Shakyamuni Buddha head in sandstone, Thailand, Ayutthaya, 17th century

A serene and evocative seated Vietnamese Buddha sculpture. Expertly hand-carved from wood, this statue captures the timeless grace and spiritual depth of Buddhist iconography. The Bu...

A very pleasing Ciwara crest, singularly small and accompanied by its original headdress, depicting a stylized antelope leaning on a pangolin. The antelope is ridden by a woman, and white horsehair has been added to the tips of the horns. The piece is carefully sculpted, with notches decorating the bodies of the antelope and the pangolin. Rattan, plant fiber, cowries, wood Very fine velvety mat patina, Circa 1950 An animal called Ciwara is said to have taught the Bambara how to cultivate the land, and during agrarian ceremonies, they recall the myth through the stylized representation of an antelope whose name ci wara...

"Ndoma” Baule Portrait Mask, Ivory Coast, Circa 1930 Wood, heavy wood with deep brown-black lacquered patina. A superb old hardwood dance mask featuring an ...

Bamana N'tomo mask, Mali, 20th century "Generally surmounted by three to eight horns forming a comb, the N'tomoface mask refers to a moment of compulsory education given to uncircumcised young boys in certain West African societies. The mask's discreet, even absent, mouth emphasizes the behavior expected of them in their future adult life after training: controlling and measuring their words, knowing how to keep quiet, preserving secrets and enduring pain in silence." Excerpt from Masques du N'tomo, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Collection, Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, France. The Bambara, or Bamana, live in central and southern Mali. Their name means “unbeliever” and was given to them by the Muslims. Animists, they believe in the existence of a creator god called Ngala, who maintains the order of the universe and coexists with another androgynous god called Faro, master of the Word, who gave all qualities to mankind and makes the fruits of the earth grow. Traditional Bamana art objects are closely linked to agrarian rites. The Bamana dance these masks during initiation and circumcision ceremonies for young boys in the Ntomo society. The face, with its vertical outgrowths at the top, adopts geometric features beneath a rounded forehead, including an imposing busted nose, as the Bamana favor this organ in their statuary as it evokes sociability and clan cohesion. Indeed, during choreography, the dancer frequently touches the nose of the mask. As teaching aids for candidates, masks from societies accessible to young boys and adults, such as the N'tomo, Korè and Ci wara...

With closed eyes and a gentle expression, this southeast Asian stone bust depicts the historic Buddha Shakyamuni in calm meditation. Also known as Shaka, Gautama Buddha, or Prince Si...

A wonderful hand carved stone-carved antique Southeast Asian Buddha head/bust temple/shrine sculpture, possibly from the Thai, Burma, Laos region but perhaps also Japan. The vintage...

Thai Sandstone Carving of the Head of A Buddha Image, Ayutthaya, 15th Century. This sculpture has carved features with full lips outlined with an incised line known as a “trace”, the “U” of the chin broad, long aquiline nose , protruding large and arched eye lids with the eyes narrowly open revealing the pupils, over  arching brow continuing the line of the nose, short forehead,  a thin raised outline as the hairline surrounding the face, 6 rows of round boss hair curls to the domed usnisa covered in 5 rows of hair curls, large ears with attenuated earlobes reaching to the break at the neck, flat top to the usnisa and a flat area to the back of the head. The facial surface gessoed lacquered and gold leafed, the rest of the head with Varied surface mottling and lacquer remnants mostly revealing the sandstone texture of the material. Mounted with a post and drilled interior hole to a large solid teak block as a contemporary stand. Condition: A sculpture fragment from a large Buddhist Image, The head has been removed at the neck and the flat area at the top of the head would indicate that another mortared segment would have originally been attached possibly an undulant unalom finial, otherwise remarkably fine. Measuring: 23-1/8 inches high overall, the sculpture is 15 inches high x 10 inches wide x 10-1/4 inches deep. The wood base is 8-1/8 inches high x 7-7/8 inches wide x 7-5/8 inches deep. Provenance: with Kenneth Brown Jewelers...

A lovely sandstone Buddha head on wooden base, early 1900's, Utttar Pradesh, Northern India. The hand-carved features include the typical snail-s...