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Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

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Place of Origin: Sub-Saharan African
African mask Toussiana bird Burkina Faso Mid XXem
Located in Paris, FR
Toussiana Plank Bird from Burkina Faso Mid XXem Provenance: private Swedish collection , auction The TOUSSIAN live in the Southwest of Burkina Faso. The mask presented here is a Loni...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

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 sashes that s...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Fabric, Beads

Ancient carved Make-up Box From The Kuba Tribe, Dr Congo
By Kuba
Located in Bilzen, BE
A very old wooden make-up box Circa: early 20th century Origin: DR Congo from the Kuba tribe Material: wood, Condition of item: age appropriate wear. Very rich tribal patina 7 x ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Beaded Royal Headress with Leopard Figure, Bamileke People, Cameroon
Located in Leuven , BE
The Beaded Royal Headdress is made of a palm tree fibre structure, enfolded with burlap cloth embroided with European glass beads that cover the entire object with geometric symbolic...
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Organic Material

Kuba Mweel 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...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Burlap, Wood

Kuba Mweel Mask
Kuba Mweel Mask
$464 Sale Price
69% Off
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

Very Important “Nwantantay” African Dance Mask
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Very important “Nwantamtay” dance African mask, consisting of three sections: The upper in plain rectangular shape surmounted by a crescent shape moon, the middle with beautiful geometric triangles in black bitumen and white kaolin, surrounding a red cruciform in the centre of remarkable contrasting colors, and the lower part or face inscribed in a circular space that inspired numbered great artists like Joan Miro, Picasso and Henry Moore of a very strongly solar symbolism, with a projecting protuberance emanating from the forehead like a sculpted bird beak, that descents toward the mouth. Concentric eyes harmonize with the circular mouth, both with of elegant proportions. The whole mask exudes a supreme harmony and perfect balance rarely seen in this pieces. The back-side presents nice ware that attested the ancient origin and traces of animistic ceremonies as the use of animal blood residues. The painting of brown bitumen or cola, the natural colorants in red and ocher tones and the white kaolin are original and do not show any repainted or restored areas, giving a freshness rarely seen in old pieces. This exceptional mask Bwa, of the Hound`e Region in Burkina-Fasso, was used it the transit ceremonies and funerals manifesting the presence of “Do”, name given to their God sons, protectors and powerful spirits. The round face also represents an owl, the curving beak of the bird plants a seed into the sun, like a female sexual vulva being fecundated by the male organ; the eternal symbol of Ying and Yang, masculine and feminine, and the quest of life and death. This mask of Primitive facture can be compared to the one in the celebrated Verite Collection (this one being larger) sold in Paris at the Hotel Drouot, Saturday June 17, Lot 59, for 80,000 Euros and remarkably stands out from the Pierre and Tannia Matisse sold in Sotheby’s, New York in May 13, 2011. Another similar piece was published in: “Arman et l’art africain...
Category

Early 20th Century Primitive Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

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

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

Early 20th Century Miniature Shrine Ladder
Located in London, GB
This early twentieth-century miniature ladder, from the Dogon culture in Mali, replicates the form of full-size granary ladder, however, unlike its larger, practical counterparts, th...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

19th Century Igbo Iron Spiral Currency (Manilla), Nigeria
Located in London, GB
This nineteenth-century spiral currency (Manilla), from the Igbo culture in Nigeria, is impressive in its size and exhibits a wonderfully exaggerated twisted, spiral form. Spiral ir...
Category

19th Century Tribal Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

African Nigeria Epa Helmit Mask with Provenance
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Epa helmet mask, Nigeria, Africa. Fully carved mother and child; painted red and black with touches of white; Provenance: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis; The Eiteljorg Mu...
Category

1950s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Ivory Coast Hand Spun Cotton Natural Indigo Cloth
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ivory Coast hand spun cotton natural indigo cloth, circa 1930-1950.
Category

1940s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Cotton

Female Kifwebe Mask with old collection label, Luba-Songye People, DR Congo
Located in Leuven , BE
Traditionally, Kifwebe masks were created and worn by members of the secret masking society, Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe, of the Luba and the Songye People living in the central part of the Co...
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Dan Mask from Ivory Coast, Africa, 1950
Located in NICE, FR
This very elegant Dan mask is well-proportioned with a long protruding mouth from Ivory Coast, Africa. It dates back to the 1950s. The base is included in the price. Dan masks have...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Ngombe Throwing Knife, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Genuine copper mask from the Dinga / Ding tribe DR Congo, early 1900
Located in Bilzen, BE
A genuine mask hammered in copper from the Dinga / Ding tribe from the south of DR Congo Early 1900, but probably older This kind of anthropomorphic masks are called "ngongo munene"...
Category

1910s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Copper

19th Century Gurage Headrest With Double-Tiered Structure, Ethiopia
Located in London, GB
Dating to the late 19th century, this is a fine and rarer form of Ethiopian headrest with a double-tiered, cone-shaped base. Decorating the base ar...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Kuba Beaded Laket Prestige Cap
By Kuba
Located in Chicago, IL
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, ...
Category

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

Materials

Shell, Fabric

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 Lwalwa Tribal Mask
Located in Montreal, QC
African Lwalwa tribal mask enhanced with white pigment on the mouth and ears.
Category

1960s Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Dan Gagon, Dance Mask, Ivory Coast, Africa
Located in Stockholm, SE
An african Dan Gabon dance mask. Ivory Coast. Wood, fur and metal. Good condition. Signs of wear. Visible marks.
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Fur, Wood

African Tuareg Hand-Tooled Leather Pillow with Fringes
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large African Tuareg hand tooled leather pillow. Great colors, hand painted with tribal geometric design with long leather fringes on each side. Handcrafted in Africa with pieces of ...
Category

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

Materials

Leather

Africain Wooden Ligbi Mask Protruding Plate on the Head, Ivory Coast 1980s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Ligbi mask, with a protruding plate on the head engraved with decorative motifs. Highlights of blue pigments and kaolin enhance this small mask, satin black patina. The appearance is...
Category

1980s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

African Akuaba Fertility Mask
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is a fertility mask called an AKUABA. It's a ceremonial mask of the Akan tribe of Ghana.
Category

Late 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Slender 19th Century High-Backed Ethiopian Chair
Located in London, GB
This late nineteenth-century chair, from the Gindabarat in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, has been finely carved from a single piece of dense, heavy wood. The circular, narrow-in-siz...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

African Yoruba Painted Gelede Headdress
Located in Chicago, IL
This painted mask was created by the Yoruba People of western Nigeria, and was worn during a tradition known as Gelede. A blend of ritual and artistic spectacle, Gelede pays homage to the women of their Community, understood to possess spiritual powers capable of the benefit or the destruction of society. The Gelede masquerade is an opportunity to honor or condemn behaviors within the Community, through dance, art, satire, and poetry. Worn by veiled dancers, Gelede masks...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Mbuti Ituri traditional handpainted Pygmee bark cloth
By OTHR
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

A colourful Yoruba beaded crown
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Yoruba People, Nigeria, 20th century Provenance: - Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s or 1990s)
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Beads

A Kuosi society elephant mask
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Bamileke, Cameroon, early 20th century Among the Bamileke people, only members of the Kuosi society (the elephant society) are permitted to perform elephant masquerades, symbolizing...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Beads

Guere Mask from Cote d'Ivoire Africa with Sotheby's Sticker
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Guere wood mask with paint and fiber remnant from We people displayed on a metal stand. The We people (also known as the Krahn or Guere) are an indigenous African people that inhabit areas in nowadays eastern Liberia and western Côte d'Ivoire. Their material culture shares many aspects with the neighboring Dan tribe. Like the Dans, the We use a wide variety of masquerades, which hold important regulatory position within their small, egalitarian communities. Masks are owned by families and used by individual lineage members in contexts of social control, ritual ceremony and entertainment. This type of Guere mask, however, has a distinct fearsome character. The ferocious design with jagged facial expression, bulging tubular eyes are intended for use in mediations between community members, as visual aids during moral lessons, as well as forms of entertainment. By portraying the more frightening nature of the animal, the mask is viewed as powerful and may have been used as part of social control methods prior to the introduction of Western law systems during the colonial period. The mask on offer, based on our examination, appears to be an original one that was used natively instead of reproduction made for the tourist market. The surface presents apparently genuine patina consistent with use. The red paint that highlights the eyes and gapping mouth also appear original. There are small losses flanking the nose ridge by the eyes, extensive surface accretion, remain of some fiber tassels. The back of the mask reveals chisel marks from hand tools and importantly, stain marks that were likely from repetitive contacts from the nose of the wearer. The mask is 9" in height, and it retains an old Sotheby’s catalog...
Category

20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

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

Senufo - African "Trompe d’appel" - Mid 20th century - Ivory Coast
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Senufo - African "Trompe d’appel" - Mid 20th century - Ivory Coast Carved Wooden Statue ethnic furniture - wabi sabi decoration Sénoufo, Ivory Coast. ...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

20th Century Vintage Bamileke Headdress Mounted on Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
Bamileke headdress, originating from the Bamileke ethnic group in Cameroon, is ceremonial and symbolic artifacts used in traditional ceremonies and rituals. It is crafted using natur...
Category

20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Fabric, Feathers

Early 1800s Wrought Iron Mbili African Currenzy on Metal Stand
Located in New York, NY
Rare Mbili currency used in the Ngbaka, Lobala and Bangala tribes in Congo. Circa Early 1800s, this spear point form is made in iron. It was used as a ma...
Category

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

Materials

Wrought Iron

Early Twentieth-Century South African Headrest
Located in London, GB
This fine early twentieth-century headrest, from the Zulu culture in South Africa, was previously part of a selection of exceptional Southern African art in the Terence and Bernice P...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Hardwood

Kpélié Mask, Sénoufo population, Ivory Coast, 1950
Located in Paris, FR
The Senoufo people inhabit areas spanning southern Mali, southern Burkina Faso, and northern Côte d'Ivoire. They are organized around the poro, a male initiation system where young boys learn their social and religious roles in sacred woods, away from the village. Initiation ceremonies can last up to twenty-one years, and ritual objects are carved by specialized artisans. The Kpélié mask...
Category

1950s Folk Art Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Dan Prestige Wood Feast Ladle with Head, Ivory Coast, West Africa on custom base
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Dan carved wood prestige spoon or ladle, from the Dan people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. Spoons like this were used by the most prominent woman in the village as a sign of her powe...
Category

Mid-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

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

Group of Three Traditional Medicine Containers. Luguru, Tanzania
Located in London, GB
Sold as a collection each of these medicine containers displays their own distinctive characteristics. One of the gourd containers features a carved wooden stopper depicting a male h...
Category

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

Materials

Shell, Natural Fiber, Wood, Beads

Genuine zoomorphic statue from the Lega tribe, DR Congo, ca 1920
Located in Bilzen, BE
The Lega people (or Warega) are a Bantu ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This statue depicting a zoomorphic figure with a tribal aged and blackened patina This ...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

Dan Mask from Ivory Coast, Africa, 1950
Located in Buffalo, NY
Dan Mask from Ivory Coast, Africa,, MID 20TH CENTURY.. gREAT COLOR / PATINA..
Category

1950s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

African Ethiopian Tribal Folk Art Painting 20th Century Battle Scene on Canvas
Located in Milano, MI
African Ethiopian painting imported to Italy by a diplomat during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, in the late 1930s. This tribal folk art painting depicts a battle scene and the canvas is mounted on a parallelogram-shaped frame. It is a large battle painting...
Category

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

Materials

Canvas

African Tribal Art Fine Vintage Pair Zulu figures South Africa
Located in London, GB
Fine Pair of Vintage Zulu Tribal Figures – Baboon Master School, South Africa A finely carved pair of traditional Zulu figures from South Africa, attributed to the Baboon Master Sc...
Category

19th Century Antique Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

1930's Woven Bark Fibre Panel
Located in London, GB
This 1930's panel, from the Mbole culture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been woven from bark fibre. Dark-coloured strands of fibre, dyed with the roots of a banana tre...
Category

1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Natural Fiber

African Tribal Art Large Madonna figure Makonde Vintage Folk Art
Located in London, GB
African Tribal folk Art Makonde Madonna figure A very finely executed large sculpture of a African Christian Madonna, the standing figure wearing a l...
Category

Early 20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Luba Female Figure (Kalundwe Style), Democratic Republic of Congo, Early 20th C.
Located in Bilzen, BE
Luba Female Figure (Kalundwe Style), Democratic Republic of Congo, Early 20th Century Height: 29 cm (11.4 in) Material: Wood, with rich patina of age Provenance: Ex-collection Alain...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Rare Raffia Fibre Pygmy Baby Sling or Carrier, DRC
Located in London, GB
This baby sling or carrier from the equatorial forest region of north-eastern DRC has an amazing contemporary appearance. The carrier is made from multiple strands of twisted and kn...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Raffia

Rare Gabon Mask From Tsogho Peoples with Character, Central Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early and rare mask from Gabon, Central Africa, created by the Tsogho peoples. Powerful large mask with carved open eyes, and black painted eyes above, below heavy carved eyebrows. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Nigerian Wood-Carved "Ekpo Secret Society" Mask
Located in Miami, FL
Acquired from Albert F. Gordon's Tribal Arts Gallery in Manhattan in the early 1970s, this is an Eket-style mask, typical of the Nigerian tribe that resides in the Southeastern regio...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

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

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Fabric

Pre-1940's Kete Mask With Powerful Expression, D.R.C. (Ex Penn Kent Collection)
Located in London, GB
This striking early twentieth-century mask, from the Kete culture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, previously belonged to the private collection of Penn Kent, the former Dire...
Category

Early 20th Century Tribal Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Rare Tuareg Nomadic Boots
Located in Antwerp, BE
Tuareg nomadic people leather boots.
Category

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

Materials

Leather

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

Two Mounted Mbole Woven Bark Fibre Panels, DRC
Located in London, GB
Woven panels such as this would have decorated the walls of a traditional meeting house. The panels are made from woven bark fibre decorated with striking geometric designs. The da...
Category

1930s Tribal Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Natural Fiber

Bronze Currency Bracelet/Manilla, Dogon People, Burkina Faso, 19th c. - No 5
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical swirled rope work design and tips are shaped with large flat ends with geome...
Category

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

Materials

Bronze

Splendid Seven rams Ntomo Mask, Bamana Population, Mali, 1930-1940
Located in Paris, FR
The Ntomo mask is used during initiation rituals in West Africa. It is identifiable by its horns, which range from three to eight. The Bamana, also known as the Bambara, live in Mali...
Category

1930s Folk Art Vintage Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Wood

Strong Marka Antelope Human Mask Wood with Metal, Mali Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Strong Marka antelope - human wood mask with metal, Mali Africa. Large square open eyes, long nose with horizontal lips, three projecting brass metal braids ending with feathered cl...
Category

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

Materials

Wood

A Dogon Tribe Toguna Post from Mali (Mid 20th C.) on Custom Iron Stand
Located in Atlanta, GA
An early to mid-20th century Toguna support post from the Dogon Tribe of Mali, on custom metal stand. This West African hand carved wooden bean was origin...
Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Folk Art

Materials

Iron

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