Hand carved maternity statue by the Bamana people of Mali, 1960s

Large mid century zoomorphic statue. Skillfully designed and cast in solid bronze. The piece was obtained from the private collection of castle Mussenborg in Edegem. A small town nea...

Small hand turned ceramic vase or container in earth tone colors. It has three globes with the upper globe functioning as a lid. The creator is unknown. But could easily be a design ...

hand made and handpainted multicolored table lamp. The base is made from camel leather and hardwood. It is hand painted with a floral decor. It has one light in the base shining thr...

Handmade set of two brutalist stools. Hand carved from solid wood. The seats have serrated edges resembling industrial cogs. They differ slightly in siz...

A mud cloth (Bogolanfini), Mali, Bamana People mid-20th century. Hand woven 'discharge dyed' cotton Approximately 71 x 52 in. (180cm. x 132cm.) A dazzling geometric pattern...

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...

A superb antique 19th century Bamana / Bambara female statue from Mali People : Bamana / Bambara Country : Mali Age : 19th century The anthropomorf jonyelini / jo female statue has...

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...