Tribal Art

White clay forms film residue on this tribal Lega mask with perforations on the forehead. This mask was supposed to indicate the rank to which its holder had accessed in the Bwami, a learning society composed of different ranks. Wives whose spouses had reached the third level, that of the ngandu, were then allowed to participate in the various initiation stages of society. Satin greyish brown patina, clear kaolin residue.
High on a base: 43 cm.
At the Lea, 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. Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. Also known as Warega, these individuals live in ...

Under a striated brow, high eye sockets contain two incisions for the eyes. The rib of the forehead extends over the straight nasal ridge. The mouth is marked with hatches indicating the teeth. The raffia beard is still present. Irregular surface, peeling crusty patina. This African Lega mask indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society composed of different ranks, and which were joined by wives whose spousehad reached the third level, that of the ngandu . Mask with beard: 41 cmWithin the Lega, the society of the Bwami open to men and women, organized social and political life. There were up to seven levels of initiation, each associated with emblems. Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the ...

Among the most emblematic masks of African art, this sculpture stood out among the eleven types of dan masks (Fisher and Himmelheber) thanks to its eyes hollowed out in a circular way to allow better vision. These masks, named gunye ge "masques de course", oval-faced, slightly concave centre, were produced in the northern Dan and intended to compete in the race events. The zapkei intervenes to prevent the spread of domestic fires during dry seasons. Armed with a wand, they threaten careless women and confiscate an object as a fine. Some of these masks, the goge, with a particularly sophisticated braided headdress, were only exceptionally used. Base mask: 43 cmBlack patina with satin feel, grainy residual inlays at the top.
Piece from the vast collection of Jean Charles Mercier which ...

Scattered in the Kasai Basin, the Tetela of Mongo origin have been the source of unrelenting conflicts with their neighbours. They also played a great deal in the slave trade. Their very diverse sculpture is marked by the influence of groups living on their contact: in the North, their art was subject to the influence of forest populations such as the Mongo, to the northwest that of the Nkutschu, and to the west that of the Binji and Mputu. Kuba traditions were also a source of inspiration, as were songy traditions in the southwest. Their fetishes are kept out of sight. Animists, they seek to appease and direct the elements through the sorcerer Wichi and the priest Umpa. Their traditional currency of exchange, " dikonga", in the form of spearheads, has also helped to make known the talent ...

These long masks in fabric embroidered with pearls with very rich polychromy were worn by high-ranking members in society bamileke . The beaded embroidered fabric panels are topped with a basket-shaped tiara decorated with zoomorphic symbols with textile scantily.
, on the occasion of the funeral of some warriors, the wearer waved his ears and simulated the charge of the elephant, an animal that this mask symbolized.
In African art, the animal kingdom has a special place because of its ubiquitous physical proximity. Some animals have thus largely integrated the cosmogonies of many ethnic groups. The elephant is an obvious example of this and works that symbolize them are given royal virtues.
The Bamileke society had several initiation associations including the mwola and ...

This mask features a naja snake erected ayx dilated pupils. Polychrome orange patterns adorn each side in dark red, cream and dark grey brown. Desication cracks. Eroded base reinforced by a metal base. Very beautiful old room.
As african serpentiform initiation group used mainly by Bulongic (Kifinda village), subgroup Baga on Guinean coastline, its size can be up to 2.50 m. These masks were divided into two groups bearing the names Mosolo kombo and Sangaran , each with precise functions. Their design took shape in an esoteric context, at night in the forest. Privileges of initiated men, embodying a spiritual entity, the Baga Sangaran masks attended only circumcision, every 24 years according to the ethnologist Denise Paulme. During some dances the mask was placed on the head, ...

Cubist geometry for this Songola mask consisting of a flat face arrangement. Its structure is in the form of an inverted triangle front whose edge extends from a slightly curved angle. The latter indicates a nose joining the oblique lying base, the hollowed-out center of which evokes a mouth or even a snout. Reduced to the essentials, the circular openings of the eyes are simply dug into this mask coated with a thick layer of kaolin. Mixed by alliance with the Lega, Ngengele and Zimba, the Songola are ruled by the elders of the bloodlions. They borrowed from the Luba and Songye the Luhuna institution composed of dignitaries and that of the Bwami by their lega wives. The Songola live hunting and fishing, they engage in sculpture although the objects associated with the cult of Bwami come ...

Sober Lega mask of gentle regularity, its remarkably sain-like dark brown patina is unusual. Beneath the eyebrow arches engraved with losangic motifs, the space surrounding the eyes reveals weak granular residues of kaolin. The straight nasal ridge is also marked with geometric patterns. This African Lega mask is used during the initiation rites of the Bwami society. It is open to men and women. The passage of a rank indicated the acquisition of a certain individual wisdom and morality.
Height on solce: 42 cm.
In 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. Following their exodus from Uganda in the 17th century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the ...

Spectacular tribal mask used for protective purposes, it was once used by the initiates of male secret societies during their initiation rites and funerals. It was also supposed to protect circumcised youth from evil influences. This mask dances by imitating all the attitudes of the animals represented. Powerful mask, hybrid snake, gazelle, chameleon and crocodile, intended to communicate with the spirits of the forest, it was worn obliquely on the head. Brick red polychromy, dark blue, black and white. Locally flaked matte patina. Abrasions, cracks.
Mêlés in Nalu and Landuman, the Baga live along the coasts of Guinea-Bissau in areas of swamps flooded six months a year. They believe in a creative god called Nagu , Naku , which they do not represent, and which is accompanied by a ...

An actor of the social order, the Dan mask is, according to Eberhard Fisher, female or male. Consistent with the criteria of the women's masks gle mu , with an oval and regular face, ajar eyelids, a thin nose and a protruding and luscious mouth, this copy is accompanied by a goatee of vegetable fibres. This type of mask is worn by a dancer evolving with graceful gestures. Glossy dark brown patina, kaolin-surrounded look. For the Dan, or Yacouba, living in western Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, the "d-" force that would animate the world would manifest itself in sculpted masks. It is in this way that she seeks to bring knowledge to man in order to support him, using the channel of dreams beforehand. The spirits then indicate how to name the mask they wish to see made. These masks of different ...

Ex-collection African tribal art Polargo USA 1955 - Mercier Belgium 1978.
This anthropomorphic figure of balanced proportions is depicted frontally, perched on a promontory whose base with holes allowed to fix the basketry and fabrics that concealed the dancer. The semi-flexed legs evoke the tribal dance mbobo of the girls during the ceremonies of the Ogbom , taking place in front of the altar at the end of periods of confinement. This danced ritual was dedicated to the deity of the earth named Ala in the Igbo , and Isong in the Ibibio. The masks were then kept near the chimney ducts of the huts in order to be protected from insects. Glossy dark patina, localized abrasions. Ex. Belgian collection Mercier.The Eket, established in southeastern Nigeria, are a subgroup of the Ibibio ...

Always finely sculpted, the African mask equipped with a voluminous braided headdress supported by a basket structure, and a woven raffia hood, illustrates the beauty of the young Tschokwe women. The hairstyle is reminiscent of the red earth-like hairstyle of the women of the clan.
Red brown patina, red ochre pigments on the headdress.
African masks Chokwe pwo among the many masks akishi or "akixi" (sing: mukishi , indicating power, are exclusively female representations that were accompanied by accessories and adornments. They were, however, carried by high-ranking men. Joined to their male counterparts, cihongo recognizable by their large plateau-shaped headdress, the pwo must bring fertility and prosperity to the community. The characteristic patterns on the forehead, and ...

Reduced version of the large heaume mask ecwabuka (big head) used during the tribal ritual of the male society Kalunga , Alunga , exercising social control over the clan, and responsible for public dances and ceremonies before the hunt. A hem mask embodying the god Alunga, it usually has four large and large concave orbits with a conical pupil in relief. Here he forms a stylized face framed by ears. These objects with apotropaic virtues were the property of every lodgemaster in society.
Satin dry patina. Localized abrasions, very beautiful patina. The Bembe is a Luba branch that is said to have left Congo in the 18th century. Their society and artistic tendency are influenced by their neighbours in the Lake Tanganyika region, the Lega, the Buyu, etc. Indeed, like the Lega, the Bembe ...

This Dan mask is a variation of the Deangle. The sunken gaze is enhanced here by a carved wolf encased in kaolin. The ajar lips protrude strongly. A grainy aggregate remains at the top on either side of a metal element. Smooth, sained skate. Dan masks, of varying size, usually occur during highly theatrical entertainment parties where women play a leading role. The so-called Mask, called Deanglé, defines an ideal of beauty and benevolence because it is carved in honour of the village's young girls or renowned men. Also used during circumcision rites, they appear in the company of the gle s and the large go ge masks relating to the go society, which exercises justice and maintains peace. In general, dan masks also have the peculiarity of being not representations of bush spirits but of ...

Ex-english african art collection
African crest mask composed of a large helmet whose summit brings together, supported by a serpentiform base, anthropomorphic sculptures and bird figures. The latter are often intended for ritual sacrifices and related to the mythological repertoire. These scenes also refer to wisdom proverbs known to the Yoruba. The faces of the characters, with protruding eyes and deep incisions on the face, are characteristic of the Yoruba style. Polychrome shades are attenuated by the matt ritual coating, the object of which is covered. A peculiarity in African art, the Gelede cult entered the contemporary heritage, based on ancestral traditions: UNESCO inscribed it in the ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) in 2008.
Concerning the ceremonies of ...

This mask of African art, carved from heavy wood, was acquired by Mr. J. Henry, an expatriate hydrologist, on a mission for the Belgian state in Zaire and Burundi, now deceased, a savvy collector, a cultured personality, and whose patient selection of works testifies to its aesthetic requirement. A large nasal appendage develops in a face with full volumes. Under the rounding of the forehead the circular eyes conferring a hypnotic look are surrounded by different colors, evoking the supernatural mink. The gaping of the mouth reveals holes in which teeth, bone or wood, had once been implanted. Ancient divination mask, from Ituria, which would be named nsembu (De Mahieu, quoted in Biebuyck 1986; 2:234)Red and white pigments appear to have been applied manually to the surface of the object. ...

Ex-collection French African art.
Almond eyes, a thin nasal ridge joining an eyebrow arch in the heart descending laterally to the incised lips of the teeth, and especially the presence of horns, make up the characteristics of this African mask lega Kayamba. This sculpture indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, a learning society composed of different ranks, and which were joined by the wives whose spouse had reached the third level, that of the ngandu.
Beautiful light brown patina, residual white clay inlays around the eyes. Long raffia beard. Within the Lega, 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. Following their exodus from Uganda in ...

An elaborate structure, in textile-trimmed basketry, where a central cone bearing two circular trays framed by antennae form a strange headdress, distinguishes this African mask from the northern Yaka. The trumpet nose, a phallic symbol, an allusion to fertility, forms a distinctive feature confirming the yaka origin. The circular frame surrounding the face is reduced on this copy to a single visor. Natural pigments, curving, locally flaked.
Introducing songs accompanied the appearance of the African Yaka mask, which incorporates the category of high-ranking masks thanks to its tiered headdress. Their design aroused the creativity of the sculptors whom the chefs rewarded for their talent. Hierarchical and authoritarian, composed of fearsome warriors, Yaka society was ruled by ...

Ex-Belgian African art collection.
Two long, toothed mouths on either side of a rounded volume form this mask wanyugo two-headed senoufo , which belonged to the company wabele , active against witchcraft. Circular eyes are hollowed out only on one side. Small horns are placed at the top. One of the faces still has small nails, which probably allowed to attach accessories such as feathers or raffia. These powerful masks, often an amalgam of different zoomorphic elements, embody hybrid beings, their components can evoke both buffalo, hyena, warthog, antelope. They were preciously kept in a particular square, or in the sacred wood with the magical objects of the Poro. The piece features colorful dotted patterns, patinated and abraded by time. Living in a reserved neighbourhood, the ...

Blade masks in African art.

This mask is made up of two parts. On the one hand, an extremely stylized concave face that divides a crenellated ridge, and on the other hand, a high open blade. Geometric shapes encrusted with white pigment and red ochre are delicately sculpted on the surface. The board is associated with yaaba-soore , a path that the ancestors followed during the creation. The graphic signs symbolize the ritual imperatives required to enjoy divine favors.
It is not surprising to find this type of mask among the Mossi because this people is made up, in the north, by Dogon tribes with various types of blade masks. The mask sirige for example inspired the company wango which officiated with a derivative but similar version.
The masks mossi, personal or ...

Mossi masks, personal masks or lignagers, are an embodiment of tutelary spirits offering their support. They perform at funerals, at the funerals of clan leaders, protect the crops. Genuine altars without their costume, they can receive libations such as mil beer in order to honor the ancestors. Their appearance is now frequent during entertainment shows. Upper Volta, Burkina Faso since independence, is made up of descendants of the Invaders Nakomse, horsemen from Ghana, and the Tengabibisi, descendants of the natives. Among them, farmers and blacksmiths, saaba , used masks, wando, receptacles of the guardian spirits, which often represented the totem animals of the clan. The convex face of this mask indicates a origin from the northeastern Mossi region. Masks from this region have ...