African Sculptures

Ceremonial comb, Luba People, Zaire, D. R. Congo Made of palm leaf midribs, this large, graphic comb has a pinched waist and is held together with finely wrapped wire. Presented o...

A Moroccan smaller-sized carved wood door from the late 19th century on custom stand. This antique door from Morocco has a wonderfully rustic appearance, with hand-carved accents and...

- Hand built decorative cat sculpture - made of clay collected from the potter's surroundings. - decorative motifs painted with a goat hair brush made...

Hornbills are strange and beautiful birds, often incorporated in local cultures. In Africa, they are respected by people and involved in mythology and folklores. These birds are not ...

These door locks were generally used to protect houses and granaries.Bamana doorlocks range from the abstract and symbolic to representations of ancestors. They are usually larger an...

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill taxidermy on a Natural base-Bucorvus abyssinicus (Cites NL) Provenance: Private collection Brussels The Ground Hornbill is a particularly spectacular rep...

- Hand built decorative horse sculpture - made of clay collected from the potter's surroundings. - decorative motifs painted with a goat hair brush made by the potter to apply natu...

Beautiful 20th century copper African currency. Set on a modern black stand 5" x 5". Andrianna Shamaris. The Leader In Modern Organic Design.

All our TOTEM sculptures are hand carved in Southern Africa from sustainable alien timber by a group of Zimbabwean artists who set their own prices, th...

This luminous large 100% natural untreated cluster of hefty, beautifully terminated and naturally lustrous citrine points from the DRC features the incredible deep amber hue sought a...

Early carved wood antelope mask, with many horns, applied glass mirrors, cowries and seeds. Old native repair to one horn. It is in good condition wear and erosion from tradition...

A pair of monumental limestone sphinxes of Pharaoh Nectanebo I, from the processional avenue of the Serapeum of Memphis, 30th Dynasty, circa 379 - 360 BC. The sphinxes of the Serapeum have captivated travellers since Roman times. However, despite their significance, they are conspicuously absent from the collections of most major museums. Indeed, their existence in private hands is so improbable, and their imitations so numerous, that the present sphinxes were assumed to be modern copies throughout their recent ownership history. Finally recognised and conserved after an extraordinary chance discovery at a garden furniture sale...

Handcrafted in South Africa by local artisans under the brand Imvelo Natural Art, this tiger sculpture ceramic exudes raw beauty and artistic finesse. Sculpted by Bennet and painted...

Introducing a truly unique masterpiece: the Monkey Teapot by Love Art Ceramic. Handcrafted with precision and passion, this teapot stands as a testament to the artistry of its creato...

Introducing the "Pangolin Sanctuary" ceramic sculpture, a masterpiece by renowned South African sculptor Thabo Mbhele for Wiseman Ceramics. This larger-than-life piece, standing at 2...

Carved wood standing female figure with projecting stomach, attached horn on top of head, and hair in form of small hand shaped copper pieces. Old glass beads around arm and neck. It...

A group of six beaded wood Tutsi and Hutu ceremonial objects, the green striped one second from right is a knife, the others were used as staffs by elite members of the Tutsi and Hu...

This is a fantastic piece likely made by the Mangetu tribe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is finely detailed and quite large and hefty. These pieces were originally made...

An antique Baga anok or elek carved wood mask sculpture, with bird and human face form elements, made by Baga people (Guinea West Africa). Features long and pointed bird beak, incise...

Discovered in 1967 and sourced in just one location on earth - Merelani Hills, Tanzania, near Mt. Kilimanjaro - enigmatic blue-violet or violet-blue tanzanite is one of the rarest an...

This deeply pigmented group of huge, sharp, beautifully translucent anglesite crystals from the famed Tsumeb Mine in Namibia features incredible, rare yellowish-orange coloring and n...

A superbly carved camel statue, early 20th century, Morocco, exceptionally executed, the North African Art Deco Orientalist figural carving features fine detailing throughout, hand c...

This lush, lustrous bed of fully formed, fully terminated, moderately sized dioptase crystals with a deep emerald color is accented by large, beautifully gemmy golden calcite crystal...

Orange River, Namibia This sizable red quartz cluster owes its rare fire red coloring to hematite inclusions which are covered with clear translucent quartz. There are multiple hema...

Malachite Lion sculpture or paperweight. Africa 20th Century, Green Color.

A complete prehistoric Cleoniceras opalised iridescent ammonite fossil, originating from Madagascar, presented on an exclusive museum-quality painted plaster base. Over 200 million y...

1970s Wood Carved Stool with Geometric Decorations

Hand-Carved Wood 'Luba' Fertility Statue. Democratic Republic of the Congo, circa 1970.

Jan Ernst is a multidisciplinary designer specializing in functional art and spatial design using clay as his main medium. The work is driven by his fascination with natural structur...

A complete prehistoric polished jigsaw ammonite fossil, originating from Madagascar, presented on an exclusive museum-quality painted plaster base. A natural historical artefact, pre...

Exceptionally Fine Wooden Sarcophagus Mask Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, circa 1069-945 BC. Acacia wood, rosewood, hippopotamus ivory Masterfully carved from a single piece of fine-grained hardwood, the present mask is characteristic of the most exquisite funerary art made during the 21st Dynasty, and was probably commissioned for a particularly high-ranking individual. The oval face displays a gently smiling mouth with full, outlined lips, furrows at the corners and a bow-shaped philtrum. The straight nose with rounded nostrils, the cheeks full and fleshy and the large, almond shaped eyes with heavy lids and tapering cosmetic lines, set below long, sweeping eyebrows. Social collapse across the Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age meant that the 21st Dynasty in Egypt was a period of great turmoil. Trade routes were disrupted, governments collapsed, and mass migration occurred. Economic scarcity meant that traditional funerary practices in Egypt were also affected, with a lack of material and financial resources leading to the reuse of preexisting material. As a result, during the 21st Dynasty, 19th and 20th Dynasty coffins changed ownership rapidly and were heavily recycled for new purposes. Tombs were also unmarked allowing them to be shared by many people. These new practices brought forth a shift in the understanding of funerary paraphernalia. No longer important objects owned forever by the deceased, they were now simply seen as short-term transformative devices, whose symbolic and ritualistic meaning could be appropriated for others. However, paradoxically, the art of coffin-making also reached new heights during this period, and many of the richly dec- orated “yellow” coffins, characteristic of the 21st Dynasty, are remarkable works of art in their own right. Indeed, knowing that coffins were being reused throughout Egypt, the Egyptian élite set themself apart by commissioning lavish sarcophagi decorated with the images and texts meant to help guide them to the afterlife, and which would otherwise have adorned the tomb walls. As coffins were the chief funerary element which now identified the dead and allowed them a physical presence in the world of the living, their quality and appearance were of the utmost importance. The traditional coffin ensemble was made of three parts: a wooden mummy cover, which laid directly atop the mummy, an inner coffin, and an outer coffin, both made of a lid and case. Additional decorative elements, such as masks, were carved out separately and later glued or pegged to the lids. After the completion of the painted decoration, the sarcophagus was covered in a varnish to give it its yellow colour. Gilding was sometimes used for the coffins of the high priests’ families, notably on parts representing naked skin, such as the face mask. However, some of the élite tactically avoided gilding altogether as to ensure that their coffin would not be looted. When manufacturing the inner and outer coffins, particular attention was paid to the woodwork. Displaying the skill of the carpenter, this type of funerary art has largely remained unparalleled throughout Egyptian history. The principal wood used to craft the present mask is Acacia nilotica. The evergreen Egyptian acacia was considered sacred and said to be the tree of life, the birthplace of the god Horus, as well as symbolic of Osiris, the god of the dead and resurrection. The modelling of the face in the wood is superb, but the inlays also help mark this mask out as exceptional. Inlaid eyes and eyebrows were extremely rare and reserved to the finest and most expensive coffins. Traditionally, eyes were made of calcite, obsidian, or quartz, and eyebrows of coloured glass paste or bronze. Here, the pupils, eyebrows, and cosmetic lines are inlaid with Dalbergia melanoxylon, a rare type of wood which belongs to the rosewood genus. In antiquity, however, it was known as Ebony of the Pharaohs, from the Egyptian word “hbny”, meaning dark timber, because of its black, lustrous appearance. An extremely dense and hard wood requiring significant skill to work with, ebony was a luxury material highly coveted by the pharaohs themselves, to make furniture, decorative and funerary objects. The wood was imported with great effort from the southern Land of Punt, most likely modern Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, alongside other luxury goods such as gold and ivory. A magnificent ebony throne, recovered in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, illustrates the incredible aesthetic potential of this material and why it was so highly valued by Egyptian royalty. Only élite members of Egyptian society could have afford- ed Ebony of the Pharaoh inlays for their funerary mask. The sclerae on the present piece were once both inlaid with hippopotamus ivory. Whiter than elephant ivory, this type of ivory is also denser, and more difficult to carve. The use of this luxury material, reputed for its gleaming appearance, enhances the lifelikeness of the eyes. For the Egyptians, hippopotamus ivory was imbued with magic powers. The hippopotamus was indeed both feared and venerated due to its aggressive behaviour. Whilst the male hippopotamus was associated with danger and chaos, the female was benevolent and invoked for protection, especially of the house and of mothers and their children, through the hippopotamus goddess Tawaret. Thus, not only was hippopotamus ivory used as an inlay and to make practical objects, such as combs and clappers, but it was also used to make talismans like apotropaic wands or knives. Made during a time of scarcity where few could afford made-to-order coffins, the present mask could have only belonged to one of the highest-ranking individuals in society. Undoubtedly one of the finest Egyptian coffin...

An unusual blacknite quartz cluster specimen with covelline and bornite from Ambositra, Madagascar, presented on one of our museum-quality painted plaster bases. This striking and un...

This substantially sized sphere of AAA-quality malachite with gorgeous color and natural patterns including a plethora of beautifully defined bullseyes comes from the DRC and has bee...

Adorned with spiked braids, this prestigious custom mounted Ashetu hat embodies the cultural significance of the Bamum and Bamileke people of Cameroon, Central Africa, who revered th...

Whimsical soapstone red elephant beautiful piece good luck , charm nice clean condition minimalist piece a great piece for Post modern , Danish Modern Home decor.

A large botryoidal green malachite specimen from Kolwezi, Congo, presented on an exclusive museum-quality painted plaster display plinth. Named for its distinctive form resembling a...

Fine Kuba wood cup with incised textile designs, early 20th century, from Central Africa. The woven cris cross designs that are typical of the Kuba currency...

Ashanti cast bronze ceremonial staff top in the shape of a hoe with 3 cast turtles, from Ghana. It is in good condition with a deep patina and polish from traditional use, appropria...

These exquisite Neolithic bracelets from Mali are a captivating testament to ancient craftsmanship and ingenuity. Carved from limestone with natural crystalline veins coursing throug...

From N'Chwaning Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Rich specimen of translucent red rhombohedral rhodochrosite crystals on black manganite matrix....

This unique Madagascan Blue Celestite Cluster exhibits large, gem crystals of remarkable quality, featuring prism faces and sharp chisel-terminations - surpassing the average blue-gr...

This unique Madagascan Blue Celestite Cluster exhibits large, gem crystals of remarkable quality, featuring prism faces and sharp chisel-terminations - surpassing the average blue-gr...

From N'Chwaning Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Rich specimen of Transparent pink rhodochrosite crystals with sugar-like microcrystals on the s...

From Tafelkop, Goboboseb Mountains, Brandberg Mountain, Erongo, Namibia Lustrous 7" tall transparent deep-purple amethyst quartz crystals on brown-white matrix. The amethyst crystal...

This Prehistoric fossilized ammonite is likely from Madagascar and thousands of years old. This fossil is free standing and could be used as a unique design element as a natural specimen...

Whimsical Set of 6 Hand Carved African Mix Woods Animals Napkin Ring Holders , circa 1970's walnut , maple etc mahogany.

Wonderful spear form currency with spiral loops below the spear head festooned with three 'bells' on each side. An appealing design executed by a master craftsman. Beautifully mounte...

From the DRC – one of only two locations worldwide where this rare and coveted emerald green to blue-green crystal can be found, the other being Namibia – this vug – a natural hole w...

This landscape of the sky blue copper silicate mineral plancheite features generously sized, lustrous and deeply pigmented dioptase crystals emerging from mounds of sparkling, snowy ...

Dan Janus double faced protective Kinde charm, from the Dan people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. Used as a charm for protection, with two different faces to show the duality of the w...

Classic danced deep red-black Baule mask, with raised three part finely incised hair, small facial scarifications on the forehead. From Ivory Coast, Africa, mid 20th century It is ...

A very Decorative Carved and Pierced African Tribal Panel depicting a Female Ancestor. The powerful Female Figure supports a multitude of Stylized Carved Animals carved in three Band...

The Kingfisher and Monkey was designed by Zimele Original Ceramics in South Africa.Hand painted by Sello Hand sculpted by Lindy.The African Circus collection, in Victor's words: This...

Seated female figure on classic Akan stool holding a sword. From the Ewe people of Ghana, West Africa. Created as three separate pieces that fit together for display, figure, stool ...

All our totem sculptures are hand carved in Southern Africa from sustainable alien timber by a group of Zimbabwean artists who set their own prices, thus making them fair trade. Th...

This sparkling specimen from the DRC features moderately sized, deep emerald green, fully formed and gemmy dioptase crystals growing on a thick bed of lustrous calcite crystals for a...

All our totem sculptures are hand carved in Southern Africa from sustainable alien timber by a group of Zimbabwean artists who set their own prices, thus making them fair trade. Th...

Introducing the delightful Monkey Jewelry Box by Love Art Ceramic—a whimsical blend of artistry and functionality, sure to enchant any space with its charm. Hand-sculpted with metic...