African Figurative Sculptures

Bamana Mask on a custom ebony wood stand.

Hand carved wooden Bambara Mali figure.

1970s Wood Carved Stool with Geometric Decorations

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

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

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 These pieces were originally made...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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...

TRIBAL ART Large traditional puppet figurine with articulated arms. Polychrome hardwood resting on its steel base. A favorite for this old puppet figurin...

A pair of West African incised iron and copper wire axe form currency pieces. On custom mounts. In the form of a ritual axe, which in many parts of Africa was carried over the shoul...

Decorative tribal mask from Mali, from the middle XX century.

Small dancing Lobi figure with arms out, and cubist face from Ghana, West Africa. ex James Willis, San Francisco, CA. Damage to proper right hand, fingers absent. Heavy encrusted p...

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...

Strong standing female figure with wonderful black braided hair style. From the Ewe people of Ghana, West Africa. Powerful muscular body and wide open eyed expression. Nice patina...

This bronze statuette of striking modernity,in a minimalist and refined style is part of an eminently small corpus. The fluidity of the forms and the remarkable purity of the figurin...

Nafana "Bedu" mask, from Southern Burkina Faso/Ivory Coast. Wood with natural earth pigments. Note the double faces, one with tubular eyes and mouth for the dancer and the larger a...

Tribal Carved-Stone ‘Hear No Evil’ Sculpture. Republic of Congo, circa late 19th Century.

Two hand-carved and colorfully painted 20th century wood workmen. A whimsical pair with expressions we can all understand. Decorative and interesting!

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...

A well-loved traditional stool or seat from the Akan people of Ghana. The supports for Akan stools take many forms, they can be purely geometric or architectural with simple posts a...

Skulptur, Holz, mit Feuer geschwärzt Jems Robert Koko Bi, geboren 1966 in Sinfra an der Elfenbeinküste, kam nach seinem Studium in Abidjan nach Deutschland. Er arbeitete von 1992-19...

The stool was loved by its owner, repaired in several places with decorated metal straps. It has an openwork, tiered lattice central post and four support posts. It has the older sty...

Bamileke Kuosi Elephant masks comprise cloth panels and hoods woven from plantain fiber over raffia. On this background glass beads are stitched in geometric patterns. The basic form depicts salient features of the elephant—a long trunk and large ears. The hood fits tightly over the masker's head, and two hanging panels, one behind and one in front, partially conceal the body. The front panel is the elephant trunk, and the two large, stiff circles hinged to either side of the head are its ears, which flap as the masker dances. While the mask symbolizes an elephant, the face is human. Eyeholes provide visibility, and a nose and mouth with teeth are normally present. The glass beads used on these earlier masks were nineteenth-century trade beads of Venetian or Czechoslovakian manufacture, used as well in exchange for slaves. Elephant mask costumes...

Created in the early to mid-20th century, by an anonymous artist of the Akan people of Ghana, probably Ashanti (Asante) or Fanti (Fante). What separates this stool from the standard ...

Two Songye dolls, reductions of the ritual costume of the masked dancers, painted wooden head and body covered with animal skin, feathers and braided fibers. Private collection Brus...

A finely carved significant Yoruba Male Ibeji figure with a tall headdress, expressive eyes, original bead belt and heavy wear and polish from native use. Areas of encrusted camwood ...

This unusual Chokwe mask is probably Katoyo, representing non-Chokwe individuals. The deviation of the mask from the more common Chokwe masks is mainly because they represent Portugu...

Decorative Grassland Leopard skin Mask Private collection Brussels The raffia splint is covered with cloth and colourful miniature glass beads in vario...

Princess Yenenga, founder of the Mossi Empire, from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, bronze West African sculpture from the late 20th century This is a contemporary piece, not historical ...

Striking and detailed bronze relief sculpture from Benin, now known as Nigeria, in Africa. This piece was modeled after ancient Benin bronzes, but is from the 20th Century. The intri...

A wonderful Mid-Century Modernist Abstract sculpture of a female figure in the style of/attributed to renowned South African sculptor/ artist Sydney Kumalo...

Set of three stone carved women each bearing a water vessel in their arms. This art form from Zimbabwe became popular decor in the late 1950s but was producded for decades preceding ...

MAGNIFICENT! BENIN OBA 19TH CENTURY BRONZE WARRIOR SCULPTURE SUPERB EXAMPLE OF OBA METALWORK! DIMENSIONS: APPROXIMATELY 13" TALL CIRCA 1860-1900 Offered is a rare 19t...

The stool represented here is a typical Caryatide stool of the Zela people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stool is carved out of wood and is held up by a kneeling woman cov...

A beautiful hand carved wood sculpture / figure. Made in Africa in the 1940-50s,. Bought from a collector of African art. Great patina and overall a good vintage condition. This figu...

Charming Benin King Oba and his Queen. Terrific pair of Benin hand carved ebony hardwood figures. Intricate detailing on each of these super West African carvings Circa Mid 20th c...

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...

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...

Idoma Ibo Female Figure. Africa, Nigeria 20th century or earlier. A seated female figure on a stool smoking a long pipe with painted with pigments and adorned with scarification mar...

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...

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...

A beautiful hand carved wood sculpture / figure. Made in Africa in the 1940-50s,. Bought from a collector of African art. Great patina and overall a good vintage condition. This figu...

Important African decorative heads, Benin 1960 in ebony. To bring back from a trip Very good condition

Hand-Carved African Sculpture of Kneeling Male made of Dark Wood. Hand-carved in Kenya. This carving is gorgeously detailed with a smooth sculpted face, hair tied back and ears ador...

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

Striking and detailed bronze relief sculpture from Benin, now known as Nigeria, in Africa. This piece was modeled after ancient Benin bronzes, but is from the 20th Century. The intri...

A beautifully crafted statue of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, I believe it is Ramses the 2nd however I am not completely sure. The statue appears to be made of copper or white metal. ...

This captivating authentic Egyptian Faience set was realized in ancient Egypt circa 3100 BCE. It offers two sarcophagus figurines- suggestive of miniature versions of King Tut's tomb- hand finished in a beautiful turquoise hue (a glaze created by pulverizing the stone into pigment). Additionally, the set features two figurines (one representative of the Egyptian god Anubis), and the other seemingly a depiction of one of the ruler's as a young child also in a turquoise glaze atop volumetric rhombus plinths with tapered sides in a refined terra cotta hue. Full of historical importance (and stunning as stand alone objects) this collection of Egyptian antiquities...

Set of three hand carved figural African polychromed colonial style sculptures, circa 1970s. The set is in good vintage condition and each figure measures approximately 3" W x 3"D x ...

Hand carved ebony hardwood bust of a young Benin warrior Traditionally carved Benin artistry Circa 1970 Height 10.75 inch, Width 5.5 inch, Depth 2.75 inc...

An organic wooden hand carved sculpture / drum in solid wood from West Africa in the 1950-1960s. A nice wabi sabi piece in good vintage condition with some signs from age and use. T...

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...

Bronze sculpture by Mayemba (1946-), Congo, 2002. Two African women with trays. Bronze sculpture on a wooden base (palmwood?). Measures: height : 15.75"(33cm), width : 6.9"(16cm), de...