Genuine carved wooden spoon from the Kulango people, Cote d'Ivoire, early 20th C

Ifugao, northern Luzon, early 20th century, a standing female figure carrying a baby on her back, the head abstracted in typical Ifugao style Tribal patina Height 18.5 cm

The Punu or Bapunu, are a Bantu meta-ethnicity of Central Africa, mainly in Gabon and a small population in Republic of Congo They are one of the four major people of Gabon, inhabiti...

A carved wooden cup from the Pende tribe (Bapende) DR Congo The Pende people (singular: Mupende; plural: Bapende, Bapindi) also known as the Phende people, are an ethnic group in the...

An early 20 th century Yaka one-piece hand carved ‘Diviner’s’ slit drum depicting a head, that when struck is said to serve as the mouth of the oracle’s voice. Among the Yaka People ...

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...

Senufo helmet mask of the kponyugu type / Early 20th century Tribe : Senufo / Senoufo Country : Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire Type mask : wanyugu / kponyugu / wabele Length mask : ...

Large carved wooden spoon in the shape of a standing female figure, with a round bowl over her head, Yoruba People, circa 1960s. The numbers are the inventory numbers from Penn Stat...

A very big 19th century Senufo Stool Tribe : Senufo / Senoufo Country : Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire A very big Senufo stool carved from a single block of wood. The wood is tough, de...