Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
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Place of Origin: Sub-Saharan African
Old Pende giwoyo Red Mask with Beard and Woven Raffia Hair Cap Congo Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Old Pende giwoyo mask with red pigments, black and white beard with carved triangles and woven black raffia hair cap
The mask is 13 1/4 inches high, on custom...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
$1,560 Sale Price
20% Off
Standing Female Pende Wood Figure with Arms at Sides Cascading Hair Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Rare carved wood standing female Pende figure with arms at sides cascading hair. Classic downturned Pende style face, feet absent.
Democratic Republic of Congo, early to mid-20th...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
$380 Sale Price
60% Off
Carved Wood Miniature Baule Bush cow Mask Stand Ivory Coast Early 20th Century
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Old carved miniature wood mask with traces of red and green pigment, from the Baule people of Ivory Coast, Africa. Representing a bushcow, and dating from the early 20th century. Mas...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
$760 Sale Price
20% Off
Senufo Locking Currency Bracelet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Time honored texture and form define this Senufo sculptural object. The abstract etchings were achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan meticulously traced and ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Copper
Wooden Head of an Ooni of Ile-Ife, Yoruba People, Nigeria, circa 1930s
By Yoruba People
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Wooden head of an Ooni of Ile-Ife, Yoruba People, Nigeria, circa 1930s.
The Ooni is the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife. The Nigerian town is seen as the cradle of the Yoruba people.
The number is the inventory number from Lehigh University.
Exhibited: The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection.
Provenance: The collection of Dr and Mrs John E. Swanson.
Dr John Swanson and his wife Marian lived from 1966 - 1981 in Lagos, Nigeria where Dr Swanson was the Advisor to the National Universities Commission and later on the Chief Planning Officer of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
During their time in Africa the Swansons started to collect African art. In 1973 a part of their collection, circa 120 pieces went on loan to The Pennsylvania State University Museum of Art, where the remained until 1978.
In 1981 Dr Swanson passed away and his wife Marian never returned to Africa.
In 1982 Mrs Swanson lent 130 pieces to the Lehigh University Art Gallery where they remained until 1987. A few pieces were also lent to Lafayette College...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
1930's Beaded Snuff Container. Zulu, Southern Africa
Located in London, GB
This intimately-sized 1930's Zulu snuff container has been beautifully decorated with glass beads. A circular opening features on one side, and on the other side, overlapping blue-an...
Category
1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Beads
Zulu Tribal Carved Wood Snuff Container, South Africa Finely Carved Incised
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Zulu Tribal carved wood Snuff Container, South Africa
A finely carved snuff container with finely carved incised great geometric designs, a great example of the detailed work the Zu...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Oromo Igbo African Gourd
Located in Winnetka, IL
This African piece was made by the oromo igbo people of ethiopia
It is a gourd with weaved fiber and metal covering it with intricate design and patterns
It has a lid with it which is usually not found
It definately has age but not sure of its exact year
This vessel is a lovely african artifact...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Metallic Thread
Matching Pair of Yoruba Twin Figures Ibeji Nigeria African Tribal Art beads
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Matching rare pair of stocky male twin figures "Ibeji" from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Africa, created in the early 20th century. Dressed with matching glass bead necklace and bra...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
$1,320 Sale Price / set
44% Off
Pair African Gourd Storage Vessels, Kenya or Ethiopia, early-mid 20th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A fantastic pair of large African gourd storage vessels with native repairs, early to mid 20th century, Ethiopia or Kenya.
This pair of dried and hollowed gourd vessels would origin...
Category
20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Natural Fiber
African Carved Gabon Mask No:1
By LAGU
Located in İSTANBUL, TR
A unique mask, handmade by artisans in the Punu region of Gabon. This mask has been crafted using wood carving techniques and adorned with polychrome tempera paint, giving it a dist...
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
19th Century Ethiopian Saddle-Shaped Stool
Located in London, GB
This stool is a beautiful example of an Arsi saddle-shaped stool from the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Finely carved into this form from dense, heavy brown wood, this stool has developed a lovely rich surface patina as a result of use over time.
Estimated Period: Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Ex Private Collection, Addis Ababa...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Stool from Cameroon Bamoun or Bamileke
Located in PARIS, FR
African stool with caryatid from Cameroon, Bamoun or Bamileke, probably around 1920, carved wood and dark patina, oval seat decorated with geometric notches, support in the shape of ...
Category
Early 20th Century Primitive Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Set of Three Beaded Ndebele Fertility Dolls
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Wood
$1,180 / set
Single Ethnic Isicholo Bridal Red-Ocher Hat from South Africa, Zulu People
Located in Atlanta, GA
One Isicholo African Hats. This red-ochre dyed women's hat is from the Zulu people, South Africa, and is made of a combination of cotton, human hair over a...
Category
20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Grasscloth
Pair of Large Carved Moba Tchitchiri Sculptural Figures, Togo, circa 1930
Located in London, GB
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...
Category
1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Kuba Ceremonial Dance Outfit
By Kuba
Located in Sharon, CT
Painted bark with traditional Kuba patterns. This is a dance outfit, the wearer would be masked.
Category
Early 20th Century Art Deco Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Fabric
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Wood, Fabric
Yoruba Beaded Sash, c. 1950
Located in Chicago, IL
This intricately-constructed colorful train was painstakingly created by Yoruba artisans in Nigeria in the mid-20th century. Recent designs such as this were based upon...
Category
Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Shell, Fabric, Beads
African Nupe Terracotta Vessel Support, c. 1900
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
The Nupe people of Nigeria were touted as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this elegant, cylindrical vessel support, received detailed attention. This flaring terra cotta form would have been buried halfway in the ground, in a Nupe home, and used as a stable base for a stack of traditional round pots...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Naive Ethiopian Painting The first Italo-Ethiopian War, 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
The painting captures the events of this battle:
"Baratieri planned to execute an attack early morning 1st March Baratieri, to strike a surprise on the ethiopians, who outnumbered h...
Category
1970s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Canvas
$9,523 Sale Price
20% Off
Finely Woven Tutsi Grass Fibre Screen ('Inyeqamo'), Rwanda
Located in London, GB
Rare to find, screens such as this would have been rolled down to separate the sleeping area and alcove in a traditional Tutsi household. The weaving, made from fine strands of grass...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Natural Fiber
Mother and Child Figure. Kwere, Tanzania
Located in London, GB
This finely carved figure with a prominent sweeping hairstyle sits upright with her knees bent and holding out her child in a forward position. The surface of the figure is smooth an...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Lidded Vessel, Congo
Located in New York, NY
The Shi peoples are agriculturalists living on the shores of Lake Kivu in D.R. Congo. Artistically they are best known for their distinctively carved cups and pitchers...
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Bura Stone Funerary Marker
Located in Chicago, IL
This abstract stone sculpture is a funerary marker of the Bura people of the Niger/Mali region. Little is known about the Bura civilization (c. 200 to 1000 AD), but it shares many of...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Primitive Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Stone
Petite African Redware Vessel
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite hand-formed vessel bears a richly textured surface of worn red clay slip and dark smoke marks. Likely intended for everyday use, the simple bottle-form vessel reflects th...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Primitive Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Yoruba Ibeji Twin Figure
By Yoruba People
Located in Chicago, IL
With one of the highest rates of twin births in the world, Yoruba cultures place special social and religious significance on twins, referred to as "emi alagbara" or "powerful spirit...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Kuba Ceremonial Palm Wine Cup ('Mbwoongntey'), DRC
Located in London, GB
The decorative details adorning this ceremonial cup reflected the owner’s wealth, status and influence within the Kuba Kingdom. This anthropomorphic Kuba cup ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
19th Century Low Reclining Ethiopian Chair
Located in London, GB
Carved from a single piece of dense, heavy wood, this nineteenth-century Gurage low-set chair from Ethiopia exhibits an unusual, rare form. Consisting of a circular double-tiered seat with an angled, reclining back-support, the chair exhibits a deep glossy surface patina, particularly on the back-support and seat as a result of use. The chair is functional, and is reasonably comfortable to sit on.
Estimated Period: 19th Century
Ex Private Family Collection, Addis Ababa...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
South African Tribal Carved Wooden Figure of Naked Lady by G. Tandi, circa 1960s
Located in Richmond, Surrey
South African Tribal carved wooden figure of naked lady by G. Tandi, circa 1960s.
Category
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood
19th Century Bronze Gold Weight Depicting a Traditional Hunter. Akan, Ghana
Located in London, GB
This Akan gold weight depicts a traditional hunter, smoking a pipe. He is shown holding a knife, with a second knife secured in his belt. A musket is balanced over his shoulder, and ...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Wood and Bound Leather Headrest. Pokot Culture, Kenya
Located in London, GB
An early example of this form of Pokot headrest. Gently curved neck support with ridged underside, with two splayed legs bound heavily with fine strips of leather.
Estimated Period...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Leather, Wood
Mid-Twentieth Century Headrest in Animal-Like Form
Located in London, GB
This large mid-twentieth century headrest, carved from a single piece of wood, comes from the Dinka culture in South Sudan. With multiple upright supports, the headrest displays a wo...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Leather, Hardwood
Terracotta Sculpture of Head
Located in Studio City, CA
Terra Cotta Sculpture of Head, Ghana Africa, 1960s Measures 15"H x 7"W; base 5"SQ
Category
1960s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Fine Bronze Pendant. Gan, Burkina Faso
Located in London, GB
This crescent-shaped bronze pendant, features a central abstract figure. Below the figure, two stylised small birds perch in the middle of the pendant. Throughout, the surface of the...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Fine Early 20th Century Bongo Ancestral Post
Located in London, GB
This fine early twentieth-century ancestral post, from the Bongo culture in South Sudan, takes the form of a tall, multiple-ringed column. Carved from a hard wood, the post exhibits ...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century Female Figure. Lwena/Chokwe, Angola-Zambia
Located in London, GB
This early twentieth-century figurative sculpture, from the Lwena/Chokwe culture in the Angola-Zambia Border Region, depicts a female standing in an upright stance.
A defining char...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Naive Ethiopian Painting, Greatest Scenes of Religion, Society and History 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian painting, The Greatest Scenes of Religion, Society and History.
Oil on Canvas
Measures: 100 x 190 cm
s.b.r.
with Ge'ez language ...
Category
1970s Folk Art Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Canvas
Figura tribal Cenefo
Located in VALÈNCIA, ES
Figura utilizada en los bailes y en los rituales.
Category
1940s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
$622 Sale Price
44% Off
Fine Konso Ancestral Figure, Ethiopia
Located in London, GB
This large figure, with a beautifully eroded surface, is a memorialisation in wood of a male Konso ancestor. Ancestral figures such as this (named 'waaka' or 'waaga') memorialise 'xh...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Ancient Stone Statue, West Africa possibly Sierra Leone
Located in Leuven , BE
These sculptures are considered manifestations of their deceased ancestors and are placed in ancestor shrines.
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Ethiopian Carved Wooden Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
So as not to muss their intricate hairstyles while sleeping, Ethiopian women would traditionally rest their heads on these petite wooden stands. The combination of conic base and con...
Category
Early 20th Century Primitive Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Important and Rare Igbo Prestige Stool
Located in London, GB
This large, rare Igbo title stool from Nigeria displays a wonderful sculptural form.
The circular seat and base are connected by a series of beautifully curved supporting legs, whi...
Category
20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Bamileke Storage Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Like other African everyday ceramics, Bamileke storage pots are revered for their simple forms yet astonishing beauty. Each is hand shaped and fired in the open. They are generally s...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Contemporary Giraffe Iron Sculpture, with Use of Tools and Other Objects C20
Located in Coimbra, PT
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.
Category
Late 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Metal, Iron
African Incised Copper Currency Anklet, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Copper
19th Century Mumuye Iron Currency, Nigeria
Located in London, GB
This tall, elegant iron currency, from the Mumuye culture in Nigeria, dates back to the nineteenth-century. The currency displays a long, spoon-shaped form, with attractive spiral fe...
Category
Late 19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Swazi Headrest With Old Label Attached, Southern Africa
Located in London, GB
The form of this Swazi headrest consists of an upper section supported by two tapering legs, fluted with vertical grooves.
A central lug features on the underside of the headrest, ...
Category
20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century Reclining Lobi Backrest With Two Legs
Located in London, GB
With a low seat supported by two splayed legs, this Lobi backrest from Burkina Faso exhibits a wonderful form with a long, reclining back support. Throughout, the surface of the piec...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Nupe Incised Water Vessel
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
The Nupe people of Nigeria were touted as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this water vessel, received detailed attention. The vessel's varied texture...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Rare Form of Beaded Doll, Kenyan Coastal Region
Located in London, GB
This mid-twentieth century beaded doll, which likely originates from the Kenyan Coastal Region around Mombasa, exhibits a rare form with a wonderfully simp...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood, Beads
1940's - 1950's Zulu Milk Pail ('Ithunga'), South Africa
Located in London, GB
This early-twentieth-century tall, narrow vessel, from the Zulu culture in South Africa, would have traditionally served as a milk pail.
Known as an 'ithunga', the vessel exhibits ...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood
13.70 Carat Glamorous Rubellite Tourmaline Drilled Craving from Africa
By Deloris "Dee" Giltz 1
Located in Peshawar, PK
Glamorous Rubellite Tourmaline Drilled Craving From Africa
Weight : 13.70 Carats
Dimensions : 2.8 x 1.4 x 0.5 Cm
Origin : Madagascar Africa
Clarity : SI
Color: Pink
The rubel...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Adam Style Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Crystal
Small 19th Century Kamba Elder's Chair With Beaded Lizard Motif, Kenya
Located in London, GB
High-backed chairs of any form are rare in Kenya. This small elder’s chair, consisting of and a dome-shaped backrest, is supported by four legs.
The back ...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Beads
"Vijay Path" Ghanaian Movie Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
Vijaypath was a Bollywood action hit in 1994. It's critically acclaimed soundtrack topped charts across the world and became one of the most recognizable in India's history. The film's international success is evident in this hand-painted advertisement...
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Fabric
Yoruba Osanyin Healing Staff, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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 ...
Category
Early 20th Century Minimalist Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Mid-20th Century Beaded Neck Adornment and Apron. Pokot, Kenya
Located in London, GB
Among the Pokot, body adornments are visual signifiers of power, wealth and status within the community. Given as a gift to a new bride by her husband, this finely beaded neck adornm...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Beads
Terracotta Bura Spirit Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Sometimes called a "Bura bell" due to its shape, this sculptural terra cotta object was part of the Bura tribe's burial ritual. Buried with its flared mouth facing down, this cylindrical storage...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
African Urembo Beaded Vintage Necklace Choker by the Maasai Tribe Kenya
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage African Urembo beaded necklace choker.
Handmade in Kenya by the maasai tribe.
Urembo means “beauty” and the handmade pattern and unique ...
Category
Late 20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Beads
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Why Jules Chéret Was the King of the Modern Poster
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