Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
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Place of Origin: Sub-Saharan African
Nupe Gourd Water Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Inspired by the natural world, nupe ceramicists fired this water vessel in the shape of a gourd. The vessel's varied textures and colors come from its utilitarian design. The paralle...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Mossi Mask Burkina Faso Early to mid 20th Century / African Art / Africa Tribal
Located in Leuven, BE
Beautiful authentic Mask of the Mossi people Burkina-faso Early/mid 20th Century / African Art
Length: 35 cm
Beautiful patina of use (see detailed pictures )
A museum quality mask of the Mossi tribe
Note : In the northern centre of Mossi coutry, convex African masks with a prominent central ridge are common. Geometric patterns with low kaolin residues are dug on the matte surface. Stylistic similarities are sometimes noted with the masks of the Dogon, a neighbouring people. Mossi masks...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood
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
Fine Early 20th Century Chokwe Mask (Ex Afrika Museum Collection)
Located in London, GB
This early twentieth-century mask, from the Chokwe culture in Angola, displays unusual features. Carved from a light wood and decorated with yellow pigments, this fine mask exhibits ...
Category
1940s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
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
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
Toussian Storage Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Ovoid pots were an elegant storage solution in African tribal life. This beautifully balanced example is attributed to the Toussian people of Western Burkina Faso. Masterfully made to protect its contents from the elements, pots such as this one were coiled by female ceramists to hold food or personal...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Traditional African Sculpture of Mursi Woman with Lip Plate - Ethiopia
Located in Barueri, SP, BR
This stunning bronze golden-colored sculpture, crafted in Ethiopia, represents a Mursi woman, embodying Ethiopian craftsmanship's rich cultural heritage and artistic expression. The piece is striking and thought-provoking, featuring a meticulously sculpted bust with distinctive cultural elements. The sculpture pays homage to the Mursi women of Ethiopia, encapsulating their strength, resilience, and beauty.
The sculpture presents a fascinating fusion of realism and abstraction, with finely detailed facial features and textured elements. The golden finish adds a regal quality, making it an eye-catching centerpiece in any collection. It showcases traditional craftsmanship with a modern interpretation, making it a rare and valuable piece of African art.
Background and History
Like many indigenous groups across Africa, Mursi women have played vital roles in shaping their societies. Ethiopian art...
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Tabwa Staff with Female Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand carved 20th century wooden staff, was crafted in the style of the Tabwa people located along the southwestern shores of Lake Tanganyika. The handle is finely decorated with...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Finely Carved Tanzanian Chieftain's Stool
Located in London, GB
This beautifully carved title stool, from the Gogo culture in Tanzania, features a wonderful looped and adjoining structure. Dating back to the mid-twentieth century, this fine examp...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
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
Exceptional Anthropomorphic Statue Tshokwe Chokwe Tribe Congo 19th Angola
Located in Leuven, BE
Exceptional anthropomorphic statue from the Tshokwe / Chokwe tribe DR Congo / Angola
Tribe : Tshokwe / Chokwe
Country of origin : DR Congo / Angola
Period: 1900-1920
Height: 34 cm
V...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Bamana N'tomo mask, Mali, 20th century
Located in NICE, FR
Bamana N'tomo mask, Mali, 20th century
"Generally surmounted by three to eight horns forming a comb, the N'tomoface mask refers to a moment of compulsory education given to uncircumcised young boys in certain West African societies. The mask's discreet, even absent, mouth emphasizes the behavior expected of them in their future adult life after training: controlling and measuring their words, knowing how to keep quiet, preserving secrets and enduring pain in silence."
Excerpt from Masques du N'tomo, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Collection, Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, France.
The Bambara, or Bamana, live in central and southern Mali. Their name means “unbeliever” and was given to them by the Muslims. Animists, they believe in the existence of a creator god called Ngala, who maintains the order of the universe and coexists with another androgynous god called Faro, master of the Word, who gave all qualities to mankind and makes the fruits of the earth grow. Traditional Bamana art objects are closely linked to agrarian rites.
The Bamana dance these masks during initiation and circumcision ceremonies for young boys in the Ntomo society. The face, with its vertical outgrowths at the top, adopts geometric features beneath a rounded forehead, including an imposing busted nose, as the Bamana favor this organ in their statuary as it evokes sociability and clan cohesion. Indeed, during choreography, the dancer frequently touches the nose of the mask.
As teaching aids for candidates, masks from societies accessible to young boys and adults, such as the N'tomo, Korè and Ci wara...
Category
1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
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
Wooden Pende Antropomorphic Statue Congo Region Kasaï -19th century African Art
Located in Leuven, BE
Very rare Ancient And Exceptional Anthropomorphic Statue From The Pende Tribe
Country : DRCongo Kasaï Region
Age : late 19th century
Height : 48 cm
Excellent condition / missing t...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Raffia, Hardwood
"Crystal Hunt" Ghanaian Movie Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
Starring Donnie Yen, "The Bruce Lee of the 90s," "Crystal Hunt" was a martial arts film from Hong Kong made in 1991. Frequently, theaters in Ghana were unable to import official post...
Category
Late 20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Canvas
African Carved Gabon Mask Set (2 pieces)
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
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
Dogon Tribe Hardwood Carved Rhythm Pounder from Mali, Africa
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Museum quality Dogon tribe ironwood percussion pounder reportedly collected from a Tellem cave in the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. Collected in the late 1970’s with approximate age...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal 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
Figura tribal africana Baule
Located in VALÈNCIA, ES
Figura tribal africana de origen, Senegal o Costa de Marfil
Category
1940s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Antique carved wooden headdress from the Yoruba tribe, Nigeria, 1900-1920
By Yoruba Tribe
Located in Bilzen, BE
A carved wooden headdress from the Yoruba tribe, Nigeria
Strong expression face
Early 20th century
Rich tribal aged patina
Heigth 12 cm, diameter 12 x 13 cm
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Ciwara Bambara headdress in carved wood and basketry, Mali, Early 20th century
Located in NICE, FR
A very pleasing Ciwara crest, singularly small and accompanied by its original headdress, depicting a stylized antelope leaning on a pangolin. The antelope is ridden by a woman, and white horsehair has been added to the tips of the horns. The piece is carefully sculpted, with notches decorating the bodies of the antelope and the pangolin.
Rattan, plant fiber, cowries, wood Very fine velvety mat patina, Circa 1950
An animal called Ciwara is said to have taught the Bambara how to cultivate the land, and during agrarian ceremonies, they recall the myth through the stylized representation of an antelope whose name ci wara...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Small Used Senufo Bird Beak Face Weaving Heddle Pulley, Ivory Coast Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Small used Senufo stylized bird beak face weaving heddle pulley, Ivory Coast Africa I
Deep patina and polish from traditional use, circular wear inside from weaving bobbin, now absen...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Small Used Senufo Bird Faced Weaving Heddle Pulley, Ivory Coast Africa I
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Small used Senufo stylized bird faced weaving heddle pulley, Ivory Coast Africa I
Deep patina and polish from traditional use, circular wear inside from weaving bobbin, now absent.
6...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Ibibio Anthropomorphic Standing Male Janus Figure, Nigeria
Located in Leuven , BE
This elaborate Janus statue is a rare example of an Ibibio free-standing figure to recall a well-defined ancestor in what seems a European outfit .The Ibibios lend supernatural power...
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Sublime 17.15 Carat Loose Bi Color Tourmaline Drilled Carving for Jewelry Making
By Deloris "Dee" Giltz 1
Located in Peshawar, PK
Sublime Loose Bi-Color Tourmaline Drilled Carving For Jewelry Making
Weight: 17.15 Carats
Dimension: 2.3 x 1.6 x 0.7 Cm
Origin: Africa
Color: Pink & Green
Shape: Carving
Qualit...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Adam Style Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Crystal
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
Sleep Guardian or Kata Sergo Ethiopia TOTEM 1 in Solid Natural Cedar Wood
Located in Paris, FR
TOTEM 1 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 h...
Category
19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Akan 'Cast From Life' Beetle Gold Weight, Ghana
Located in London, GB
Every detail and feature of the beetle has been finely preserved in bronze, from its tiny claws to the pattern of striations on the insect's shell. Having been 'cast from life' by an Akan gold...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
1960's Himba Head Adornment
Located in London, GB
The Himba of Northern Namibia are immediately recognisable by their distinctive hairstyles, which are determined by their age, gender and marital status. Both Himba men and women wea...
Category
1960s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Natural Fiber, Beads
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 Futurist Black Tribal Mask by Bomber Bax
Located in Milano, IT
Contemporary African single mask created by the artist Bomber Bax.
The mask dates back to the early 1900s and was subsequently processed and painted in late 2022 by the artist.
The...
Category
Early 1900s Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
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
Abstract primitive head Fragment of a Dogon Sculpture."
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A beautifully patined Dogon fragment of a head sculpture. Because of its natural wear perhaps even being more abstract and natural. As African art inspired the European modernist mov...
Category
Early 20th Century Primitive Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Decorative Armchair
Located in Montreal, QC
A Chowke wood chair with figural carvings Africa, Angola
Category
1970s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Baule statue Mother with Childs, Ivory Coast mid XXem
Located in Paris, FR
African Baule statue Mother with child, Ivory Coast mid XXem
Provenance: Swedish private collection, from the 1980s. Then inherited within the family.
B...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Glass, 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
"Embrace" Luba Headrest Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Nigerian Nupe Vessel Support
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 f...
Category
Early 20th Century Primitive Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Masque tribal en alliage de bronze ancien Mid - century
Located in THONON-LES-BAINS, FR
Masque tribal présumé Sénufo en alliage bronzier ancien circa 1950. D'une patine du temps vert de gris oxydée, ce masque est une création artisanale de talent et unique. Il représent...
Category
Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Superb museum quality Antique Lobi or Bwa stool Burkina Faso / Mali
Located in Leuven, BE
Antique superb rare Lobi or Bwa stool Burkina Faso / Mali region
Available at Art Gallery Decoster Belgium
Tribe : Bwa or Lobi
Country : Burkina Faso / Mali
Late 19th / Early 20th ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Fine 19th/Early 20th Century Luba/Kusu Fetish Figure
Located in London, GB
This fine figure, from the Luba/Kusu culture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dates back to the early twentieth-century or before, to the nineteenth-century. The carved figur...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Haussa People, Nigeria, Dagger with Organic Handle
Located in Leuven , BE
Beautifully crafted dager from Nigeria (Haussa People) with an organic handle.
Hausa people are frond in northwestern Nigeria and adjacent southern Ni...
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century African Calabash
Located in Chicago, IL
Small leather Calabash from Africa
Dimensions: 10 in. height x 6 in. diameter with a 4.24 in. diameter opening.
Category
20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Leather, Wood
African mask Yaure tribe Ivory Coast Circa 1950
Located in Paris, FR
African mask from Yaure tribe in Ivory Coast Circa 1950. Beautiful dark patina.
Swedish private collection, from the 1980s then inherited within the family.
Yaure tribe art is renow...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Luba Royal antique caryatid enthronement emblem early 20th DR Congo Africa
Located in Leuven, BE
Rare Royal caryatid seat Luba Rd Congo in Cubist style and cascade shaped coiffure (see pictures).
Patina of use
Height: 35cm
Early 20th century (around 1920).
Superb and rare except...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood
Small Traditional Kwere Medicine Container, Tanzania
Located in London, GB
This mid-twentieth century traditional medicine container from the Kwere culture in Tanzania has been finely carved into two sections.
The upper section tightly fits the body of th...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
African Bantu Art, Expressive, Surrealistic Gouache by Marcel Gotène
By Marcel Gotène
Located in Salzburg, AT
The famous painter, Marcel Gotène (Icon of the contemporary Bantu art)
combines surrealistic impressions with modern tapisserie elements.
Born in 1935 in Yaba, Republic of Kongo,...
Category
1980s Modern Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Gold Leaf
Pipe Ngbaka / Mbanza / Ngbandi / Ngombe / Banda Tribe Congo Ubangi Africa ca1880
Located in Leuven, BE
Boka type pipe From the Ngbaka / Mbanza / Ngbandi / Ngombe / Banda / Bwaka / Mbaka Tribe Dr Congo Ubangi Africa - Ca 1880/1900
Tribe : Ngbaka / Mbanza / Ngbandi / Ngombe / Banda / Bw...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Superb 19th century Kuba pipe DR Congo African Art Kasaï
Located in Leuven, BE
Superb 19th century Kuba pipe DR Congo
People : Kuba
Country : DR Congo, Sankuru River
Early 20th century
Wood
Length : 51 cm
This elaborately carved and ornamented tobacco pipe wa...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Palmwood
"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
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
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
Rare antique female Kurumba statue Marka Malinke Mali Burkina Faso African Art
Located in Leuven, BE
Superb and rare museum quality seated female wooden statue from the Kurumba tribe Mali/Burkina Faso
Statues from the Kurumba people are rare !
For sale at Art Gallery Decoster Belg...
Category
Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century, Large Terracotta Vessel, Spiked Vase African Pottery, Lobi
Located in Göteborg, SE
Beautiful large African urn in terracotta made by the Lobi people of Burkina Faso.
This urn is very decorative with a small figure sitting on the lid. The urn is 81 cm high and 45 c...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
Fine 19th Century Bronze Arm Adornment, Cameroon
Located in London, GB
This finely cast bronze late 19th century arm adornment from Cameroon is possibly Kirdi in origin. Displays a beautiful form, the adornment features a prominent central ridge, and ov...
Category
Late 19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Painted Baule Blolo Bla Figure
By Baule Tribe
Located in Chicago, IL
The figurative sculptures of the Baule peoples of Cote d'Ivoire are recognizable by their strong, gently curving forms and serene composure. This figure of a woman was carved to repr...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art
Materials
Wood
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