African Folk Art

The Loss people of Zambia are known for their basketry and rarely work in wood, but their wooden milk jugs are sought after objects from collectors. Originally used to collect milk f...

A gilded wooden head of an ibis. The bird’s head starts with its long thin neck and extends into the large pointed beak, forming a near-horizontal silhouette. The ridges down the beak and the circular eyes are deeply incised. The ibis was sacred to the Egyptian god Thoth, god of wisdom and writing, who was often depicted with the head of an ibis. Representations of the ibis in copper alloy are some of the most numerous sacred animal statuettes, alongside the cat, falcon, and Apis bull...