Tribal Art

Drums are used in Africa not only to transmit messages but also by the witch doctor during ritual ceremonies. This type of slit drum is adorned with a sculpted head and has two sticks housed in the sound box.
Glossy dark brown patina, slight abrasions.
The Punu are a Bantu people of Central Africa established mainly in southern Gabon, also in the Republic of Congo in the Niari region. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families. Social cohesion is ensured by the Moukouji society, whose essential role is to subjugate the evil spirits of the forest. Within this same group named Shira, the Lumbu, Loumbu, Balumbu, settled on the coastal part of Gabon, and in the Republic of Congo, keep the bones of their ancestors in reliquary baskets decorated with ...

This Mumuye tribal figure was made by the sculptor rati or molabaiene. Recognizable by their particular structure alternating narrow masses and ample volumes, minimalist facial features, these statues not only made it possible to call down the rain but also played an apotropaic and divinatory role.
Satin patina. Abrasions. Cracks at the top.
The statuary emanating from the northwestern region of the middle Benoué, from the Kona Jukun, to the Mumuye and up to the Wurkun populations is distinguished by a relative absence of ornamentation and a refined stylization. The 100,000 Adamawa language speakers form a group called Mumuye and are grouped into villages, dola, divided into two groups: those of fire ( tjokwa) relating to the blood and the color red, guardians of ...

Statue generally associated with female initiation rituals, practices aimed at improving fertility or divinatory ceremonies. The hairstyles represented those, fashioned with oil and red ochre, of young nyaneka girls following the efuko ritual. Light golden satin patina, 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 African tribal art" ed. Assouline; "Treasures of Africa" Museum of Tervuren.

With a high crest, this Igbo figure obeys the guns of the Alusi: depicted standing on half-flexed legs, palms facing the sky. It is supposed to embody the world of the deceased but also the beauty of youth. His body bears body motifs called " uli ". These regional body marks, tattoos and scarifications, indicated the rank achieved in the initiation society. This effigy embodying a guardian deity, intermediate between men and the god named Chukwu was intended to be placed in the obu (Sing.: obi), the men's houses of the Cross River. Characterizing the notables, the wearing of bracelets on the arms and ankles, sculpted in relief, contrast with the patina of white kaolin whose body is folded. The culture Igbo originates from the mythology of the Kingdom Nri of Nigeria, according to which ...

This sculpture of African art Dogon, with a surreal aspect, carved in wood, is made up of an assembly of heads, separating into branches. One of the elements is a long neck bearing an ancestor's face. Golden beige grainy patina. Desication cracks.

These statues, sometimes embodying the nyama of the deceased, are placed on ancestor altars and take part in various rituals, including those during sowing and harvesting periods. Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, under the spiritual authority of the Hogon, the Wagem, ancestor worship under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the spirit world and led by the priest of the Binou, and the society of masks concerning the funeral.
According to ...

The fascinating design of the mumuye statues is illustrated here in a medium-sized version of beautiful symmetry. The ears distended by labrets envelop a slender face on which are traced summary features. Glossy dark patina. Desication cracks.
The statuary emanating from the northwestern region of the middle Benoué, from the Kona Jukun, to the Mumuye and up to the Wurkun populations is distinguished by a relative absence of ornamentation and a refined stylization. The 100,000 Adamawa language speakers form a group called Mumuye and are grouped into villages, dola, divided into two groups: those of fire (tjokwa) relating to blood and the color red, guardians of the Vabong cult, from among whom are elected the heads,and those of water, (tjozoza), related to humidity and the ...

Ancestor figure embodying a local chief, a war chief, or a founder of lineage. A frontal diadem, carefully chiseled from a succession of bars, delineates the shaved skull of the ancestor. The sophisticated headdress ends at the back of the head in a cruciform element as in the Lubas, and a thin beard underlines the jaw. The stocky morphology, by the evocation of a certain vigour, shows the assurance of the established chief in an anchored posture. Usually made of iroko, these ritual sculptures were venerated by a particular clan and stored in funerary premises in the chief's house. Oiled black patina, locally matted. Cracks of desiccation, old break on an arm.
The Hemba, established in the south-east of Zaire, on the right bank of the Lualaba, were for a long time subjected to ...

These Alusi Igbo couple figures, of medium size and fine morphology, display so-called "cap" hair arrangements. In addition to accessories-talismans, they wear the finery of notables. Body patterns named "uli", ichi facial markings, indicated the rank attained in the initiation society. These statues were enthroned in the obu (Sing.: obi), houses of the men of the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria. The Igbo culture has its origins in the mythology of the Nri Kingdom of Nigeria, according to which the gods brought believers palm oil, cassava, and medicines made from yams. Clear chipped patina, grainy areas. The crests show an attenuated polychromy.
Desication cracks.

Helm mask surmounted by a figure of a dancer wearing a mangam zoomorphic mask symbolizing the buffalo. The ceremonial mangam masks of the "Mama", who make up within the same region a group of different origins and languages, are used by the members of a men's association responsible for maintaining the social order and to increase or promote agricultural production. Two-tone crusty patina. Desication cracks.
This mask whose horns symbolize fertility is danced during festivals in relation to agricultural fertility and sometimes human fertility.
The Mama buffalo masks are kept in the sacred wood and are brought back to the village to accompany the deceased into the world of the beyond or to participate in the enthronement of a chief.

African animal figure Nkisi (pl. mankishi) of "koso" type in which a bishimba magic charge has been placed behind a glazed cavity in the center of the sculpture. The power of the fetish, according to local beliefs, was further accentuated by the presence of various accessories, such as nails, cords, metal. Among the Kongo, the dog, renowned for its knowledge of the supernatural world, its flair and its vision, had the role of mediator between the living and the dead. 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 ...

Always represented sitting on a stool, this Bambara statue, with its piercing gaze, has a high "shell-shaped" chest. The hands placed in front form large flat areas, framing a narrow columnar bust. Beautiful golden brown patina alternating satin and velvety areas. Abrasions. Cracks and missing parts.
These female statues , or Bambara queens , Guandoudou , Gwandusu associated with fertility and fecundity, were surrounded by statues representing their servants, presenting offering cups or supporting their chest. The blacksmiths of the Dyo society, Djo or Do , used them every seven years during the fertility ritual. Infertile women then had to sacrifice a bird, wash the figures with a peanut soap, segue, then anoint them with shea oil. They also adorned them with necklaces to ...

Rare zimba animal figure depicting a gorilla. For the Babembe and the Zimba, the gorilla would have a gift of divination lodged in a third eye, in its skull, which would allow it to know the past.
Chocolate satin patina. Long age cracks, small accidents.
The Zimba, also called Binja, are close neighbors of the Lega in the Pangi and Shabunda region of the DRC. Subject to Lega influence, they share some institutional similarities with the Lega and the Luba. Whether they live in the forest or the savannah, the symbolism of their art and the rituals are associated with hunting which is of major importance. Like the Lega, the center of their system revolves around an institution similar to that of the Bwami, called bukota, mpunzu, or nsubi.
(Lega culture: D.P. Biebuyck; ...

Male figure hollowed out halfway up, and whose lid is made up of the upper part of the body. The subject offers arms whose reduced size contrasts with the otherwise robust morphology. The features of the face, very stretched, are sculpted in low relief under a hat-shaped headdress. Shiny mahogany patina, desiccation cracks.
Of Lunda origin, the Lwena, Luena, emigrated from Angola to Zaire in the 19th century, repelled by the Chokwe. When some became slave traders, others, the Lovale, found refuge in Zambia. Their society is matrilineal, exogamous and polygamous. The Lwena became known for their sculptures embodying figures of deceased ancestors and chiefs, and their masks linked to the initiation rites of the mukanda . Their sculpture was largely influenced by that of the Chokwe.

African art Dogon
Witness to the bronze sculpture of the Dogons, this subject offers a characteristic slender morphology. The character illustrates a protective ancestor, or a mythical being of Dogon cosmogony. Pretty locally ocher light green patina.
The Dogon are a people renowned for their cosmogony, their myths and legends, living in the south-west of the bend of the Niger in the Mopti region of Mali and part of the north of the The villages are often perched on top of the scree on the side of the hills, according to a unique architecture. The history of Dogon migrations and settlements (about ten main groups, about fifteen different languages) involves several hypotheses. For some historians, the Dogon would have fled from an area west of their current location, ...

African sculpture of a young OviMbundu woman generally devoted to the female initiation rituals of young nyaneka girls following the efuko ritual, in connection with fertility or divination. Brown satin patina, desication cracks, alterations.
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 restrained.

Ref. : "Black African tribal art" ed. Assouline; "Treasures of Africa" Museum of Tervuren.

Ex-collection African tribal art American.
.This fine-featured head is thought to have come from a carved Ngbirondo figure embodying a family ancestor. Funerary statues were also used by the Ngbandi, and sculptures of a couple yangba and his sister, equivalent to the Seto and Nabo ancestors of the Ngbaka.
The pointed chin and scarification on the bridge of the nose are characteristic of the ethnic group. Dense black patina, numerous erosions. Height on base: 41 cm.
The Ngbaka form a homogeneous people from the northwest of the D.R.C., south of the Ubangui. The Ngbandi live in the east ( on the left bank of the Ubangi) and the Ngombe in the south. The initiation of youth, "gaza" or "ganza" (which gives strength) among the Ngbaka and Ngbandi, has many similarities, ...

Sculpted with mastery, this work glorifies the ancestor and mythical hero founder of the ethnic group, Chibinda Ilunga. The chief, with oversized palms and feet, has an impressive noble headdress. Easily recognizable thanks to this ample headdress with curved side fins (cipenya-mutwe), a wicker frame covered with fabric, brass, leather, and beads, he had taught his people the art of hunting.
The dignitaries presented themselves cross-legged in a suit, which is confirmed by an African proverb: "The elder sitting cross-legged wishes to be greeted with respect" By alluding to the circle of his crossed legs, the chief conveys the blessings of a full orbit life." ("The Kongo gesture", ed. Dapper Museum)
The leader claps his hands as a sign of welcome and to signify his interest ...

African fetish of the Songye whose face takes up the structure of the kifwebe mask of the Bwadi ka bifwebe society, but whose hairstyle is embellished with small horns. The sculpture is "desacralized", absence of ritual accessories and of the magic charge whose reddish traces testify to the existence. Black satin patina, cracks and traces of xylophages now eradicated.

The fetish Songye, magic sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, while the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga and South Kivu. Their society is organized in a patriarchal way. Their ...

African statuette depicting a small figure in a frontal, straight posture, swaddled in textile then coated with dark crusty materials.
Among the Zigua, this type of sculpture served as a support for initiation. The Sukuma of northern Tanzania use similar figures.
This piece of tribal art comes from the northeastern region of Tanzania, bordering Kenya, facing the Indian Ocean, where the Paré, Shamba, Zigua, and Mbugu tribes live. A relative homogeneity characterizes the productions of these groups, recalling some of the Madagascans and Bataks with whom, via maritime trade, contact could once have been established. This sculpture was probably used for didactic purposes during male initiations. She could also embody an ancestor or a spirit.

Large African animal sculpture that refers to the primordial bird that is one of the five animals of the Senufo cosmogony, the first stage of Senufo creation, the hornbill. It is evoked for morphological and behavioral criteria. The tapered beak is "interpreted as the representation of the male sexual organ" perpetuating the life of the community. The patina is polychrome. Erosions on the base and minimal cracks.
Linked to the Poro society which initiated young boys from the age of seven in a succession of three cycles lasting seven years, this sculpture of Setien was placed in the sacred enclosure , where , despite its weight, carried on the head during a procession. The great initiates consider his bulging belly as the spiritual gestation of newcomers within the Poro. Poro is ...