Hogon, the Wagem, the cult of the ancestors under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the world of the spirits and directed by the priest of the Binou, and the society of the masks concerning funerals.

Endowed with a morphology with both feminine and masculine characters, this statue is erected on a base overhanging a calotte mask. The semi-flexed legs, however, evoke the tribal dance mbombo of the young girls during the Ogbom ceremonies, held before the altar at the close of the periods of seclusion. This danced ritual was dedicated to the deity of the earth named Ala among the Igbo, and Isong among the Ibibio . The crest masks were then kept near the chimney flues of the huts in order to be protected from insects. Thick cracked patina, colored highlights, localized abrasions. Old break on the nose and cracks.
The Eket , established in southeastern Nigeria, are a subgroup of the Ibibio ethnic group renowned for their expressive masks. They are a patrilineal society whose ...

Ex-Swiss African art collection.

The voluminous headdresses of the Ikorodo masks in the African art of Nigeria.
This African Igbo mask named Ikorodo in the Nsukka region of southern Nigeria glorifies youth and beauty, with narrow eye slits, a face with sharp white coated features, scarification and tattoos. The headdress is composed of three openworked wings topped with circular protrusions, hence the name "cap" headdress.

This rare notable's headdress has a semi-spherical base in basketry, lined with a raffia fishnet carrying thick mats also braided in raffia. The front part coated with red clay is lined with cowries.
It is worn during enthronement ceremonies accompanied by traditional dances within the kingdom of Oku, in the northwest of Cameroon, in the Grasslands region at the border region of Nigeria. This chiefdom is populated mainly by two ethnic groups: 'Fulani' nomadic pastoralists and 'Nso, Oku and Kom' semi-Bantu cultivators.
Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon who would have broad supernatural powers including that of being able to change into animals such as the python, the elephant, the ...

Figurative version of the gelede mask, revealing a face with realistic features imbued with softness. This mask is embellished with a tri-lobed cap whose striped patterns are coated with colored pigments.
Velvety matte patina, abrasions and slight losses.
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 qualities for peacemaking and constructive purposes, for the good of society.

The African masks of the Punu are distinguished by their elaborate hairstyles made up of braided shells. This sophisticated example also has a pierced lid.
Height on base: 47 cm. Abraded matte patina, gaps (outlines).
The white masks of Gabon, itengi, (pl. bitengi) were associated with the various secret societies of Gabon, including the Bwiti, Bwete, and the Mwiri ("to lead") , the latter being spread over several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged, and whose emblem was the caiman (hence, for some, the saurian scale pattern). This object, evocation of a deceased young woman, was exhibited during the dance called Okuyi. These powerful secret societies, which also had a judicial function, featured several dances, including the Leopard Dance, the Esomba, the ...

Recognisable for its sophisticated hairstyle and linear scarifications made up of checkerboards, this Tabwa ancestor figure is depicted seated, presenting the tablet forming the seat of a seat. Beautiful black oil patina, desication cracks. Abrasions.
The Tabwa ('scarifier' and 'write') are an ethnic group present in the south-east of the DRC, around Lake Tanganyika. The tribes of this region, such as the Tumbwe , worship the ancestors mipasi through sculptures held by chiefs or sorcerers. the Tabwa united around tribal leaders after being influenced by the Luba. It was mainly during this period that their artistic current was expressed mainly through statues but also through masks. The Tabwa worshipped ancestors and dedicated some of their statues to them. Animists, their beliefs ...

Facial scarifications ichi indicate that this igbo sculpture depicts a titled man, wearing a crest in the shape of a volatile. He is depicted head-on on a bench, sitting straight back in a determined attitude. Two-coloured crusty patina, red ochre crehauts on the face.
Seeional body marks, tattoos and scarifications indicated the grade achieved in the initiation society. This effigy, embodying a tutelary deity, intermediate between men and the god named Chukwu was destined to be placed in the obu (Sing.: obi), houses of the men of the Cross River. . The culture Igbo originates from the mythology of the Kingdom Nri of Nigeria, according to which the gods brought to believers palm oil, cassava, and yam-based remedies. These effigies often show symbolic objects, including a mirror in ...

In addition to its remarkable statuary, the African art of the Mangbetu presents a wide variety of everyday objects, instruments and adornments. This ancient statuette has an interesting patina composed of several layers including an ochre-red revealing under a greyish coat and light beige cracked. Forearms and sex are missing. The statues of mangbetu ancestors are easily identifiable thanks to the typical headdress they have. This headdress represents the ideal canon of beauty within the mangbetu aristocracy. From an early age, children's skulls were compressed with raffia cords that distorted their skulls, and a high, flared headdress further accentuated the importance. Long scars, which varied according to the circumstances, roamed the sculpture, evoking the tribal paintings and ...

Mangbetu African tribal art, a prestigious art, was intended for the elite of society, such as this solid seat whose back features a bust. The seat is covered with animal skin, lustrous by use, the contours trimmed with upholstery nails. Minor cracks and erosions.
Established in the forest in the northeast of Zaire, the Mangbetu kingdom expressed itself through architectural works that impressed European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, ornaments and statuary were imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. The Mangbetu story was indeed based on the refinement of his court but also on cannibalistic customs. King Mangbetu "Munza" was thus nicknamed "the cannibal king". The ethnologist G.A. Schweinfurth in 1870 described its refinement, while at the same time ...

This statue of traditional African art, of the djennenké type, was generally made to order by a family and placed on the family altar Tiré Kabou. The African tribal statues of the Dogon can also be worshiped by the whole community when they commemorate, for example, the foundation of the village. These statues, sometimes embodying the nyama of the deceased, are placed on ancestor altars and take part in various rituals, including those of the sowing and harvesting periods. However, their functions remain little known. The figures with raised arms would symbolize a prayer to Amma to grant the rain essential to all life. It could also be a gesture of contrition following the violation of a ritual law that resulted in a drought.
Desiccated surface, slightly satiny golden beige patina.

Several types of masks are listed among the Bamileke who seek power by allying themselves with animals: such as this rare mask depicting a great ape, with human hair extended with braids and accessorized with heterogeneous talismans. The features are enhanced with ocher and white pigments. A wicker strapping, adjusted to the internal contours of the mask, held the carved wooden face on the wearer's head.
In the border region of Nigeria, the North West province of Cameroon, the Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon who would have broad supernatural powers including that of being able to change ...

Ex-collection of Belgian African tribal art.

The triangular face underlined by a beard is specific of the Bassikassingo style. Large almond-shaped eyes, a triangular nose, a reduced mouth. According to Daniel Biebuyck, the widespread use of ancestor figures would be the result of the presence of pre-Bembe hunters among these groups living on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika. Matt patina, abrasions.
Migratory flows have mixed within the same territories Bembe , Lega, Buyu (Buye) or Boyo , Binji and Bangubangu. The Bassikassingo Bassikassingo, considered by some as a sub-clan of the Buyu Buyu, are however not of Bembe origin although they live on their territory, as Biebuyck's work has allowed to trace their history. Organized in lineages, they borrowed the ...

Unusual composition for this urhobo statue, depicting a creature with a zoomorphic appearance, aggressive in appearance, flanked at the back by a long neck and a head with minimalist features. Brown matte patina, low contrast pigmented highlights. Very minor chips and cracks.
The Urhobo, near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, form 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. Together with the closely related Isoko, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures representing the spirits of nature, edjo, or founding ancestors of the clan, to whom sacrifices were offered, were grouped together in sanctuaries within the villages. They also produce figures ...

Statues of ancestors in the African art of the Mbede, Mbete, or Ambete.

The worship of the ancestors, among the Mbete, is accompanied by statues embodying an ancestor, chief or dignitary, and of which a dorsal cavity contains the remains. The relics of the ancestors can also be collected in anthropomorphic boxes of which this type of sculpture served as a lid. The head offers a blind, grimacing face. Kaolin patina and red ocher highlights. Minimal desication erosions and cracks.


The Mbete form a tribe of Gabon, on the border of the Middle Congo, neighboring the Obamba, whose history has been marked by a long-term conflict against the Teke. They do not have a centralized political organization, practice the "onkani" ancestor worship still in use.

African animal figure Nkisi (pl. mankishi ) of "koso" type, receptacle of magic ingredients bishimba. The addition of metal accessories, leather pouches and cords, was supposed to increase the power of the fetish. Mediator between the living and the dead for the Kongo, the dog was renowned for its knowledge of the supernatural world, its flair and its vision. Golden brown satin patina, abrasions.
The Vili , the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembe, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the Kôngo group, led by King ntotela . Their kingdom reached its peak in the 16th century with the trade in ivory, copper and the slave trade. With the same beliefs and traditions, they produced a statuary endowed with a codified gesture in relation to their vision of the world.

Of large size, this African mask gelede features a face with plump volumes, framed by high ears and a striated beard. The pupils of protruding eyes are pierced. Polychrome patina with slightly grainy relief. Abrasions and losses (base).
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 qualities for peacemaking and constructive purposes, for the good of society. (Sources: Africa, ed. ...

Old Dogon attic shutter, fitted with its lock. It is made up of two panels joined by metal staples that solidify copper plates. The lock bears fine linear patterns. Grainy brown patina, ocher inlays.
The motifs present on the doors in Mali, apart from their decorative value, are intended to deter the intruder, whether human or animal, from entering. The locks, like the doors, are cut in wood chosen according to the function of the building in which they will be used. Because each plant is attributed specific virtues.

Ex-collection of Belgian African tribal art.

The theme of the woman breastfeeding her child forms a frequent subject in the statuary urohobo, idoma, afo and igbo. The sculpture would embody an edjo. It stands out from the igbo sculpture thanks to the deep vertical facial scarifications. Yellow ochre crusty patina, locally flaked. Damaged base, erosion and desication cracks.
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 ...

The Gelede in African Art. Gelede mask depicting a face topped with an extended structure of an animal motif. In Nigeria, also in Benin, this African mask worn on the top of the head is used for the rejoicing dances of the Gelede society, and on the occasion of the funerals of its followers. These masks occur in pairs, each with a specific name. Some can be used for decades before being replaced. Matte polychrome patina partially chipped, desiccation cracks and gaps (outlines).
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 ...

Ex-Belgian tribal art collection.
Sculpted figure embodying a sacred ancestor, elaborated following various rituals prescribed by the diviner and to which the descendants joined. It was after the extinction of the lineage that one could separate from the object. Deeply hollowed on either side of a meditative face, the large ears fit under a hairstyle pulled back. The treatment of the upper part of the bust is distinctive of the group, while the arms with fingered hands frame a slender morphology. Drips of dark color, others reddish, can be read on the patina rubbed with ocher. Thick deposits on the top and on the shoulders, mixed with twigs. erosions. The populations of the same cultural region, grouped together under the name "lobi", form a fifth of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso. ...