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Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

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Place of Origin: Sub-Saharan African
Standing Akan Ghana Tribal Female Figure Early 20th Century Africa, Black Hair
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Akan, Ghana, shrine figure, a standing female figure with black hair and details, remains of white pigment, with arms out holding a bottle, includes custom metal base. Probably a fig...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

A Powerful Baule Mask
Located in London, GB
A Powerful Baule Mask With rich dark ‘lacquered black’ patina, excellent colour with areas of ‘kaolin’ Wood Ivory Coast Early 20th Century Size: 32.5cm high - 12¾ ins high Prov...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

African Seated Luba Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
Artisans from the Luba tribe were renowned for the organic flow of their carving style. This example clearly shows the smooth transition from aspect to aspect, maintaining a singular...
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Kuba Woman's Prestige Hat (Mpaan)
Located in London, GB
In Kuba society, title holding is dominated by men; there are only two titles held by women. Headdresses were and are the most visible expression of o...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Beads

Tribal Textile, Kuba Shoowa 20th Century
Located in Point Richmond, CA
A late 19th or early 20th century Kuba Prestige cloth, mostly embroidered with cut pile borders.
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Natural Fiber

Kuba Bwoom Mask
Located in Austin, TX
Residing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Kuba people are true artisans whose craftsmanship fueled traditional rituals, performances, and storytelling. Natural materials, in this case cowrie shells, hold a long history of use in African art often associated with beauty and spirituality. The Bwoom mask...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Copper

Kuba Bwoom Mask
Kuba Bwoom Mask
$648 Sale Price
64% Off
Kumu Wood Mask Orange/Faded White Quadrant or Maniema Region DRC Congo Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early to mid century danced light wood mask from the Kumu or Maniema region, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa with face divided into four opposing quadrants with orange and trace...
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

A Tribal Art Byeri Fang Sculpture Gabon 1980's
Located in HYÈRES, FR
A Tribal Art Byeri Fang Sculpture Gabon 1980's Very nice decorative sculpture. Beautiful black and shade of red. Late work from Southern Gabon. Repo...
Category

1980s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Woman Sacrificing Holding Offering Bowl, Yoruba People, Nigeria, 1940s
By Yoruba People
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Carved wooden sculpture depicting a woman sacrificing holding an offering bowl, Yoruba People, Nigeria, 1940s There is a small old chip on the top, please refer to the photos. The numbers are the inventory numbers from Pennsylvania State University and Lehigh University. Exhibited: The Pennsylvania State University - Museum of Art permanent collection; The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection and the 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 they 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

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Set of Three Early Twentieth Century Nigerian Door Panels
Located in London, GB
This set of three early twentieth-century panels, from the Nupe culture in Nigeria, display a blend of beautiful decorative designs, carved in low relief against a plain background. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Finely Carved Early Ashanti Stool With Bird Motif, Ghana
Located in London, GB
This large early Ashanti stool consists of an attractive support featuring a double-sided bird motif. The surface of the stool exhibits a rich, dark patina. Extensive use over the ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Mid-20th Century Fante Asafo Flag, Ghana
Located in New York, NY
A large and graphically stunning asafo flag. Fante flags represent the merger of two cultural traditions, the Akan tradition of combining proverbs with ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

A Maasai throwing club or 'rungu'
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Maasai, African Great Lakes Region, Probably early 20th century The 'rungu' is a traditional weapon and emblem of authority among the Maasai people of East Africa, especially in Ken...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Hardwood

African Mumuye Carved Wood Iagalagana Tutelary Figure on Display Stand
Located in Studio City, CA
A carved wood Iagalagana figure by the Mumuye Peoples of Nigeria. These figures served as guardians and were often made to ensure the personal protection of their individual owners a...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

1950's Lega 'Idimu' Mask, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Located in London, GB
This mid-twentieth century finely carved mask, from the Lega culture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displays the typically heart-shaped face of Lega 'Idimu' masks. Traces o...
Category

1950s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Raffia, Hardwood

Early 20th Century Tribal Currency, Chamba People, Nigeria
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Forged iron currency, Chamba people, Northeastern Nigeria A piece of traditional currency used for barter or exchange, it measures 15 inches (38 cm) high by 18 inches (45.7 cm) wide...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Nigeria Yoruba Agere Ifa Divination Cup, first half 20th century
By Yoruba People
Located in Bilzen, BE
Ritual cup for divination and/or medicine the cup rests on 2 figures of stylized birds Beautiful dark patina, partly crisp and shiny The Yoruba of Nigeria consult Ifa on all question...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Old Worn Kuba Tribal Platter Incised Design, Early 20th Century, Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Sweet worn, polished and smoothed Kuba ceremonial serving platter with handle and incised Classic royal Kuba knot pattern on one side. Cra...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

African Bug Bead Necklace, Old Hand-Cast Metal Beads
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Fulani, Nigeria Hand-cast brass beads on a hand-woven cord 19th century Measures: 17 in. / 43 cm 8 oz. / 227 g.
Category

19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Bronze

Bwa Butterfly Mask, Africa
Located in Stockholm, SE
Stunning Butterfly Dance mask. Bwa, wich is the area that includes Mali and Burkina faso. Carved wood. 20th century. With a few flaws and repairs.
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Pair of African Igbo Open-Sided Cast Copper Cuff Bracelets
By Igbo People
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice pair of African Igbo open-sided cast copper cuff bracelets, circa 1980s. The pair are a fine example of an open-sided cast copper cuff bracelet...
Category

Late 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Copper

Bronze Statue of a Juju Man, Benin, 1930s
By People from Benin
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Statues of Juju Man or shamans were used for ceremonies connected with religious beliefs and magical practices. The general understanding of their meaning as including a supernatural...
Category

1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Bronze

Large Figurative African Mangbetu Anthropomorphic Vessel / Jar
Located in Studio City, CA
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...
Category

20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Terracotta

A Serene Vuvi Mask
Located in London, GB
A Serene Vuvi Mask Wood, polychrome, pigment Gabon Early 20th Century Size: 28cm high - 11 ins high Provenance: Ex collection Bertil and Eva Berg, Gothenburg, Sweden Ex Privat...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Akua'ba Ritual Fertility Doll
Located in Kastrup, DK
Carved wood Akuaba, sometimes known as an Ashanti doll or a Fanti doll. Untouched condition with a beautiful natural age-related patina. Akua'ba (sometim...
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

African Topoke Iron Currency Blade, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
While shield and spear were central to African combat, this iron sword blade was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-colonization African currencies were...
Category

Early 20th Century Minimalist Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Naive Ethiopian Painting for the 79th Anniversary Italo-Ethiopian War in 1975
Located in Budapest, HU
Mengistu Haile Mariam and other Generals looking at the celebrators oil on canvas painting, 90 x 190 cm with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category

1970s Folk Art Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Canvas

Yoruba (Nigeria) Early 20th Century Cloth
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine early 20th Century hand spun indigo cotton and Trans-Sahara silk cloth.
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Silk

Antique Tribal Ethiopian Ceremonial Coffee Stands
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Grouping of Ceremonial coffee stands Ethiopia Early 20th century Wood Largest: 8" high x 6" diameter (20 x 15 cm) Smallest: 6.75" x 3.50" ( 17 x 9 cm) These little known Branc...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

A Carved Ebony Prestige Staff Depicting an Important Elder or Leader
Located in London, GB
A Carved Ebony Prestige Staff Depicting an Important Elder or Leader wearing a Head-Ring ‘Isicoco’ His waistband neck-ring and eyes inlaid with brass studs, his hands carved to his s...
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Ebony

African Tuareg Silver Pewter Tea Pot from Mauritania
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage African Tuareg Tea pot Mauritania Mid-20th century Tuareg teapot from Mauritania, Africa, Western Sahara. Handcrafted of pewter, copper and brass...
Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Brass, Copper, Pewter

Antique Tribal Cameroon Walking Stick
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Walking or Ceremonial stick Bamileke People Cameroon 20th century Wood, hand cast metal tip Measures: 33 1/2" x 8 1/4" (85.5 x 20.5 cm).
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Baoule Tribal Mask in Yellow-Black with Antelope Head Decoration
Located in Salzburg, AT
Expressive, interesting African Baoulé mask from Cote d'Ivoire from last third of the last century, carved from wood painted polychrome. The face is narrow & elegant and has a though...
Category

1970s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Pende-Style Antelope Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
Masks from the Pende people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered some of the most dramatic works of African art. The Pende have defined an extensive range of mask forms, many with distinct characters embodied during ritual ceremony. Colored by red and white pigments, this Pende mask...
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Traditional Ashanti African Chief’s velvet and gilt-wood Leopard crown on stand
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A traditional Ashanti Chief’s velvet and giltwood Leopard crown Ghana, early 20th century Diam. 17 cm (crown) H. 27 cm (incl. stand) Provenance: Pri...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Velvet, Giltwood

20th Century-African, Iron Object Made by the Lobi Tribe of Burkina Faso, Africa
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
An iron figurine made in Africa around the 20th century. In many countries in Africa, iron objects are used for objects, coins, tools, and rituals. Dogo...
Category

20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Yoruba Indigo Cloth
Located in Greenwich, CT
Hand dyed Yoruba (Nigeria) cloth from the Esie area, 1950s.
Category

1950s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Cotton

African Salampasu Helmet Mask
Located in Astoria, NY
African Salampasu Helmet Mask, carved wood, copper, and raffia, together with metal stand. Mask: 25" H x 10.75" W x 9" D. Provenance: From a Sutton Place Estate.
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Copper

Hardwood Chokwe Bench, Angola, 19th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
A fine and elegant hardwood Chokwe (Angola) bench, carved all-over with geometric patterns, human and animal motifs. The front rain supported with caryatids in the form of male figu...
Category

Late 19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Leather, Wood

Benin Kingdom Ebony Carving of a Young King Oba, Nigerian
By People from Benin
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Wonderful hand carved ebony hardwood figure of a young Benin man, possibly a future King Oba Excellent traditional Benin artistic carving A delightful piece Circa 1970 Height 13...
Category

Late 20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Ebony

Ebony Benin Kingdom, Bust Carving Of A Young Nigerian Warrior, 1970's
By People from Benin
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
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...
Category

Late 20th Century Folk Art Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Ebony

Antique Kuba Shoowa Cut-Pile & Embroidered Cloth, DR Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Antique Kuba Shoowa Cut-Pile & Embroidered Cloth, DR Congo A graphically compelling example of a Kuba raffia fiber prestige cloth with cut pile and stitched embroidery. In very good...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Raffia

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

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

Two Antique Niger Bura Peoples Fired Clay Heads on Stands
Located in Morristown, NJ
Bura fired clay heads, possibly 3rd-10th c. CE, Niger, Bura peoples. These are very expressive examples on custom mounts, the larger with manganese deposits. Between the 3rd and 10th centuries, the dead were laid to rest at a site in present-day Niger downstream from the Inland Niger delta. The burial ground’s density and expanse suggest a veritable city of the departed. Several hundred individual graves were marked by upturned pottery urns, some of which were cylinders topped by figurative imagery. The most elaborate of these were full-bodied equestrians, while the most basic were highly abstract, independent heads. Note: These figures will be professionally packed by a specialist shipper at the sellers expense. Dimensions: 11.25"h x 6.75"w x 3"d and 8"h x 3.75"w (incl. stands) Condition: Good, wear consistent with age and materials Provenance: Acquired by the present owner from Dr. David Rilling, 1990s. About Dr. David Rilling. A Pennsylvania based medical doctor, Dr Rilling began collecting African and Oceanic antiques...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Clay

Naive Ethiopian Genre Painting, 1970s
Located in Budapest, HU
Naive Ethiopian Genre painting, 1970s oil on canvas with Ge'ez language inscriptions.
Category

1970s Folk Art Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Canvas

Weathered Archaic Bambara Wood Mask Fragment, Mali, Africa, Early 20th C.
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Add a piece of African history to your home. This is large and evocative of ancient times and ceremonies. Weathered wood mask fragment, Bambara people, Mali, Africa, late 19th-early ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Mbuti Ituri traditional handpainted Pygmee bark cloth
By Icons
Located in Zemst, BE
Mbuti Ituri (Congo) traditional handpainted Pygmee bark cloth. +/- 1920 These cloths we're made from the inside of the bark of the Ficus latex tree. After been prepared and dryed, ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Bamileke Throne Stool with Leopard
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Bamileke throne made with wood, coated with jute, embroidered with polychrome glass beads, cowrie snails, embroidery with glass beads that are missing in some areas. In the Grassfiel...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Vintage Ethiopian Leather Shield on Custom Iron Stand
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Ethiopian tribal shield on custom iron stand. This vintage shield, originating from Ethiopia, has an overall convexly rounded-shape, and is made of a rich brown animal hide with wonderful patina. The leather shield...
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Metal, Iron

Beautifully Formed 1930's - 1940's Pokot Elder's Stool, Kenya
Located in London, GB
The form of this early twentieth-century Pokot stool from Kenya exhibits a beautiful sculptural quality, in which three curved, flared and flattened legs support the flat circular se...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Yoruba Four Headed Egungun Headdress
By Yoruba People
Located in Chicago, IL
This wooden headdress was created by the Yoruba People of western Nigeria, and was worn during a masquerade known as egungun. A widespread Yoruba ritual, egungun performances honor a...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

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

Senufo Staff Sotheby's Provenance
By Senufo
Located in Sharon, CT
A Senufo staff depicting a seated woman. It is important that the quality and authenticity of tribal art should be equal to the quality and authenticity of the modern art it is displ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Genuine carved wooden spoon from the Kulango people, Cote d'Ivoire, early 20th C
Located in Bilzen, BE
A genuine wooden spoon from the Kulango people Cote d'Ivoire, from the early 20th century These spoons are also get used as a pestle These spoons are also said to originate with the ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Kuba Iron Currency Spear, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
While shield and spear were central to African combat, this iron example was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-colonization African currencies were modeled after objects of inherent value, resulting in sculptural combinations of function and beauty. This large iron spear dates to the early 20th century and is attributed to the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Secured to a narrow handle of iron and wood, the flattened blade has an elegant, sloping silhouette, subtly textured with raised lines and a rusted, antique patina. Forged as a broadleaf spear, the weapon contrasts a violent potential with images of peaceful branches swaying in the wind. We've set this unusual Kuba spear...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Fine Bronze Bangle Featuring Two Animals. Burkina Faso/Ghana
Located in London, GB
This finely cast bronze bangle is possibly Gan, or a related culture, from Burkina Faso or northern Ghana. It depicts two animals resembling chameleons which flank a central decorati...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Bronze

African Futurist Gold Mask Created by Bomber Bax
Located in Milano, IT
Single African mask created by artist Bomber Bax. The mask dates back to the early 1900s and was subsequently processed and painted in late 2022 by the artist. The artist used spec...
Category

Early 1900s Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Lively Standing Mumuye Figure with Expressive Face, Open Hair, Crest, Published
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early standing Mumuye stylized figure with crested hair and open work details. Classic rounded cubist forms that the Mumuye sculptors are known for. Nort...
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Selection of Authentic Kongo Knives
Located in Leuven , BE
The knives were handmade with heavily decorated Forged Iron blades with embellished wooden handles. They would use brass or leather wrappings and tacks that turned their weapons into...
Category

1930s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Metal

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