Tribal Art

The look symbolizing mediumistic abilities, a hallucinogenic root between the teeth, this African statue displays a bust with a receptacle for magical substances. This type of African sculpture sometimes illustrates a proverb. Crusty patina imprinted with kaolin, desiccation cracks.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo constituted the Kôngo group, led by the ntotela king. 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 statuary with codified gestures in relation to their vision of the world. The nganga sorcerers, both healers, were in charge of religious activities and mediation towards the God called Nzambi through ...

French African art collection.
This rare male figure offers a solid constitution resting on ample digitized feet. Her necklace, imprisoned around a resinous mass, forms an amulet with a protective aim. Patterns depicting cowries are traced. Grayish ritual patina, locally crusty. Cracks, abrasions from use.
Gifts of women, food, festive ceremonies, and honorable status once rewarded dan carvers who were granted this talent during a dream. The latter was the means of communication of Du, invisible spiritual power, with men. Statuary, rare, had a prestigious role with its owner. These are mainly effigies of wives, lü mä, wooden human beings.

Very expressive sculpture of a small, stocky character, represented with hands united under the chin, with characteristics also kwésé, according to the hatching of the face. Orifices have been pierced on either side of the head for possible suspension, sex for ritual purposes. Grainy velvety patina, partially abraded, desication cracks.
The Kwésé are established among other tribes such as the Mbala and the Hungaan, along the banks of the Kwango River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their sculpture is inspired by that of their neighbors and sometimes made by the Mbalas at the request of the Kwese.
The headdress shares great similarities with the mukote headdress which, among the Western Pende with whom the Mbala shared mukanda circumcision rituals, became a symbol of ...

Camped in a posture of challenge, this subject of African art has a ventral load (bilongo) for therapeutic purposes. The Vili produced a variety of nkisi individual use statues, to which multiple virtues were attributed. The glazed eyes symbolize clairvoyance in a face with naturalistic features.
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. Present along the Gabonese coast, the Vili broke away from the Kongo kingdom in the 16th century and the Loango kingdom became a powerful state. Now urbanized for the most part, they still integrate traditional associations, depending on the worship ...

Intended to counter various problems, songye magical statues have cavities into which components called bishimba are introduced. This copy, desecrated, is visibly devoid of it. A copper strip, held together with long staples, runs from the skull to the end of the nose. The cowrie shells aptly represent eyelids fringed with eyelashes, while the mouth unfolds in a toothed grin. Vigorously cut, the morphology is articulated in powerful and exuberant projections around ample digitized feet and hands. Glossy dark patina then orange from the bust. Desiccation cracks.
The Songye fetish, magical sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The large examples are the collective property of an entire village, the smaller figures reserved for ...

This carved figure Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi )is embellished with feathers at the place where the top horn used to be. Her angular face is powerfully expressive. The magic charge bishimba was introduced into the skull cavity if the abdomen did not have it. The power of the fetish would be further enhanced by the presence of accessories, metal rings in this case. Light wood coated with a locally abraded black patina.
These protection 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, while the smaller figures belong to an individual or a family. In the sixteenth century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle on the left ...

This Lobi statuette "Bateba" was placed on the altar after a ritual to become the receptacle of a bush spirit, the Thil, and thus become an active being, an intermediary who fights against sorcerers and all other evil forces. The small spherical head, slightly tilted to the side, surmounts a narrow bust with drooping shoulders and arms that are placed alongside the body. The figure stands upright on wide feet. Golden brown glossy surface showing the wood grain.
When honored, these spirits manifest their benevolence in the form of abundant rains, good health, numerous births; Ignored, they withdraw it and bring devastating epidemics, drought and suffering.
These spirits transmit to the diviners the laws that the followers must follow to receive their protection.
They ...

The "inverted doubles" in the African art sculptures of Les Baule
Offering crystallized residues of ritual practices, this statuette Blobo bia, or bloblo bla, embodies a spiritual spouse. She adopts the traditional posture, hands enhancing the umbilical region. This type of object is carved according to the indications of the diviner. Chipped polychrome patina. Desication cracks.
About sixty ethnic groups populate Côte d'Ivoire, including the Baoulé, in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed ritual cults and masks carved. Two types of statues are produced by the Baoulé , Baulé , within the ritual framework: The Waka-Sona statues, "being of wood" in baoulé, evoke a assié oussou, ...

Ex American tribal art collection.

Consecrated by the nganga, endowed with a magic charge (bilongo) housed in a box closed by a mirror, this statuette meets the criteria of nksi objects. The Vili produced a variety of sculptures of individual use nkisi , to which multiple virtues were attributed. The glazed eyes, encircled with resin, symbolize clairvoyance in a face with naturalistic features. Various accessories are present, some of which would accentuate the power of the object, metal in the form of a padlock, basketry backpack lined with textile, headdress made of leather, strips of fabric and feathers. Eroded base. Chocolate shiny patina.
The Vili, the Lâri, the Sûndi, the Woyo, the Bembé, the Bwende, the Yombé and the Kôngo formed the group Kôngo, led by the king ...

Small anthropomorphic figure, devoid of arms, with a bust wrapped in cords, metal and garnished with cowries. The top of the head was hollowed out to receive various substances for a ritual purpose. These statuettes are said to relate to the ancestors.

In the southern coastal region of Tanzania, around Dar-es-Salaam, a relatively homogeneous group produced most of the artistic output. It includes the Swahili, Kaguru, Doé, Kwéré, Luguru, Zaramo, Kami. The second region is formed by a territory covering the south of Tanzania to Mozambique, where some Makonde and Yao, Ngindo, Mwéra, and Makua live. In the North-East of Tanzania, the Chaga, Paré, Chamba, Zigua, Maasai, Iraqw, Gogo, and Héhé have an artistic production presenting similarities with Malagasy and Batak art, ...

Collection of Monegasque African tribal art.
Made by the blacksmith fon according to the instructions of the soothsayer named fa this ancient fetish whose general appearance is reduced to the essential part is draped with textile. Missing, matte patina.
The multitude of Fon gods (the vodun), similar to those of the Yoruba under different names, are represented by fetishes of all forms and nature. Their sanctuaries are found in Togo, Dahomey, and western Nigeria. Statuettes embodying the legba, protectors of the home, are often attached to them. The faithful administer daily offerings and libations to them, supposed to activate their power. The Fon live in part of the Republic of Benin which formerly formed the Kingdom of Dahomey. According to legend, a princess of Yoruba ...

A mediator object of a rare type, loaded with symbolic accessories and a twisted metal rod intended to grip the fetish. A thick, orange, crusty patina covers the sculpture.
The Songye fetish, a magical sculpture Nkisi, nkishi (pl. mankishi ), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. The larger specimens are collectively owned by 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 manner. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Divination is very present in their society and allowed them to discover sorcerers and to shed ...

Made by the Mbanza or Banja, cousins of the Ngbaka in Ubangi, this sculpted human figure has a face framed by very large ears encompassing the arches and the jaw. Its functions are similar to those of the Ngbaka, as part of therapeutic rites or in preparation for hunting. Abrasions.
The Ubangian crucible has produced many statuettes that share certain similarities, such as a heart-shaped face, as in the Ogooué River region in Gabon. The Ngbaka form a homogeneous people from the northwest of the D.R.C., south of Ubangui. The Ngandi live in the east and the Ngombe in the south. Ref : "Art of Sub-saharan Africa" C. Mullen Kreamer.

Songye hermaphrodite statue remarkable for the majesty of the head carriage on a stretched, ringed neck, the discreet expressiveness of the features, the rectilinear bust. Lighter, the base must have originally been hidden under a textile. Glossy mahogany patina. Good general condition.
The Songye fetish, magical sculpture Nkisi , nkishi (pl. mankishi), plays the role of mediator between gods and men. In the 16th century, the Songyes migrated from the Shaba region to settle in Kasai, Katanga and South Kivu. Their history is inseparable from that of the Luba to whom they are related through common ancestors. Very present in their society, divination made it possible to discover sorcerers and to shed light on the causes of the misfortunes which struck individuals.
Lit. : "The ...

Anthropomorphic figure in bronze evoking a young Mossi woman. A ritual statuette supposed to help in conception, it was made in metal by the Mossi blacksmith, who was also in charge of the carved wooden examples. The use of dolls by young African women is not exclusively within the context of initiation. When menstruation appears, the young girl is considered as a potential mother. In many ethnic groups, the search for fertility is then done through initiation rites. Wooden figures are then carved, some reflecting both genders, often dressed in beads and clothes. During the period of seclusion, the doll, which becomes a child that requires daily feeding, washing and anointing, becomes the girl's only companion. After the initiation, they will be carried on the back of the women, or ...

French African art collection.
Intriguing fetishes that are Songye sculptures...the only accessories with which this ritual statue is equipped consist of a thin tie girdling the hips and a skin coil around the ringed neck. The kifwebe mask of the Bwadi ka bifwebe society appears here in a janiform appearance.
Satin patina, locally glossed, cracks.
The fetish Songye , magical sculpture Nkisi , nkishi (pl. mankishi ) , plays the role of mediator between gods and men. If the large specimens are the collective property of a whole village, the more modest 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 manner. ...

Tribes in the southeastern region of the DRC around Lake Tanganyika, such as the Tumbwe and the Tabwa, worshiped the mipasi ancestors through sculptures held by chiefs or witch doctors. A magical charge ( dawa )was inserted at the top of the statues' heads. Our female figure does indeed have a charge inserted at the top of the head. The diviners-healers ngango used this type of statuette-fetish to reveal witchcraft and protect against malevolent spirits.
Satin golden brown patina, cracks and abrasions.

Simple cultivators without centralized power, the Tabwa federated around tribal chiefs after coming under the influence of the Luba. It was mainly during this period that their artistic current was expressed mainly through statues but also masks. The ...

African magic-religious objects.
Consecrated by the priest nganga, this type of African clan sculpture has a magical charge lodged in the glass-sealed ventral cavity. The statue also carries, on the back, a kind of swaddled bundle.
The charge or bilongo consisted of various ingredients from the natural environment including red clay, red wood powder tukula , white clay pembe... , but possibly human fragments such as teeth, nails, hair. The arms are truncated. This fetish of conjuration was thus supposed to influence the health, prosperity, enemies of its holder. The headdress is characteristic of the statuary of Beembe and Yombe, other tribes of the Kongo group. Among the Kongo, the specialist named nganga ,was in charge of rituals by activating a ...

Sometimes called a "settler", this African statuette forms the incarnation of a spiritual husband, sculpted according to the indications of the diviner. In "African art, Western eyes" Susan Vogel reports that a figure of this type (p.255), idealized spouse, is represented dressed in a city outfit because the spouse is supposed to have a job in city. The earthly spouse, through the cult rendered to this spiritual double, expects to have his resources, his favors and his protection unfailingly. About sixty ethnic groups populate Côte d'Ivoire, including the Baoulé, in the center, Akans from Ghana, people of the savannah, practicing hunting and agriculture just like the Gouro from whom they borrowed the cults and masks.
Irregular polychrome patina, abrasions. Desication cracks ...

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 ...