African Tribal Art
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Place of Origin: African
Wooden Head of a Wife of an Ooni of Ile-Ife, Yoruba People, Nigeria, circa 1930s
By Yoruba People
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Wooden head of a wife of an Ooni of Ile-Ife, Yoruba People, Nigeria, circa 1930s.
The Ooni is the traditional ruler of Ile-Ife. The Nigerian town is seen as the cradle of the Yoruba people.
The number is the inventory number from Lehigh University.
Exhibited: The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection.
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 the 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
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Vintage Moroccan tribal Azilal carpet
Located in Lohr, Bavaria, DE
Very beautiful vintage Moroccan tribal carpet. Hand knotted by tribal women in the Moroccan mountains. Joyful colors and design.
The Djoharian Design Collection is located in German...
Category
1960s Tribal Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Wool
African Mende Helmut Mask
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Carved Helmut masks of this type were made by the Sande society of the Mende people of Sierra Leone, Africa for use in masquerades by young women in initi...
Category
20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
$2,000 Sale Price
20% Off
19th or Early 20th Century Tribal Copper Snake Currency Sculpture Zaire Africa
Located in Point Richmond, CA
19th or early 20th century copper snake currency sculpture Zaire Africa
Ngelima culture, Zaire, hand-forged, copper rod in an anthropomorphic styli...
Category
Late 19th Century Other Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Copper
African Stone Sculpture, Man Bust or Mask, 1960s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
African Stone Sculpture, Man Bust or Mask, 1960s.
Small African stone statuette, standing at 11 cm tall, depicting a man's head and neck, resembling a t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Stone
A tip stool / seat backrest from the Kuba tribe DR Congo, late 19th century
By Kuba
Located in Bilzen, BE
A genuine tip stool / backrest carved in wood with a rich tribal using aged patina with geometrical motifs
this stool is dating from the end of the 19th century
Heigth in the middle...
Category
Late 19th Century Tribal Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Dida Tie-Dyed Ceremonial Kerchief
Located in Chicago, IL
An incredible and rare mid-20th century Dida (Ivory Coast) hand-plated Shibori tie-dyed raffia ceremonial kerchief mounted on a linen stretched frame. This kerchief was not woven on ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern African Tribal Art
Materials
Raffia
$1,387 Sale Price
25% Off
Vintage African Tapestry of Ethiopian "Lion of Judah" in Cream, Red, Black
Located in Barrington, IL
This striking vintage African tapestry from Ethiopia features a symbolic rendering of the "Lion of Judah" alongside traditional hut motifs in a rich palette of cream, red, black, and brown. Expertly hand-woven, the elongated tapestry is composed of eight distinct panels—three showcasing the iconic Lion of Judah and five displaying African hut designs—reflecting Ethiopian cultural and spiritual heritage. The textile's versatile form allows it to be used as a bold table runner or carefully divided and framed as individual works of wall art. A beautiful fusion of symbolism and craftsmanship, this piece is ideal for collectors, interior designers, and those seeking unique, meaningful décor.
Dimensions: 12” x 98”
Date of Manufacture: 3rd Quarter of the 1900s
Place of Origin: Botswana, Africa
Material: Wool
Condition: Good
The Persian Knot Gallery, SKU 2051
Ethiopian tapestry, Lion of Judah textile, vintage African wall art, African table runner, tribal tapestry Ethiopia, handwoven African decor, African hut motif textile, Ethiopian cultural art, African spiritual tapestry, African lion artwork, traditional Ethiopian weaving, African panel wall art, red and cream tapestry, African heritage textile, unique African home decor, African Village Tapestry, Tapestries from Africa, African Folk Art, Art of Africa, African Weavings, Vintage Handwoven Tapestries, African Tapestries, African Folk Art, African Weaving Art, Large Wall Tapestry, Handwoven Tapestry, Modernist Tapestry, Mid Century Wall Tapestry, Hand Woven Wall Art, Table Runner, African Woven Art, Primitive Wall Art
Category
Mid-20th Century African Tribal Art
Materials
Wool
Early Carved Wood Tribal Kuba Figural Cup, Congo, Africa Male with Beard
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early finely carved hard wood tribal Kuba figural cup, Congo with rich patina. In the form of a stylized male face with finely carved beard. Wonderful asymmetrical incised classic Kuba crisscross design for hair. Deep patina from extensive use, early 20th century. Chips to top rim. Decorated rim to base.
Measures 7 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. Kuba palm wine cups...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Yoruba Osanyin Healing Staff, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
African Bird Mask From The Dan Tribe, Ivory Coast, early 1900
Located in Bilzen, BE
Ancient African mask from the Dan Tribe (Ivory Coast, Africa).
Beautiful patina inside and out, in good condition with traces of tribal use.
Ex. French private collection.
Ex. Dutch...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Bamileke Storage Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Like other African everyday ceramics, Bamileke storage pots are revered for their simple forms yet astonishing beauty. Each is hand shaped and fired in the open. They are generally s...
Category
Early 20th Century African Tribal Art
Materials
Ceramic
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Copper
Matching Pair of Yoruba Twin Figures Ibeji Nigeria African Tribal Art beads
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Matching rare pair of stocky male twin figures "Ibeji" from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Africa, created in the early 20th century. Dressed with matching glass bead necklace and bra...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
$1,480 Sale Price / set
38% Off
Standing Female Pende Wood Figure with Arms at Sides Cascading Hair Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Rare carved wood standing female Pende figure with arms at sides cascading hair. Classic downturned Pende style face, feet absent.
Democratic Republic of Congo, early to mid-20th...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Organic Material, Wood
$475 Sale Price
50% Off
Yoruba Osanyin Staff, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Steel, Iron
African Urembo Beaded Vintage Necklace Choker by the Maasai Tribe Kenya
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage African Urembo beaded necklace choker.
Handmade in Kenya by the maasai tribe.
Urembo means “beauty” and the handmade pattern and unique ...
Category
Late 20th Century Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Beads
Mid-20th Century Ceremonial Comb, Luba People, Zaire, D. R. Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Ceremonial comb, Luba People, Zaire, D. R. Congo
Made of palm leaf midribs, this large, graphic comb has a pinched waist and is held together with finely wrapped wire. Presented o...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wire
Senufo Locking Currency Bracelet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Time honored texture and form define this Senufo sculptural object. The abstract etchings were achieved through a process known as scarification. The artisan meticulously traced and ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Copper
Rare Tutsi Prestige Bottle — Museum-Quality Weaving (Rwanda, 20th Century)
Located in Bilzen, BE
Rare Tutsi Prestige Bottle — Museum-Quality Weaving (Rwanda, 20th Century)
Origin: Tutsi people, Rwanda
Period: Early 20th century
Material: Woven vegetal fibre (likely raffia or gra...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Natural Fiber, Glass
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Leather, Wood
19th Century, Jewish Velvet and Goldthread Cape
Located in Brecht, BE
A rare find this 19th century green velvet and goldthread ceremonial jewish cape,
from Morocco.
Category
Late 19th Century Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Velvet
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century African Tribal Art
Materials
Shell, Fabric, Beads
Handcrafted North African Art Wall Sconce in Red and Yellow
By Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in North Hollywood, CA
African Tribal Art parchment wall shade sconce featuring a large triangle hide form stitched on iron and hand painted surface.
These Moroccan Art pieces could be used as wall lamp s...
Category
20th Century Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
Vintage African Urembo Beaded Necklace Choker Kenya
Located in North Hollywood, CA
African Urembo Beaded vintage necklace choker by the Maasai Tribe Kenya
Vintage African Urembo beaded necklace choker.
Handmade in Kenya by the ...
Category
Late 20th Century Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Beads
Antique Tribal wooden Dance Shield, from the Tutsi tribe, Rwanda
By Tutsi People
Located in Bilzen, BE
A early 20th century wooden dancing shield of the Tutsi, Rwanda, painted with earth pigments
The shield is in good condition with traces of tribal use
Straight line height 30 cm, wid...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Yoruba Osanyin Healing Staff, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...
Category
Early 20th Century Minimalist African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
Mid-20th Century Tribal Baknough Woman's Head Covering, Tunisia
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mid-20th century tribal baknough (woman's head covering), Chott Oulad Amar, Tunisia.
This is an unusual baknough from a very small area on the Tunisian ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wool
Important and Rare Igbo Prestige Stool
Located in London, GB
This large, rare Igbo title stool from Nigeria displays a wonderful sculptural form.
The circular seat and base are connected by a series of beautifully curved supporting legs, whi...
Category
20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Bronze
Tuareg Tent Poles Mid-Century
Located in Wien, AT
These big wooden beams from bedouin tents from the Sahara were Mid-20 century made.
The rich carving gives information about the respective tribal affilia...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Cedar
Mid-20th Century Tribal Beaded Cache-Sexe Modesty Apron, Cameroon
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mid-20th century tribal beaded cache-sexe modesty apron (pikuran), Bana Guili people, Mandara Mountains, Cameroon
An unusual cache-sexe made of blue and yellow beads so scattered ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Shell, Beads
$440 Sale Price
20% Off
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Makonde Figure Depicting Jesus, Tanzania
Located in London, GB
This African Jesus exhibits finely carved features. Depicting a black Jesus with his head leaning to one side, wearing a crown of thorns and with his arms outstretched on the cross. ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Asafo Banner
By Fante People
Located in Glasgow, GB
This is a very rare example of an Asafo Banner from the Fante people of the Cape Coast of Ghana . The Asafo have been a highly militarised society long before the Europeans set foot ...
Category
1940s British Colonial Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Cotton
$4,384 Sale Price
20% Off
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Rubbing Oracle Of The Kuba/Bushoong Tribe, Dr Congo, 1st Half Of The 20th Centur
By Kuba
Located in Bilzen, BE
A rubbing oracle from the Kuba tribe DR Congo carved in wood with a strong expression
Patina tribal use
Length 31.5 cm, height 5 cm
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
African Bantu Art, Expressive, Surrealistic Gouache by Marcel Gotène 1980s
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 - d...
Category
1980s Modern Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Silver Leaf
Set of 2 Kusu (Tribal) currency from Democratic Republic of the Congo
Located in Winnetka, IL
Three Kuso Currency pieces known as Boloko are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are made from forged iron and were used as currency in commerce. Today, they are sculp...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood, Beads
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Pair of 'Reunited' 1930's Bamileke Anthropomorphic Flutes, Cameroon
Located in London, GB
Together, these two finely carved flutes display a wonderful interplay of the abstracted forms of a 'male' and 'female' figure. A strip of snake skin has been wrapped around the 'bo...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Sleep Guardian or Kata Sergo Ethiopian TOTEM 2 in Solid Natural Cedar Wood
Located in Paris, FR
TOTEM 2 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 hous...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Bronze
Bronze Sculpture, African Warrior, End of the 20th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sculpture in bronze figuring a stylized African warrior composed by wheelworks, bolts and nuts. He wears a necklace around his neck and a large headdress in orange lacquered iron wir...
Category
1990s Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Bronze
African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950
Located in Paris, FR
African Statue 'Boli' Bambara Mali C1950 Zoomorphic altar statuette (Boli). Kono tribe.
Provenance: Swedish private collection, inherited with the Fam...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Earthenware
Moroccan Berber Wooden Sugar Hammer Marteau a Sucre Deggaga
By Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Moroccan Berber hand-carved wooden sugar hammer "Deggaga".
Handcrafted by the Berber women of Morocco, hand-carved and hand painted wood with tribal desig...
Category
Early 19th Century Islamic Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
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 African Tribal Art
Materials
Bronze
Bamileke Mask With Attached Original Sotheby's Receipt from 1979, Cameroon
Located in London, GB
This fine and early Bamileke mask, carved from a heavy hardwood, features a vibrant expression. The surface of the mask exhibits a deep, well-worn patina...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Moroccan Folk Art Metal and Parchment Wall Shade Sconce
By Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Large African Tribal Art parchment wall shade sconce featuring a large triangle hide form stitched on iron and hand painted surface.
These Art pieces could...
Category
20th Century Folk Art African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
Pair of Large Carved Moba Tchitchiri Sculptural Figures, Togo, circa 1930
Located in London, GB
Striking in form, of light highly textured wood, two highly stylized anthropomorphic figures carved by the Moba people in Togo, West Africa. These forms most probably we owned by a f...
Category
1930s Tribal Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Vintage Parchment Moroccan African Tribal Art Wall Sconce
By Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in North Hollywood, CA
African Tribal Art parchment wall shade sconce featuring a large curved hide form stitched on iron and hand painted surface.
These Moroccan Art pieces could be used as wall lamp sha...
Category
20th Century Moorish African Tribal Art
Materials
Iron
African Nupe Terracotta Vessel Support, c. 1900
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 flaring terra cotta form would have been buried halfway in the ground, in a Nupe home, and used as a stable base for a stack of traditional round pots...
Category
Early 20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Terracotta
1930's Beaded Snuff Container. Zulu, Southern Africa
Located in London, GB
This intimately-sized 1930's Zulu snuff container has been beautifully decorated with glass beads. A circular opening features on one side, and on the other side, overlapping blue-an...
Category
1930s Tribal Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood, Beads
19th Century Ethiopian Saddle-Shaped Stool
Located in London, GB
This stool is a beautiful example of an Arsi saddle-shaped stool from the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Finely carved into this form from dense, heavy brown wood, this stool has developed a lovely rich surface patina as a result of use over time.
Estimated Period: Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Ex Private Collection, Addis Ababa...
Category
19th Century Tribal Antique African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century Ceremonial Chiefs Coat From Africa
Located in Chicago, IL
An early 20th-century ceremonial chief's coat from Africa represents a magnificent display of cultural heritage and craftsmanship. These coats hold deep significance, symbolizing pow...
Category
Early 20th Century African Tribal Art
Materials
Metal
Figura tribal Cenefo
Located in VALÈNCIA, ES
Figura utilizada en los bailes y en los rituales.
Category
1940s Tribal Vintage African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood
$626 Sale Price
44% Off
Baga a-Bamp Bird Headdress with Canoe
Located in Chicago, IL
This graceful sculpture of a long-necked bird is a headdress known as "a-Bamp," worn during ritual masquerades of Baga adolescents in Guinea. With strong themes of defiance, these ma...
Category
Mid-20th Century Tribal African Tribal Art
Materials
Wood