Tribal Art

Ex-collection of Belgian African tribal art.
This African Lega mask offers a shallow, narrow volume. Vertical horns stand at the top, and the eyes are treated in rectangles on either side of a very long nose. Light wood rubbed with a locally abraded dark coating. Erosion of the contours.
These masks indicated the stage their holders had reached in the Bwami, a learning society composed of different grades, and which was joined by wives whose spouses had reached the third level, that of ngandu. ngandu.

Vestige of an ancient African mask forming a crest embodying a spirit of the bush. It combines discreet human features at the end of the muzzle, protruding pupils and rounded horns. These very refined masks, associated with the mangam ceremonies of the Mama , or Kantana , of which the buffalo masks are better known, are used within the ethnicity by members of a male association responsible for maintaining social order and increasing or promoting agricultural production. It is indeed north of Benoué that several ethnic groups produce very stylized masks worn horizontally. Chipped dark patina. erosions. Height on base: 50 cm.

This mask whose horns symbolize fertility is therefore danced during festivals in relation to agricultural fertility and sometimes human fertility. ...

Braids organized in shells cover the face of this punu mask devoid of the traditional "mabinda" scarifications. Carved in soft wood, this mask is representative of the African art productions of the Punu. Desiccation cracks, erosions.
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 ranging from several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged, and whose emblem was the caiman (hence, for some, the motif with saurian scales). The punu did not involve any mask in the rituals of Bwiti, unlike the Tsogo. This object, evocation of a deceased young woman, was exhibited during the dance called Okuyi. These powerful secret societies, which also ...

Anthropomorphic figure with upright arms, perched in a slight inclination on a stylized head with large hollow circular ears, its abdomen forms a cup intended to contain beer or palm wine on the occasion of ritual ceremonies. The feet and hands are fingered and their spaces are coated with white kaolin. The character has three long parallel streaks on the face related to tribal scarification. Beautiful polychromy.Drying cracks. Lack and strongly eroded base resting on a suitable base. According to some authors, two people were drinking at the same time (Arts of Nigeria, A. Lebas) It is in the northern part of the interior of Nigeria that the Koro, along with the Waja, Mama, Hausa, and Dakakari. Mostly known for their masks adorned with red seeds of forefathers embodying the ancestors, ...

Sculptures of African art and "cubist" tribal masks
This mask from the central Ijo region, standing out from the style of the Ijo Kalabari, is associated with the spirits of nature. It was used by one of the male brotherhoods sekiapu or "dancing people" who wore it obliquely on the head. The central panel with a stylized face with protruding eyes is extended by three tubular protrusions, while the upper panel has two tiny faces separated by vertical elements. The patina is a matt, mottled patina with polychrome highlights. Desiccation cracks.
The Ijo of the Niger Delta live mainly from fishing and agriculture, and their small villages are located in swampy areas west of the Nun River, so their cosmogony has naturally centered around this environment. References to their ...

Of great visual power despite its starkness and the somewhat "frustrating" nature of its creation, this Songye fetish sculpture seems to have been stripped of its magical accessories. The ritual horn has given way to a cup at the top, and no metal or pearl necklace stands out against the greyish-beige patina of the surface.
Velvety patina, erosions and cracks.
The Nkisi songye plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to which they are ...

African mask intended for the highest ranks of the Nsubi society, the latter also initiating wives. This mask whose reliefs are composed of the eyebrow arches and the nose borrows certain features from the Kumu masks and Mbole. The velvety patina forms a locally flaking crusty film. Height on base: 44 cm.
Mingled by alliance with the Lega, Ngengele and Zimba, the Songola are governed by the elders of the lineages. They borrowed from the Luba and Songye the institution Luhuna composed of dignitaries and that of Bwami by their lega wives. The Songola live by hunting and fishing, they devote themselves to sculpture, although the objects associated with the Bwami cult come from the Lega. Among their reduced statuary, the figures of ancestors of the Nsubi society evoke those of the ...

African mask whose rounded forehead, delimited by parallel streaks indicating the hair, offers a midrib running from the skull to the tip of the nose. This element characterizes the statuary from the area between the Guro and the Bétés. The toothed mouth is in powerful projection. This mask, whose function remains poorly documented, would symbolize masculine strength, and perhaps also a notable named "migone". Mottled matte patina, long desiccation crack of the thick patina. Kaolin filmy residues.
The Bété form a tribe established on the left bank of the Sassandra River in the south-west of the Ivory Coast. Close to the Kouya and the Niabwa, the making of their masks, as well as their function, have great similarities.

The Bété are divided into ninety-three ethnic groups ...

African polychrome mask offering a certain "cubist" structure. The center is carved with large eyelids placed obliquely, extended by a geometric nose and mouth. The lower part of the face continues in a very slightly concave flat tint. Deep colored grooves emphasize the volume of the skull and the flatness of the cheeks.
The term Kifwebe designates the mask, the society of masks, and the wearer of the mask belonging to the male secret society bwadi bwa kifwebe which ensured the social control. Matte polychrome patina, erosions. Cracks.
In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left bank of the Lualaba, in Katanga and Kasai. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes ...

Executed according to traditional criteria, these statues supposed to embody the ancestors frequently wear small wooden tenons as a bristling hairstyle, such as this massive figure established in a kneeling posture, projecting its bust forward. The flat face bears expressive features, including a hallucinated gaze evoking trance.
Erosions and abrasions, velvety matte patina. .
Crusty ocher matte patina, locally chipped. Cracks.


Despite their small number, the thirty thousand Mambila(or Mambilla, Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbo, Bang, Ble, Juli, Bea)(the "< i>men" , in Fulani), settled in the northwest of Cameroon, created a large number of masks and statues easily identifiable by their heart-shaped faces. Although the Mambila believe in a creator god named ...

Tutelary femininity within African art Bambara, this sculpture of "little favourite", Nyeleni in Bambara, is soberly described, releasing a haughty and powerful altitude. The arms spread away from the body, extended by flattened hands, also give a particular dynamic. Lumpy greasy patina, cracks, erosions.
The Bambara of central and southern Mali belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and the Malinke. Large masked parties close the initiation rites of the dyo association and the gwan ritual of the Bambara in the south of the Bambara country. Spread over a period of seven years for men, they are less demanding for women. The new initiates then celebrate, in groups, from village to village, their symbolic rebirth. It is the sons of the blacksmiths who dance around these ...

Monoxyl piece in carved wood covered with a fabric of rabane sewn with pearls and cowries, symbolizing wealth. The juxtaposed colors enhance the volumes and figurative motifs associated with chieftaincy and its myths.

Located in the border region of Nigeria, the North West Province of Cameroon, Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun, or Bamum and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon which has broad powers. Among the Bamilekes of Sudano-Bantu origin, as in other ethnic groups, art objects testified to their owner's place in society. The seats, the ornamentation of which varied according to social status, were carved for current ...

Monoxyl piece in carved wood covered with a fabric of rabane sewn with pearls and cowries, symbolizing wealth. The juxtaposed colors enhance the volumes and patterns, associated with chieftaincy.
A basic structure is carved in wood and then covered, above a canvas of rabane, with a lattice of imported pearls and cowry shells whose colors correspond to the different chiefdoms.

Located in the border region of Nigeria, the North West Province of Cameroon, Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun, or Bamum and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon which has broad powers. Among the Bamilekes of Sudano-Bantu origin, as in other ...

Metal bracelets, rows of pearls, and scarified body motifs form the ornaments of this young OviMbundu woman, represented frontally. This statue could have been associated with female initiation, fertility, or even divinatory rituals, the hairstyle evoking that, fashioned with oil and red ocher, of young nyaneka girls at the continuation of the efuko ritual. Beautiful nuanced patina, desiccation cracks.
It is on the Benguela plateau in Angola that the Ovimbudu, Ovimbundu, have been established for several centuries, made up of farmers and breeders. Forming the largest ethnic group in Angola, they belong to Bantu speakers, such as Nyaneka, Handa, Nkhumbi, and other groups from the region of Huila, or Wila. Their statuary made in light wood is relatively limited.
Ref. : "Black ...

Pair of Berber pillars surmounted by T-shaped capitals. They are mounted on flat metal bases. Decorative patterns carved into the wood separate different sections. The surface is painted with traditional Amazigh motifs, arabesques and friezes. Use patina, desication cracks.
In the Sahara, the Tuareg-speaking Berbers live in the center and south, in Algeria, Libya, Niger, Chad, Mali, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, while the Arabic-speaking Moors are established in the western Sahara, in Mauritania, in Mali, and in western Algeria. They lead a nomadic life, raising goats, sheep and dromedaries ensuring their subsistence.
Similar copies in "African art from the Mack collection" ed. Hirmer (p. ...

Ample African mask wearing a cap, it displays large protruding eyes, a particularity of the Yoruba style. The surface is perforated with crosses coated in a burgundy red hue. Desication cracks. Chipped 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 qualities for peacemaking and constructive purposes, for the good of society. During rigorously organized ceremonies, each ...

The African art of the Byeri cult is illustrated by various anthropomorphic sculptures acting as "guardians" and embodying the ancestor.
A piriform face carried by a stretched morphology distinguishes this sculpture. The reduced arms, compressing the chest, form a block freeing the abdomen. Geometric legs extend from narrow bulbous hips. Shiny black patina. Erosions.
The boxes containing the relics of illustrious ancestors were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the "esa". Surmounted by a statue or a head that acted as guardian of the "byeri" boxes, they were stored in a dark corner of the hut, supposed to divert evil influences towards someone else. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" society. During festivals, the ...

Carried by thick lower limbs, the narrowness of the bust framed by rounded arms here accentuates the volume of the torso. The spherical head with large ears, wearing a rounded crest, shows an expression of stupor. Semi-matt mottled patina, abrasions and loss, desication cracks.
It was during healing rites, or even divination of the origins of illnesses, that this sculpture played a major role for members of male Komtin society. The stocky morphology of the Montol statues comes in broad shoulders, a narrow bust, thick and reduced legs. The head is generally spherical, the features sketchy. The Montols kept the sculptures for community use in the "dodos", thatched-roof huts decorated with trophy skulls, where they were used in worship following ritual libations. Works of this type ...

In African art, the Bamiléké demonstrate their know-how through the use of multicolored beads.
This monoxyl seat, named rü mfo among the Bamum, Kuo koko for the Bamileke, presents human figurative motifs, associated with the chiefdom. A basic structure is carved in wood to then be covered, above a canvas of rabane, with a lattice of imported pearls and cowries, an old currency associated with wealth.
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Located in the border region of Nigeria, the North West Province of Cameroon, Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun, or Bamum and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon which has broad ...

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Sculpted African figure, "Ségou" style, wearing the traditional bonnet. A balanced alternation of conical shapes linked by narrow sections distinguishes this statue resting on thick blocks representing the feet. Ravine surface, grainy areas, erosions.
The Bambara of central and southern Mali belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and the Malinke. Large masked parties close the initiation rites of the dyo association and the gwan ritual of the Bambara in the south of the Bambara country. Spread over a period of seven years for men, they are less demanding for women. The new initiates then celebrate, in groups, from village to village, their symbolic rebirth. It is the sons of the blacksmiths who dance around these statues that were placed outside the festivities ...

Statue of the "colon" type, whose squat anatomy is embellished with long movable arms. The round head wears a headdress dividing into two lobes, the sides of the face are notched with orifices arranged at regular intervals. Mat patina of use, particularly velvety. Desication cracks, erosions.
The Ibibios, people of West Africa mainly present in the south-east of Nigeria (State of Akwa Ibom), are also present in Ghana, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Secret societies are numerous among the Ibibio settled west of the Cross River. Without a centralized government, their social organization is comparable to that of the neighboring Igbo. Ancestor worship is under the authority of the highest-ranking members of the Ekpo. The latter use masks such as the idiok, related to fallen spirits, ...