Tribal Art

This functional adornment for archers was worn to the left to protect the forearm from bumps. In Rwanda, the Tutsi used a herb-covered pad, so wooden protections called igitembe were rare. Our model has an internal circumference of 8 cm, and has three rectangular metal inlays on each side. The surface of the wood is abraded by use. A crack runs through the center of the bracelet.
nomadic People, the Tutsi were particularly decimated by the Islamic slave trade and recurrent infighting. Population groups called "Bantous interlacustres", established between Lake Victoria and the Limpopo River, include the Ganda, Nyoro, Nkole, Soga, Toro, Hima, and the Tutsi Rwanda and Burundi. Their cultures have similarities, as do their artistic production and their everyday objects. The Tutsi raise ...

African statue of "little favourite", Nyeleni in Bambara, represented frontally, with traditional scarified motifs. She displays the classic criteria associated with fertility, oblong breasts and a prominent abdomen. Gray brown matte patina. Slight erosions.
The Bambara of central and southern Mali belong to the large Mande group, like the Soninke and the Malinke. They believe in the existence of a creator god generically called Ngala who maintains order in the universe. 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 ...

Scaled down version for this African mask Makonde embodying an ancestral spirit. The ancestors would return masked to mark their satisfaction following initiation. A labret distorts the upper lip. The incised patterns refer to the traditional tattoos and scarifications of the Makonde.
Satin patina.
The Makonde of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania wore mask-helmets called lipiko during initiation ceremonies for young men. The Makonde worship an ancestor , which explains the abundance of naturalistic female statuary. In addition to the facial masks worn during mapiko dances and ngoma ceremonies that instruct youth about the requirements of marriage and family life. the Makonde also produce body masks featuring the female bust. (Art and Life in Africa, C.D. Roy)

African sculpture associated with the mythical ancestor Oso of the Kouyou, a neighboring group of the Punu in the Republic of Congo. The face and body bear many scarified patterns, and the mouth reveals sharp teeth. The subject wearing a totemic animal is represented sitting on a janiform mask.
Polychrome matte patina. Desication erosions and cracks.
Formerly, the Kouyou were divided into two totemic clans: in the West that of the panther, and in the East that of the snake. A secret men's association, Ottoté, played an important political role in the appointment of chiefs. The initiation of young people ended with the revelation of the serpent god Ebongo represented in the form of a head. The Kibe-kibe or Kebekebe dances, which accompanied the ceremony, reactivated the ...

African puppet figure with articulated arms thanks to long nails. This statue offers a thick, goitrous neck, carrying a spherical head which seems topped with a cap. The sagging breasts, of low relief, are inscribed on the bust. The powerful legs, devoid of feet, are wide apart. A partially chipped kaolin film covers some areas. Numerous erosions.
Peoples with varied traditions have settled in the savannah north of the Niger and Benué rivers. The Tiv from Cameroon are made up of farmers living on the banks of the left bank of the Benué. Their statues are of two types: of a naturalistic type, these figures take the form of female representations, some of which formed the top of the posts of reception huts. The second, called ihambé , associated with fertility, represent ...

Bronze sculptures referring to the primordial ancestors of the Dogon. These African Dogon statues, in bronze, indeed evoke the Nommos, mythical beings at the origin of creation among the Dogon of Mali. Greenish patina.

The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, their esotericism, their myths and legends. Their population is estimated at around 300,000 souls living in the south-west of the Niger loop in the Mopti region of Mali (Bandiagara, Koro, Banka), near Douentza and part of northern Burkina (north-west of Ouahigouya ). Remains of old steelworks on the Bandiagara plateau, dating from the 15th century, confirm the activity of the blacksmiths. The latter form an endogamous caste among the Dogon called irim They now produce weapons, tools, and also work with ...

Powerful visual impact for this "mask of bravery" of We from Liberia. The huge mouth, devoid of teeth, responds to the circular volume of the exorbitant pupils, and, under a human nose, to the tiny orifices representing the nostrils. Crusty and composite agglomerates, in which mingle bird's down. Grainy matte patina. Height on base: 41 cm.
The Dan, in the north, and the Wé in the south (Krou group comprising the Guéré, the Wobé in the northeast and the Wé of Liberia called Kran or Khran), made frequent use of borrowings due to their proximity. The elements of the bush, protruding volumes of the forehead, horns and fangs, zoomorphic jaw in some cases evoking the gaping mouth of an animal creature, are associated with human traits marking the duality of the divine. Before the 1960s, ...

Figure of a couple whose silhouettes assembled back to back and treated in a very stylized way, form a sculpted object testifying to the sensitivity of its creator.
In African art lega, this type of small anthropomorphic figure, intended for an initiate of the Bwami, was part of a set used over the initiations. Within the Léga, the Bwami society, open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. The teacher guided the aspiring lega to a place where African lega masks and statuettes were exhibited, and it was through careful observation that the future initiate had to guess the more or less complex meaning of these objects, true metaphors largely referring to proverbs and sayings. Each of these ...

The tribal fetishes of the Kongo kingdom have a magic charge generally lodged on the abdomen in a sealed cavity. The gaze encrusted with dark pupils is associated with extra lucid abilities. erosions.
The nganga , sorcerers but also healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation with the God called Nzambi through this type of figure, most often consecrated anthropomorphic tribal sculptures, named nkisi.
Among the Kongo, the nganga was responsible for rituals by activating a spiritual force with a nkondi (pl. nkissi). The term nkisi was then used to designate the notions of "sacred" or "divine". The most influential category of "minkisi kongo" consisted of instruments to help regional chiefs enforce the law. A metal object was nailed to a wooden figure as ...

. This powerful sentinel built against evil spell displays a concentrated countenance, tight mouth, closed eyes. With a woman with narrow shoulders and stocky lower limbs, her hands placed on her abdomen, she seems to gather all the energy necessary for her role as a caretaker. Dark satin patina.
This botchio (from bo: 'evil' in fon, and tchio , 'cadavre') erected at the top of a pole was erected at the entrance of the village or a house in order to remove any threat, physical or spiritual. Some of them took minimalist forms, barely put on around a central trunk. The multitude of gods fon (the vodun), similar to those of Yoruba under different names, is represented by fetishes of all shapes and kinds. Their sanctuaries can be found in Togo, Dahomey, and western Nigeria. Statuettes ...

Akuaba doll statuettes (plural Akua'mma) are amulets used by Ashanti women to promote fertility. They are easily identifiable thanks to their simplified structure. Their circular head has a high forehead occupying the upper part, the features are generally drawn in the lower third of the face. Abraded matte patina.
This people considers the woman as the final arbiter of all decisions. Fertility and children are the most common themes evoked in Ashanti woodcarvings. This ethnic group has built a relatively democratic society based on the moral value of the individual. The Ashanti founded a monarchy in the 17th century. The identities of the various Akan ethnic groups have been influenced by both Islam and Christianity.

Object used among the Bakongo by warriors and hunting masters, the action of this bell would be endowed with magical properties, by driving away bad influences such as witchcraft, and by encouraging its owner and his dogs. The motif at the top, carved in the round, devoid of forearm, probably refers to a prisoner. Within the Khimba initiation society or the Lemba pacifying association among the Yombe, this same type of bell, emblem of dignitary power, was used during the manipulation and activation of a Nkisi by the diviner. or Nganga in order to challenge the ancestors.
Abrasions, slight loss.

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 ...

This gnarled stick, surmounted by a carved figure, was the emblem of a notable Bemba. The spherical head offers simply engraved features, the body a frontal posture, large digited hands resting on the abdomen. Golden yellow patina. The Bemba, or Bambembas, from Maniema, claim to be of Luba origin and settled on the banks of Lake Moero, near Zambia, and Lake Tanganyka. The Bemba participated in the slave trade during the 19th century by allying themselves with the slave king Msiri. Colonial policy dispersed them in the twentieth century. Their leader now rules at Kasama in Zambia. They believe in a supreme god, Lesa , worship nature spirits, Ngulu , a snake named lunga , and mythical ancestors. Their highly diverse art was influenced by that of neighboring tribes, Luba, Lunda, ...

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.

Ex. collection African tribal art from Belgium.
African mask capped with a skullcap and featuring a face imbued with contemplation. The features are framed by circular ears with detached pavilions. The raffia ornament attached to the base, intended to conceal the wearer, remains preserved. Velvety matt patina, abrasions. Coming from Angola in the 17th century, the Mbala settled in northwestern Zaire and east among the Pelende, Suku, Pende, and Yaka. Formerly matrilineal, they are made up of clans headed by the maternal uncle. The chief was in charge of the ancestor cult, although it was quite limited. Following a retreat of a few days, royal insignia and charms were given to him, intended to combat powers opposing the hunt, social peace, and the crops. The Kwésé are, ...

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.

African Punu art and African ancestor masks.
According to Alicia LaGamma, the African mask intended for the ikwara dance intervened during difficult palavers. This vigilante mask worn by a dancer perched on small stilts is topped with a single shell with short side quilts. Checkerboard scarifications are inscribed on the face coated with a dark patina. Desication erosions and cracks. Height on base: 50 cm.
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 spanning several levels of initiation, to which all Punu men belonged, and whose emblem was the caiman. The Punu did not involve any mask in Bwiti rituals, unlike the Tsogo. These powerful secret ...

African initiation mask of the pende type Mbuya, whose face is coated with kaolin. The headdress is raffia is always present. Satin patina. Height on base: 52 cm.

The western Pende live on the banks of the Kwilu, while the eastern people have settled on the banks of the Kasai downstream from Tshikapa. The Mbuya masks, realistic, produced every ten years, take on a festive function, and embody different characters that are difficult to differentiate without their costume, including the chief fumu or ufumu, the diviner and his wife, the prostitute, the jester, tundu, the possessed, etc... The Mbuya initiation masks linked to the initiation mukanda< /i> and those of power , the minganji , represent the ancestors and occur successively during the same ceremonies , ...

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 ...

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 ...