Tribal Art

Among the Kongo at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the crucifix was a symbol of power among the regalia chieffaux. A ceremony at the chief's inauguration required the future leader to recovel at the hands of a dignitary, during a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu . This badge of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, be brandished during funeral ceremonies during which the object was subjected to libations of oil or palm wine. The cross would not be a specific motif to the Christian world, the Kongo considering that the four branches refer to the cycle of human existence. The Kongo also used an initiation ceremony, the kimpasi , in which the ...

This straight statue whose hands disappear into the hip block and the parallel legs apart rest on a promontory with large globular eyes giving it a threatening character. The sculpture was made by the blacksmith fon according to the instructions of the soothsayer named fa . The colorful note of earrings brings a surprising freshness to the disturbing fetish whose body is further pierced with scattered metal blades and tips reminiscent of the asen . The wood is light, with dark residual inlays, the surface regularly criss-crossed by desication.
Mr. Brunel, a chemist by training, travelled the world before becoming passionate about Africa, which he discovered through his eldest daughter. Zaire, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Guinea,... By the time of his death, he had accumulated nearly ...

The Kuba are renowned for the refinement of prestige objects created for members of the high ranks of their society. The Leus live in the west of the Kuba kingdom and share common cultural characteristics with the Bushoong of the Kuba country. Both groups adorn their prestige objects with similar motifs. The only ethnic group created a variety of lidded containers in which individual goods were stored, the Kuba adorned them with patterns similar to those of embroidered textiles. The top lid that forms here like a toque is engraved with a large decorative frieze. It rests on a flared pot, tightened in the center, under which an animal symbol forms a stylized pattern in relief. Very nice refined object, equipped with a clever system: a small internal hook allows to fit the lid on the edge ...

A lidded vessel, decorated with various subjects, human figures, associated with ancestors and spirits orisa, and bird figures symbolizing divination are carved in the round. Bas-relief interlacing adorns the rectangular chest. Faded polychromy, matte patina, minimal cracks and abrasions.
Centered on the veneration of its gods, or orisà, Yoruba religion relies on artistic sculptures with coded messages ( aroko ). These spirits are believed to intercede with the supreme god Olodumare . The cups are intended for votive offerings, gifts for visitors, or for divination. Sculptures of this type decorated palaces in Yoruba country. Linear scarifications mark the faces of the characters with the aim not only of increasing their physical beauty, but also of identifying the rank or ...

Belgian African tribal art collection.
Among the Kongo chiefs at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the crucifix took the place, among the chiefly regalia, of a symbol of the power of authority. A ceremony during the investiture of the chief required that the future leader receive from the hands of a dignitary, during a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu. This badge of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, be brandished during funeral ceremonies during which the object was subjected to libations. palm oil or palm wine. Height on base: 28 cm. The cross would not be a motif specific to the Christian world, the Kongo consider that ...

Among the Kongo in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the crucifix was a symbol of power legitimising its authority among the chief regalia. A ceremony at the inauguration of the chief required the future leader to receive from a dignitary, in a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu . This insignia of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, be brandished during funeral ceremonies during which the object was subjected to libations of oil or palm wine. Height on a base: 29 cm.
The cross would not be a specific motive for the Christian world, the Kongo considering that the four branches refer to the cycle of human existence. The Kongo also used an initiation ...

Ex-collection Belgian African tribal art.
Creus of 28 alveoli, this awale game is part of the mancalas family of games. The foot is altered. The figurative motifs, in the form of carved heads, obey the stylistic canonical mangbetu and zande. Clear patina, slightly abraded. Small cracks. Established in the forest in northeastern Zaire, between Bomokandi and the River Uele, the Mangbetu kingdom was expressed through architectural works that fascinated European visitors in the 19th century. Their furniture, weapons, ornaments, pottery and statuary were imbued with a rare aesthetic quality. The Mangbetu story was based on the refinement of his court but also on cannibalistic customs. King Mangbetu Munza was so dubbed The cannibal king. The ethnologist G.A. Schweinfurth in 1870 described ...

Sculpted figure depicted kneeling, hands flat, back supporting an awale tray from the mancalas family, composed of thirty-two cells. Stones, seeds, pebbles or even shells formed the pawns. The object can be arranged vertically or horizontally. Satin patina.
Hierarchical and authoritarian, made up of formidable warriors, the Yaka society, now established on the banks of the Waamba in the south west of the DRC (Kasai Occidental), was governed by lineage leaders with the right to life and death over their subjects. Hunting and the prestige that results from it are nowadays an opportunity for the Yaka to invoke the ancestors and to resort to rituals using charms linked to the "khosi" institution. The initiation ceremony for young people is called n-khanda, which is found among the ...

Dogon altar, made of a mass of clay in which miniature irons and ladders are stuck. Piece collected in the mid-20th century by Monsieur Arnaud, accompanying Alain Bilot, renowned collector of Dogon art during study trips to Mali. These objects decorated the niches of the Ginnas. ("Dogon" H.Blom , p.234) The Dogon blacksmiths form an endogamous caste among the Dogon called irim. Today they produce weapons, tools, and also work with wood. "Masters of fire" associated in Dogon cosmogony with the primordial beings "Nommo" created by the god Ama, they are also supposed to cure burns. Small metal objects, made using the lost ...

This lidded container depicts an ancestor, intermediate between men and gods, adopting a symbolic gesture, arms raised, one of the hands folded. A tiara engraved with lines delimits the shaved skull. The traditional sophisticated hairstyle, oiled and coated with red powder, then mounted on a raffia base, was organized at the back in cruciform element most often. The beard is associated with the wisdom and experience of the grandfather.
Generally made in iroko, these ritual sculptures were venerated by a particular clan and stored in funeral premises in the chief's house.
Patine golden brown oiled and velvety, very slight cracks. Erosions

The Hemba, established in southeastern Zaire, on the right bank of the Lualaba, have long been subject to the luba neighbour who ...

Among the Kongo chiefs at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the crucifix was used, among the chiefly regalia, as a symbol of the power of authority. A ceremony during the investiture of the chief required that the future ruler receive from the hands of a dignitary, during a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu. This badge of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, be brandished during funeral ceremonies during which the object was subjected to libations. palm oil or palm wine.
The cross is not a motif specific to the Christian world, the Kongo consider that the ...

Ointment box with lid sculpted in the round with the effigy pfemba, illustrating an African Kongo motherhood. The woman seated cross-legged, named phemba or pfemba, symbol of the mythical ancestor, would be associated with fertility cults. The child on her lap would embody the matrilineal transmission of power. Black satin patina.
The Solongo cultures of Angola and Yombé were largely influenced by the Kongo kingdom, from which they borrowed naturalistic statuary and religious rites by means of carved fetishes nkondo nkisi.
The Yombe are established on the west coast of Africa, in the south-west of the Republic of Congo and in Angola. Their statuary includes remarkable maternities whose use remains little known.

Circular and flat, this bidjogo ornament is an adornment that was worn on the arm. It is coated with contrasting polychrome patterns, summarily applied.
Patina of use, matte, abrasions.
Height on base: 40 cm.
Their raids in large canoes along the African coasts forged the Bidjogos of the Bissagos Islands in Guinea Bissau a reputation as daring warriors. In order to exalt their qualities, the initiation ceremonies staged animal masks reflecting power, courage and agility, their dances matching the nature of the animal represented.
This population cultivates rice in the swampy regions, and also makes a living from fishing. Other zoomorphic masks are produced, some related to aquatic fauna, as well as triangular-faced statues embodying deities, named ...

Ex. Belgian African tribal art collection.
Among chiefs Kongo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the crucifix held the place, among the chieftaincy regalia, of a symbol of power the authority. A ceremony at the investiture of the chief required the future ruler to receive from the hands of a dignitary, in a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu . This badge of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, was brandished during funeral ceremonies in which the object was subjected to libations of oil or palm wine.
Desiccation cracks, satin patina.
The cross ...

Among the Kongo chiefs at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the crucifix was used, among the chiefly regalia, as a symbol of the power of authority. A ceremony during the investiture of the chief required that the future ruler receive from the hands of a dignitary, during a codified ritual, a nkangi kiditu. This badge of power, inspired by ancient Christian crucifixes imported by the Portuguese in the 16th century, could also have a therapeutic function, and, in addition to various uses, be brandished during funeral ceremonies during which the object was subjected to libations. palm oil or palm wine.
The cross is not a motif specific to the Christian world, the Kongo consider that the four ...

This box with handles was intended for the relics of an ancestor, the bust figure surmounting its lid reproducing the silhouette of the "garde" reliquary of the bwete, or bwiti , in the Mitsoghos. Desication cracks, shrapnel. Patine mate.
The Mitsogho ethnic group, Sogho, is established in a forested area on the right bank of the Ngoumé River, Ngounié, near the Kwele. The Bwiti company, which has a system of reliquaries comparable to that of the Fang and Kota, formed the cohesion of the matrilineal clans mitsogho. Their masks were displayed at the funeral, and stored in the male ebanza initiation house. Like the other etnies of Gabon, they practice the rites of the Bwiti which would have spread in this way among the coastal peoples. Their sculptural production is varied, in the ...

The rich production of African art among the people of the Cameroonian Grassland is illustrated mainly by traditional wood carvings: commemorative sculptures of kings, queens, princesses and titled servants, as well as the parents of twins.
Within the large Bamileke people in western Cameroon, the Bangwa constitute a small kingdom consisting of nine chiefdoms. The influence of the Bamileke on the Bangwa statuary is notable for relatively comparable facial features and morphology.
Typical of Bamileke country, Bangwa statues often represent fertility but also power and fighting spirit. This male figure is indeed camped on bent knees, arms spread from the bust. This dynamic position announces a ritual dance, a calabash in one hand. The figure is adorned with noble attributes, such ...

The object consists of a board supporting a drum whose interior is hollowed out, framed by two pairs of statuettes carved in the round. Decorative geometric motifs adorn the whole. In the Baule belief, there is an invisible universe parallel to ours where every individual is married from birth to a mystical spouse. These characters have their hands in front of their abdomen to underline the importance of the transmission of life. The use of the drum is reserved for the diviner who communicates by this means with the mystical spouse in order to solicit his help or his clemency.

Abrasions, lacks.
About sixty ethnic groups inhabit the Ivory Coast, including the Baule, in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture ...

Cephalomorphic headdress with a handle, a figurative chief's insignia marked by Tschokwe influence. The headdress would be of the "guhota sanga" style worn around the 1950s . (p.7 "Pende" Z.S. Strother - ed. 5Continents) Black glossy patina.
The Western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the Eastern have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The influences of the neighboring ethnic groups, Mbla, Suku, Wongo, Leele, Kuba, and Salempasu have been imprinted on their extensive tribal art sculpture. Within this diversity the Mbuya masks, realistic ,produced every ten years, have a festive function, and embody different characters, including the chief, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the possessed, etc.... The masks of initiation and those ...

This refined garment embroidered with glass beads, alternating geometric patterns of contrasting colors, forms a fine but dense texture fringed with cowries. When worn, the ensemble produced a soft clinking sound.
Height on base: 33 cm.
The Kirdi, or "pagans", so called by the Islamized peoples, are established in the far north of Cameroon, on the border with Nigeria. They include the Matakam, Kapsiki, Margui, Mofou, Massa, Toupouri, Fali , Namchi, Bata, Do ayo...  They live from agriculture, fishing and livestock. They live in small independent hamlets. Famous for their terracotta statuettes reminiscent of sao works, they are also known for small leather and metal objects, bead-sewn sex covers and also iron.

An ovoid head with large concave orbits surmounts this proboscis encrusted with metal strips. A chameleon motif, in relief, emerges on the wall. Among the aerophones, originally carved from antelope horns or the ivory of elephant trunks, this type of side-mouthed trunk was used to produce coded sounds for the purpose of communication within the group, in a context of hunting, rituals around hunting, or to play music supposed to please ancestral spirits during funeral ceremonies. The Ngala, Ngbaka, and neighboring groups produced various musical instruments with human-inspired motifs. Black patina, glossy, erosion and cracks.
Coming from the Banda group, the Togbo originally immigrated from the Lake Chad region to the territories of Ubangi. They rubbed shoulders with the ...