Sub-Saharan African Decorative Objects

A Western Mongo tribal shield (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Carved hardwood with white pigement decoration. Now mounted on a patinated bronze Stand. A similar example can be...

This Piece is very primitive. Its a mid to early 20th century piece. Its carved from Ebony ironwood and depicts a woman kneeling. It was made in Nigeria.. The carving is very detailed.

Receiving guidance from tribal ancestors was a central aspect of the Luba people's spiritual practices. This ceramic spiritually significant vessel is topped with a crossed leg figure whose head has an opening critical for a divination ritual. Known as an mboko, this handled vessel would have been filled with items like antelope horns, shells, dried beetles, human teeth...

Vintage African Tuareg Silver Outer Layer on Ebony Wood Jewelry Box. Rectangular form Islamic Tuareg Jewelry Box. Gorgeous Islamic jewelry treasure trink...

A set consisting of one natural solid vide poche (10x7x3 cm) of malachite with an organic shape as well as a pair of eggs which are solid too. The measurements of the eggs are 5x3,5 cm.

Hand-crafted and Hand-made in Africa. The bowl is rare and beautiful, an art to transform the piece into this lovely town with etchings and leather strap - the design and African de...

Prestige open top basket Sukuma People (?) Tanzania Circa 1900 Coiled and woven basketry, natural fibers and dye 8 x 6 1/2 inches (21 x 16.5 cm) Provenance: ex private collection U...

Vide Poche Minimalist in Wood , Gabon 1950 Brown Color

Sculptural tribal chair from Ethiopia in the early 20th century. Made up of pieces of wood joined by archaic fasteners of the same wood and animal (probably goat) leather strips on t...

A beautiful soapstone hand-carved head of an African tribe-woman circa 1940.

19th century hammer currency, Ensuba, Bafia People, Cameroon Sometimes referred to as potato masher currency, but known to the Bafia people as ensuba,...

Beautiful sculpture is entirely carved out of one piece of ebony wood in the 1960s in Tansania The perfectly natural and organic shape makes this handcrafted sculpture extra special ...

Antique hand-carved African couple sculpture 1940s - Private Collection Domenico Rugiano

This Piece is very primitive. Its a mid to early 20th century piece. Its carved from ironwood and depicts a family tree of a family from Tanzania. The carving is very detailed.

Kenya tribal wood headrest, stylized natural animal form, early 20th century, African. Early Rendille or Borana Headrest from Kenya. Using naturally found branch connections to form a stylized three legged animal form, these headrests were a treasured personal item...

This Piece is very primitive. Its a mid to early 2oth century piece. Its carved from wood and has lots of character and patina.

When it comes to a shared passion for Africa, handmade and unique design, Uniqwa Collections and klaylife are perfectly aligned. Both hailing from Africa, our creative teams merg...

This graceful sculpture of a long-necked bird is a headdress known as "a-Bamp," worn during ritual masquerades of Baga adolescents in Guinea. With strong themes of defiance, these ma...

Tuareg Container, Welo Province, Ethiopia

Lozi Wooden Beer Vessel Lozi people, Zambia Early 20th century Carved wood, pigment H: 16.5 in x W: 11 in x D: 12 in :: 42 cm x 28 cm x 30.5 cm An eleg...

The Nupe people of Nigeria were known as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this storage vessel, received detailed attenti...

Carved to honor the mythical being Ci Wara, a Bambara deity that’s half mortal and half animal, this wooden headdress combines the graceful head and horns of a...

African Vide Poche and sculpture, withan woman head, in wood, 1960 ashtray, sculpture in wood.

Wonderful Mid-Century Kenyan Wall Hanging Sculpture of a Zebra. Good size and well done. Not signed.

A vintage Tanzanian wooden trough, circa 1940. Hand-carved out of blonde wood. Contains a metal patch. Can be used as an indoor decorative object, ...

The Luba people of Zaire believed that ancestors visited them through dreams. This belief led to elaborately worked headrests, known as "seats of dreams." Such headrests were used to...

Pair of funeral objects representing Guinea Fowls, Bamana People, Mali

Owl Candlesticks in Bronze Verdigris, comes as a pair, each height 28 cm x 11 cm x 11 cm candlesticks in cast bronze with small bronze owl. Candles not provided. Individually create...

For the Dagari people of Burkina Faso and Ghana, this highly stylized figure embodied the living spirit of a deceased ancestor. Tucked away from view in a secret alcove or shrine, th...

Giraffe by José Jerónimo single piece of art Iron sculpture with use of tools and other objects Signed Measures: 81 x 41 x 15 cm. Private collection.

Used as forms of currency, they could also serve as a musical or ritual object. Displayed on a custom mount.

Time honored texture and form define this Nigerian copper sculptural object. The intricate geometry was achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan would meticulou...

An Ethiopian tribal shield on custom iron stand. This vintage shield, originating from Ethiopia, has an overall convexly rounded-shape, and is made of a rich brown animal hide with wonderful patina. The leather shield...

TOTEM 2 sleep guardian or Kata Sergo from the ethnic Gorague´, South / South West Ethiopia. Different ridges are intended to evacuate the bad vibes from the fireplace to the top hous...

A set of six carved ebony figures from Kenya, 1950-70, each depicting a different moment of village life. One figure grips a long staff or spear at rest against the ground. Two stand...

Striking in form, of light highly textured wood, two highly stylized anthropomorphic figures carved by the Moba people in Togo, West Africa. These forms most probably we owned by a f...

Hand carved with a figurative design, this TOTEM-like wooden post was crafted by an artisan of the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria. Resembling the tall houseposts used to support the roof of a home, this shorter post would have been placed on a veranda courtyard as a symbolic and decorative element and did not bear weight. This veranda post...

Pair of rock crystal candlesticks with brass mount. Rock crystal is a colorless and transparent natural stone, valued for its beauty and versatility in jewelry and decorative objects...

Beautiful one-of-a-kind, free-form Moonstone bowl from Madagascar. This will make a beautiful centerpiece to complement your home and polished to a mirror finish. This incredible pie...

Carved from reddish brown hardwood, the hollow form rises from a cylindrical neck, the lowest part being a rounded base, then surrounded by diagonal sections. The neck is surrounded by nine rows of coral beaded necklaces (odigba) that extend to a thread motif on the back of the head. Face in full relief with straight lips, flared, flattened nose and oval eyes with set shell (nut) for the pupils. Along the forehead are six frontal scars treated with rectangular cavities in which should have inserts nutshells. In this case there is only one left Small ears on each side of the head, each C-shaped. A headband consisting of three rows of almost completely distroyed. On the right side of the head, a single feather extends upward from a beaded rosette. Behind the ear, two long braids of hair hang down to the beaded collar and then become bows that reach the roots. The left side of the head has a long, single braid behind the ear that hangs down to the beaded collar and becomes a bow that ends at the base. On each side, three strands of hair appear at the temples under the headband. Featuring an open hole with a circular motif on the top of the head and a rectangular open slit down the back. Insect damage in different areas; very old worn finish showing a lot of age. Very heavy insect damage in all areas; very old worn finish showing a lot of age. “Wooden shrine heads were permitted to sit on the altars of chiefs and important figures, in contrast to the copper alloy heads used exclusively by the kings of Benin. (Frederic Backlar, Bonhams, New York, 2012, lot 172) Osemwede (reigned 1816-1848) was the first Oba to decree that human heads could be carved for the altars of chiefs of royal lineage, rather than just wooden antelope and perhaps goat heads. Therefore, chiefs of blood enjoyed in Benin City (but not throughout the Kingdom of Benin, where antelope heads continued to be placed on the altars of their ancestors well into the 20s. Thus, the (wooden) human heads are said to be later than ca. 1816, but the actual age depends condition, insect damage, etc." (Fagg, William, Christie's, London, 1988, lot 206) "Feathers were worn by chiefs as a sign of status. The heads have a hole at the top intended to hold a large carved ivory tusk...

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...

1990s Wood and Beaded Sculpture Of Woman - NAMJI Fertility Doll Cowrie Shells On wood base

A splendid resin statue made by an unknown artist, in a limited edition. There is a label under the brass base specifying the edition number of the statue (1399/2000). This statue r...

African Puppets Kote Kono A, this "Kote Kono" animal puppets depicting the hornbill bird with a large beak during the Sogobo ceremony. This ancestral tradition continues in the region of Segou in Mali, along the Niger River and more particularly in the Bozo ethnic group. It is an opportunity to regroup the different villages and give rise to musical and theatrical performances whose highlight is the puppet show...

This headrest comes from 20th century Kenya, hand-carved from one piece of indigenous wood. Headrests held great value to North Western nomadic pastoral tribes of Kenya as they have ...

An early to mid-20th century Toguna support post from the Dogon Tribe of Mali, on custom metal stand. This West African hand carved wooden bean was origin...

This headrest comes from 20th century Kenya, hand-carved from one piece of indigenous wood. Headrests held great value to North Western nomadic pastoral tribes of Kenya as they have ...

Ashanti Bronze Ceremonial Offering Bowl with Mudfish and Adinkra Symbols Ghana Finely worked Ashanti ceremonial brass plate with hammered designs of a ...

This modern candlestick is part of the egg designs luxury Decor collection and is a great addition to any home. The body of this candlestick is a cast resin base with a black duco-s...

Terracotta head remnant on tapered wood base

Bauden Khoreay's large frontally carved stone sculpture of a stylized owl. The sculpture is in the manner of Picasso's early opium influenced African based cubist motifs. Professi...

Before coinage became standardized across West and Central Africa, wealth was often held in iron. In parts of present-day northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon, highly forged th...

Knife From The Momvu Meje Mangbetu Tribe - Dr Congo Uele Region - 19th African Wear consistent with age and use Tribal Art - Congo - African Measures : 6cmx4,5cm H:31cm

A finely carved Lwalwa maternity figure holding a baby from Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa circa 20th century. The statue was acquired in 2006 from the collection of Jean-Pierre Hallet Collection of African Art. The figure, with her robust body and a strong stand, wears a classic Lwalwa mask...

A tall Ibibio wood mask from Nigeria, Africa, circa 20th century. The head mask was carved in with a frontal face with pierced eyes and a gapping mouth. On his head, a stylized hat ...

This headrest comes from 20th century Kenya, hand-carved from one piece of indigenous wood. Headrests held great value to North Western nomadic pastoral tribes of Kenya as they have ...

Glass beaded parrot sculpture ambitiously crafted with glass beads and perched on a custom wood, brass, and Lucite stand.

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire. This colorful example of African beadwork is a fertility doll...

This captivating vintage hand-carved wild boar sculpture is a remarkable example of artisan craftsmanship and global folk art. Rendered with impressive anatomical detail and dynamic ...

Used as forms of currency, they could also serve as a musical or ritual object. Displayed on a custom mount.