Tribal Art

Collection African tribal art Belgian.
African figure carved Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi) desacralized, acquired in 1950 and transmitted by succession. The magic charge bishimba and the various addendums, metal, trinkets, etc... supposed to reinforce the power of the fetish are absent.
Glossy dark patina. Desication cracks, erosions.

These protective fetishes for homes are among the most popular in Africa. The Nkisi plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large specimens are the collective property of an entire village, the more modest figures reserved for individual or family use.

The pictograms of the African masks Téké of Gabon insist on oppositions symbolizing the duality in the universe: their surface is embellished with geometric patterns painted with polychrome pigments. Matte beige and pink ocher patina.
In addition to lunar symbolism, these pictograms refer to regional body scarifications. It is a plank mask that the wearer held between the teeth using a braided ribbon. The perforations were used to attach feathers and fibers which perfected the harmony of the costume. Only the Tsaayi, among the Téké subgroups of Gabon, produced wooden masks from the mid-20th century. They were used by members of the secret male kidumu brotherhood (kidumu is the name of the society, the dance, and the mask), at the funerals of village notables or at weddings and ...

Ovoid mask in which a heart-shaped face is inscribed, in which the almond-shaped eyelids adjoin a straight nose. Velvety patina of use, old residues of kaolin. This carving indicated the stage that its holder had reached within the Bwami, an apprenticeship society composed of different grades, and joined by wives whose spouses had reached the third level, that of the ngandu. Nice abraded, matte patina of use.
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 during the seventeenth century, the Lega settled on the west bank of the Lualaba River in the DRC. Also called Warega , these individuals live in self-contained ...

Small mortar for spices, pigments, or therapeutic ingredients. The object is carved with different faces that take up the features of the traditional masks of the group. Golden brown satin patina. Slight residue of kaolin.
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 of power, the ...

Collection of French African art.
Intended to unmask sorcerers, this type of African mask was carved on the eve of ceremonies. The austere physiognomy was meant to counter occult powers. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, it also intervened during initiations out of sight of the profane. Matte grainy patina. Minimal abrasions, small chips.
The appearance of these masks generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause terror. This type of mask was used by the ngil male society which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge of initiations and fought against witchcraft. The ngil was a rite of purifying fire symbolized by the gorilla. Guarantor of peace, he also fixed ...

Collection of French tribal art. Realistic mask adapted to the human face, seeking to reproduce, among the range of celebrities, characters or mythical heroes involved in Mexican theatrical dances and carnivals, the features of an ancient actor named Pedro Infante, famous in Mexican culture. The surface is carefully painted with brilliant polychrome tones.

Weapons of hunting, war, or prestige, swords, axes, spears and African command sticks are attributes of dignitaries exhibited during parades and official celebrations.
Blade whose contours are protected by narrow strips of leather, a copper element joining them around the tip. The handle of the spear is surrounded by tightly braided leather straps, its volute end carries a metal ring. The Shilluk (variant Shiluck, Chilouk) form a Nilotic people mainly established in southern Sudan, on the banks of the Nile, around Malakal, where they constitute the third largest ethnic group after the Dinka and the Nuer.

The name of the collector and the related documents will be transmitted to the purchaser.
Population of the Ambo group, the Cuanhama live in the south of the People's Republic of Angola. The herds of cattle, "objects of all care", constitute the main resource of the Cuanhama and the cattle are only killed on the occasion of events of major importance. The adornment presented was used to maintain the skirt of red fabric composing the traditional feminine dress reserved for celebrations. Shell bottoms used as coins and blocks of ivory were attached to a thong of bovine leather (omuya). According to the number of omakipa blocks symbolizing the size of the herd, this adornment determines the fortune of the man. The omakipa prestige belt is thus offered to the young bride by her spouse ...

Variations of the masks of 'young girl', these masks are topped with miniature effigies of statues alusi , supposed to embody the world of the deceased but also the beauty of youth. These figures sport scarifications reserved for dignitaries and named body motives . These guardian deities, intermediate between men and the god named Chukwu were placed in the obu (Sing.: obi), houses of the men of the Cross River.
The white color of the mask agbo-gho-mmwo or ikorodo refers to ancestral spirits, these masks frequently accompanying the deceased during funeral rites. Indeed, mmwo means 'spirit of the dead', especially of young girls, although it is worn by young men of the mmwo society in order to honor the spirit of the earth. Splashed matte patina. Cracks. Restoration (wicker).

Former parade weapon, this sickle has a wooden handle with a lustrous patina. The blade has a grainy oxidized patina.
The Fang ethnic group, established in a region stretching from Yaoundé in Cameroon to Ogooué in Gabon, has never had political unity. Clan cohesion was maintained through religious and judicial associations such as so and ngil .

Kota pipe, old, with an arched handle, embellished with different metal sections. The Bakota inhabit the eastern part of Gabon, which is rich in iron ore, and some in the Republic of Congo. The blacksmith, in addition to wood carving, made tools for agricultural work as well as ritual weapons.

The groups established on the borders of Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya, in the Omo Valley, are made up of the Murle, Mursi, Suri, Kwegu, Nyangatom, Kara, Daasanetch, Banna, Hamar and Bashada. Cattle, an indicator of status, constitute a crucial asset for these pastoral peoples living on the arid plains of the Omo. Traditional adornment composed of horns, animal skin, metal rings and bell, aluminum foil trim and braided rope coated with grease. It was worn on the head, the horns falling laterally on either side of the face. https://www.art-tribal.fr/art-tribal/livres-art-africain/Omo-Peuple---design/19546

Collection of African Tribal Art Claude Auge Dogon statuette anchored in a circular block. The arms are missing, isolating narrow shoulders. A hand remains on the thin bust marked with irregular reliefs. A crest underlines the head with erased features, a labret pointing discreetly at the level of the chin. A notch draws a female sex. In African art, this type of sculpture associated with an individual cult adorned the Dogon family altar. Grainy black patina. Abrasions.

Carved for the most part on order placed by a family, the Dogon statues can also be the object of worship on the part of the whole community. However, their functions remain little known. Alongside Islam, Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, under the ...

French tribal art collection.
The Baga Nimba mask, is characterized by a buzzed nose evoking a bird's beak, an incised hair divided by a crest. This national symbol can reach up to 50 kg in its largest versions. Real name Demba / D'mba (or Nimba in baga language), it represents the nurturing woman, but it also evokes the bird, especially the fertility of the calao thanks to its beak-shaped nose. Supposed to increase harvests, arouse pregnancies, it is exhibited at various ceremonies, celebrations and funerals, and its use continues at present during important festivities. The wearer of the mask is wrapped in raffia and conducts a dance clocked to the rhythm of drums. This miniature copy of the classic mask has adopted over the years a matte patina, clear, nuanced dark, the eroded ...

Collection of African Belgian art.
This African mask was used during the tribal ritual of the Elanda male society. Mask embodying the god Alunga, this panel structure has double orbits and a diamond-shaped mouth. Evocation of a spirit of the forest, this mask was kept in the sacred caves. They appeared in various guises during the Bwami circumcision and initiation ceremonies.
Matte patina, ocher beige kaolin residue, bluish highlights.
Desication cracks, native restoration.
The Bembe ethnic group is a Luba branch that left the Congo in the 18th century. Their society and artistic tendency are marked by the influence of their neighbors in the Lake Tanganyika region, the Lega, the Buyu, etc. Indeed, like the Lega, the Bembe had a bwami association responsible for ...

Witnesses to the traditions of the Hopi Indian peoples of Arizona, the sculpted Katsinam (sing. Kachina) objects are expressed during traditional dances accompanying the annual festivals in favor of the rain. Traditional Kachina dolls are, for the Amerindian Pueblo group (Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village, Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo), educational tools offered to children at the end of ritual celebrations. These statuettes, embodying a great diversity of spirits, represent the katchina dancers and the colors are associated with the cardinal points.
The patina is matte and velvety, minor abrasions, restoration on one foot.

Collection of Belgian African tribal art whose name will be communicated to the buyer.
Embodying a lineage founder, this sculpture is distinguished by its concave ogive face surmounted by a tubular protrusion. The piercing eyes are represented by cabochons pierced with a pupil. The surface is set with skilfully juxtaposed copper wires, all evoking for some the serpent naja. The elements of the posterior part symbolize a hairstyle. This sculpture is characteristic of the Mahongwe of the extreme northeast of Gabon, on the border with Congo. The baskets containing the relics of illustrious ancestors, generally surmounted by two reliquaries, were kept in temples in the village. One of them embodied the founder of the lineage, and the second his descendants. br>The worship of the ...

Rare and old fang type mask, the center of which is coated with a pink ocher tint. Intended to unmask sorcerers, this type of African mask was carved on the eve of ceremonies. The austere physiognomy was meant to counter occult powers. Accompanied by words, gestures, dances and sacrifices, it also intervened during initiations out of sight of the profane. Matte grainy patina. Abrasions, cracks.
Among the Fang, established in a region extending from Yaoundé in Cameroon to Ogooué in Gabon, the appearance of these masks generally coated with kaolin (the white color evokes the power of the ancestors), in the middle of the night, could cause dread. This type of mask was used by the ngil religious and judicial male society which no longer exists today. This secret society was in charge ...

Sculpture of great sobriety and yet of great expressive force, it depicts a male being whose narrow bust gradually widens towards bowed legs. Thick forearms surround the umbilicus. The sketchy head is simply notched. This type of statue was used during funeral and initiation rites. Nuanced ritual patina, erosions.

The Kaka ethnic group, or Keaka, so named by the German settlers, is located in a border area between Nigeria and Cameroon. Their statuary shows a certain influence from other ethnic groups such as the Mumuye, whose statues also have short, bent legs surmounted by a slender body. Their very thick and crusty patina, their wide feet as well as the wide open mouth are however typical features allowing them to be distinguished from neighboring ethnic groups.

The usual African objects have always been the means of choice for the artistic expression of African sculptors, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. The rice spoons of the Baoulé, and the Dan neighbors, were not only intended to be offered to the most hospitable woman in the community, as a trophy. They were used at community meals that closed traditional festivals and ritual ceremonies, but were also used for fertility rituals: rice was then thrown at the crowd to ensure protection and fertility.
The spoon extends from a female bust with a long curved neck. The latter supports a graceful head with features and a very delicately chiseled hairstyle. Black patina lustrous by use.
High on a base: 25 cm.

Scepter with figured anthropomorphic motif sitting at the end of the stick. The lower part is made up of several sculpted sections and then extends into a point. Two-tone matte patina, slight loss Height on base: 67 cm.
The Ibibios are a people of West Africa, mainly present in the south-east of Nigeria (State of Akwa Ibom), but also 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, shared by the Oron and Eket established on the right bank of the Cross River, is under the authority of the highest-ranking members of the male Ekpo (ghost) association. The presence of the uninitiated in ...