Tribal Sculptures

Six Knobkerries from South Africa A group of six knobkerries from South Africa, mounted together on a wooden base. These were originally used as weapons during battle but have evolv...

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...

African Democratic Republic of the Congo 20th Century carved wood Songye 2-headed Janus guardian figure (Kabeja) represents the ancestor couple of a tribe. One head is female, the ot...

Showing a crescent shaped headrest braced by flattened 'V' shaped supports rising from a cupped base, decorated overall with hand carved linear motifs and exhibiting an old rubbed su...

Gabonese late 20th century reliquary figure hand carved by the Kota Mahongwe people depicting a smiling faced figure in hammered / shaped brass, copper strips and ebonized wood (Matc...

Tapa dance shield. Baining People, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. First half, 20th century Pounded mulberry bark painted with natural pigments Measure...

Carved grotesque wood mask with pierced eyes, very hooked nose, cigar between very crooked bone teeth. Label on verso reads, “Willi Huggler (Swiss, 1925...

Carved blackened wood horned antelope - human mask Dan People Ivory Coast, Africa. Two vertical horns probably representing a young antelope, large open round eyes and projecting li...

This petite cone-shaped cap, known as laket, was created by an artisan of the Kuba peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The base is made of a simple woven raffia fabric, ...

With its many blades and dramatic form, this impressive throwing knife would have been a status symbol and a form of currency among the Ngombe peoples o...

Early 20th Century Conus Shell Ornaments, Solomon Islands Three spiral conus shells from the Solomon Islands. These were laboriously sliced with sand and bamboo, which contributed t...

French Modern Glazed Terracotta Face Mask Sculpture This 20th Century French Modern tribal style glazed terra cotta face mask sculpture is well exe...

Tribal Bronze Cache-sexe, Vere People, Cameroon/Nigeria Bronze alloy 4.5 (11.4 cm) to 2.25 (6.7 cm) inches high Late 19th century A set of bronze spikes forms this cache-sexe from t...

A compatible pair of superbly crafted African busts in an extraordinary exotic hardwood. Nzambu East African sculptures, hand carved, solid and heavy depicting the busts of two tribe...

Modern black & white sculpture of a Knelling tribal Tattooed African Queen Purchased in France, in the 1960s Unsigned A heavy, impressive, substantial three dimensional work. The sculpted plaster nude female figure, finely modeled with and enameled black body, displaying an extensive 'body suit' of hand-painted Adinkra tribal style tattoos. In general this figures displays Western African tribal symbols, usually associated with Adinkra/Ashanti people of Ghana. For thousands of years, tattoos were seen as a way of curing disease, protecting against spirits, showing affiliation towards groups/tribes, and reflecting personality traits such as bravery, courage, and social status. The sculpture of the kneeling nude has both arms raised with her hands clasped behind her head. The left leg is raised, the right is resting. At the time of posting we have a similar work Item Reference LU2592329803792 Modern Black & White Sculpture of a Reclining Tribal Tattooed African Queen Analysis of selected tribal tattoos on this work: Symbol: Boomerang Tattoo The boomerang tattoo symbolizes the fact that our actions have a way of coming back at us, in short Karma. Symbol: Bracelet Tattoo The bracelet tattoo often symbolizes love and mostly serve as the love knot between different people Symbol: Bullseye Tattoo The bullseye tattoo is the symbol of perfection. Symbol circle tattoo The circle tattoo is a powerful ancient image, it is a symbol of completion, the cycle of life, and for some, the idea of perfection. Symbol : Crescent Moon and Star Tattoo The Crescent Moon and Star Tattoo generally represents growth, fertility, and motherhood. It can be a celebration of women, or indicates the woman is going through a transitional period . There is also a romantic association, with the two symbols representing love. Symbol Cross tattoo The cross tattoo is an ancient symbol which represents eternal life. Other meanings, a symbol of hope in war, or as connection between the physical and the spiritual life. Symbol: Fan tattoo The fan tattoo is known to represent good luck and generosity Symbol: Flower tattoo The flower tattoo has multiple meanings. In ancient cultures, flowers were a direct symbol of god's contentment. A modern meaning, represent the love between two people. Symbol: Lightning bolt tattoo lightning bolt tattoos often mean power, swiftness and decisiveness. it sometimes has a meaning of a split-second moment. Symbol: Star tattoo ?Star tattoos often symbolize hope, love and guidance. Symbol: Sun tattoo Sun Tattoos often represent its ability to heal other meanings is the sun symbolizes the process of going from dark times to seeing the light at the end of that darkness. The sun is the ultimate symbol of light and truth. Symbol : Triangle tattoo Triangle tattoos symbolize connection, harmony, creativity, wisdom, and growth. Symbol : Wooden Comb...

This African sculpture is carved from wood. It has Lapis colored beads.

Late 19th-early 20th Bailer shell pectoral, Highlands, possibly Mendi People, Papua New Guinea These large shell pectorals were worn ceremonially by men and women in Papua New Guine...

Beautiful museum quality, wooden head rest. Stunning patina on this rare piece of art from Sudan. Hand carved from a single piece of wood by the Dinka trib...

A ritual artifact from the tribe of the Asmat poeple, an ethnic group of New Guinea living in the Papua province of Indonesia and South-western regions of Papua New Guinea, bis or bisj pole is carved out of a wild Mangrove tree and can reach a stunning height Their carvings depict stacked human and animal figures standing and on top always phallic symbols, in the shape of a canoe prow. Bis poles...

19th century throwing club, ula, Fiji A heavy throwing club made of dense hardwood with the handle finely carved with geometric motifs and an unexpected detail on the ball head - se...

20th Century Tribal Kina Shell Pectoral Necklace by unknown jeweler Kina shells were traditionally worn in the western highlands of Papua New Guinea as pectorals, either with a fibe...

Beautiful classic Chokwe mask genre that honours female founding ancestors. Such representations are particularly significant as the Chokwe trace the descent through the lines of their mothers. This is thought to be a dance mask with a net and wood hairstyle, from the Batshokwe people skilled in the art of carving and of very ancient origin belonging to the culture of the divine monarchy. The Batshokwe sculptors were the most famous in the region, masters in geometric decorations such as the depiction of scarifications and tooth deformations, the surfaces of their works were carefully smoothed and polished. On the forehead of the mask, the classic chinge-lyengelye scarification is clearly visible, commonly interpreted as a variant of the Portuguese cross...

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 ...

Wonderful 20th Century Tribal David Tennant figural head bust comprised of hand carved ebony wood. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vint...

Fine hand carved Scandinavian wood sculpture / figure. Made by an unknown carpenter in 1960s. Great patina and overall good vintage con...

Gabonese late 20th century reliquary figure hand carved by the Kota Mahongwe people depicting a figure in a shocked expression, crafted of hammered brass, copper strips and ebonized ...

West African hand beaded head dress crown from Yoruba, Nigeria. This artistic beautiful and functional art piece is covered with beads in turquoise, orange, green, yellow red, blue ...

Unique tribal plank art with metal base. The piece features a 5.5' tall wooden plank with a colored ornate fish design. Great conversation piece for any space.

Signed African Madonna and Child – Hand-Carved Wooden Sculpture by Makengo B, Congo, circa 1950 A powerful hand-carved wooden sculpture from Congo, signed “Par Makengo B”, dating to...

This evocative Pre-Columbian style terracotta ritual figure captures the timeless spirit and symbolic power of ancient Mesoamerican artistry. Skillfully hand-formed from natural clay...

A vibrant, handwoven beaded belt—traditionally known as a cache-sex—crafted from multicolored glass beads arranged in a dynamic diamond motif of red, green, blue, orange, and white. ...

This mask was made by the Chokwe people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has detailed metalwork and is finely carved. Probably dates around the 1960's.

Early 20th century Mangbetu chief's pot, from DR Congo, a distinctive and beautiful anthropomorphic sculpture. This style of terracotta pot m...

African Cameroon 20th Century carved wood Namur female fertility doll in a stylized curved form, wrapped with white, yellow & red beaded necklaces. Wear to finish with losses

20th century woven cane fabric beater from the Lega People of D. R. Congo A sculptural piece of African utilitarian ware used to beat the dust out of fabric as it would hang on a ...

Traditional sculpture originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo Tribal Art - Congo - African Measures : 16x17cm H:82cm Traditional sculpture from the Democratic Republic of ...

African Togo 20th Century carved wood Legba Aja (goddess of healing, herbs & knowledge) figure in a minimalist style with a string of beads wrapped around her left leg, mounted o...

An impressively large jade sculpture for table or desktop. In Māori style from New Zealand, the heavy jade Nephrite slab (also known as “pounamu”)...

Pair of African Sculptures — Heavy Hardwood, Primitivist Style Description: This is a pair of African sculptures carved from exceptionally heavy, high-quality hardwood, displaying r...

9th century silver processional priest's hats, Chimu culture, Peru. These silver hats were originally covered with fabric, as can be seen in the remaining surface pattern. The hol...

Crafted around 1890, the 19th-century Burmese Seated Mandalay Buddha stands as an exquisite embodiment of spiritual devotion and artistic finesse. Carved from gilded wood and adorned...

An expressively carved African wood female kneeling figure on staff with a display wood stand circa mid 20th century. The figural sculpture was an Ose Sango staff from Yoruba communi...

This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe to wear while dancing. Commissioned by women for their ...

This is a pair of vintage African spear currencies from the Mbole peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo which are nicely presented upon custom m...

A fantastically hand-crafted piece by the Kota (or Bakota) tribe who are located in the northeastern region of Gabon. This figure, which is a Mahongwe reliquary figure as exhibited with its truncated almond-shaped face, is made of wound copper, hammered brass and wood. Reliquary figures were used as guardians to protect the revered bones of venerated family ancestors and leaders and ward off unwanted spirits. These figures are meant to embody intense powers and were also commonly used in communal rites and ritual performances. This particular piece came from an American collector who traveled the African continent and collected African artifacts for over 50 years. This piece has a beautiful, organically aged patina acquired naturally over time and use. It is mounted on a custom wooden display stand. We believe it dates back to the early to mid-1900s but could be older. We are listing as 20th century because we did not have it appraised. This African Tribal Statue Osseyba or Reliquary Figure Kota (Bakota) Mohongwe Peoples decorative art would clearly stand out as part of a collection or by itself in any setting. Truly unique, eye-catching and engaging. Dimensions on stand: 25 3/4" High, 7" Wide, 5 1/2" Deep Kota Reliquary...

A 19th Century vintage boat rudder, hand-crafted in Bali, Indonesia. Preserved almost intact, with its original paint and construction, naturally weathered by its age and use. Mo...

A finely carved decorated headrest with solid hourglass shaped base, attached decorations of seed pods shell and beads. Fine worn patina. Created by the Tsonga peoples of South Afr...

A hand-carved effigy of mother and child from the Dayak tribe in Borneo, mounted on a black metal stand. Ancestral figures were important in Dayak culture as a means of spiritual p...

A unique tofu grinder sculpture, hand-carved out of a single large piece of reclaimed wood. From Indonesia, circa 1950. Original untouched color. The hole...

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...

A charming head of a young male, Majapahit Empire, region of Trowulan, Eastern Java, Indonesia, 13th-14th century. The head well sculpted as a smiling, youthful male with buck teet...

A tall and elegant wood pedestal drum with a fully-carved face on the side, and two registers of incised linear designs above and below. It has an absolutely gorgeous honey-brown pa...

An old and authentic votive board representing the spirit of water, Shamanic, Primitive Arts, Tribal Art, Brutalist, Shabby-Chic, in carved wood and painted with patina due to use, characteristic work of the creations of the Kwoma people , Washkuk Mountains, Upper Sepik region, Papua New Guinea, 1950. This votive board comes from the former collection of a French diplomat...

This small Baule bronze elephant from Côte d’Ivoire possesses a lively, spirited presence. Its rounded body, broad ears, sturdy legs, and dramatically rai...

A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE CARVED STATUE OF A MAASAI HUNTER Circa 1950 Kenya. Almost a lifesize figure of a sitting Maasai hunter holding his spear impressively capturing his character...

Beautiful museum quality, wooden head rest. Stunning patina on this rare piece of art from Sudan. Hand carved from a single block of wood by the Dinka tribe....

Vintage carved figure of a male dancer with cross hatched ear design

A Kissi Nomoli carved stone figure, a male with his hands wrapped around his knees, on a base; from the Kissi people of Sierra Leone. Greyish brown patina, snout-like mouth, large no...

To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...

Abstract and sculptural, this wooden form demonstrates the timeless appeal of African art. Hand-carved to an hourglass shape, the unusual figure is actually a grinding mortar, compri...