Hand-Carved Tribal Art

Beautiful Yaka flywhisk from the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, dating from the early 20th century. Such objects were reserved for chiefs and diviners (nganga), servi...

Large wood antique American mortar and pestle. Early 19th c. Americana turned wood footed mortar and pestle. American, late 19th century wooden mortar and pestle...

Early Ibibio standing carved wood male figure, powerful expression with hands on sides of stomach, exposed teeth and vertical raised scarification marks on sides of face. From a shr...

Early finely carved African Afikpo mask with stylized geometric abstract long face. From Nigeria close to the Cross River. From an old collection in the Southwest. Overall dimensi...

Geometric Barmbara Sukuru Animal Mask with horns, teeth, from Mali, West Africa. Inserted wood teeth, abstract face with open eyes, with raised eyebrows and framed face. Old native...

Old well weathered hardwood Kuna Indian abstract figure, Panama, Provenance, old CA state collection. Body abstracted down to two forms for shoulders and hips, with small fine head....

Large dark reddish brown carved wood mask with underlying traces of red pigment, from New Guinea Sepik River Area. Strong downward looking expression, carved fringe edges. Signs of...

A chic modernist early 20th century Dan Peoples stool from Ivory Coast, carved from one piece of wood with a simple hourglass form, and the most wonderful p...

Striking Bembe bearded male bust figure with hands on sides of projecting stomach and finely carved beard. Stacking square hair style on top of head and projecting element hair on b...

A hand-carved, hand-painted wooden tribal mask. Hand-carved and painted this decorative mask that would look great in a western or country themed ...

This very flat mask originates from the Atoni people of Timor, featuring two very small eye holes. For the Timorese people masks portray both male and female ancestors, worn by warri...

Vintage Andrianna Shamaris Senufo Style African tribal art very unique wood stool, bench, side table or headrest from a single block of wood with stunning wood grain and patina. Stur...

A Finely Carved Polynesian Maori Feather ‘Treasure Box’ and Cover With superb colour and patina Wood, haliotis (abalone) shell New Zealand Early ...

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 ...

Yoruba people have one of the highest incidents of twin births in the world. As a result, twin children are regarded as extraordinary, divine beings protected by Sango, the deity of ...

A rare Museum quality Traditional Men’s Sword known as a Mandau. Used by the Dayak while on the Hunt and in former times in disputes regarding hunting rights and land boundaries. Thi...

This large animal sculpture is actually a traditional African slit drum, a percussive instrument commonly carved from a single block of wood. Comprised of a hollow resonance chamber ...

African mask. Mid 20th century. Carved wood. H 9-1/2" W 6-1/2"

Vintage African Tuareg Tea pot Mauritania Mid-20th century Tuareg teapot from Mauritania, Africa, Western Sahara. Handcrafted of pewter, copper and brass...

Old Buyu male ancestral protection power figure showing good signs of genuine age w/ beautiful old color patina. Democratic Republic Congo, Africa. Mid 20th. Measures 32" h x 10" w x...

Early 20th Century Pende “Giwoyo” Sickness Mask, Kwilu Region, D.R. Congo (ca. 1920) Exceptional Pende sickness mask (Giwoyo) from the Kwilu region of the Democratic Republic of Co...

This hand-carved wooden stool was made in Tanzania by hand with native repair. The patch was added from hand-hammered brass. This piece has great energy and patina, giving it a cool ...

This early 20th century ‘Wayang topeng’ mask was used in Javanese masked dance performances. Measures: Height with stand 47cm; Height 18cm x Width 14cm...

Carved wooden sculpture depicting a woman sacrificing, holding an offering bowl, Yoruba People, Nigeria, 1940s The lid with the bird can be removed. There is a small old chip on the...

A fine Ashanti maternity figure by the master carver Osei Bonsu. The mother figure is seated on a simple backless chair. An infant lays calmly in her la...

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

Well used and loved Nupe carved hardwood wood stool with four legs and central post, openwork geometric design, with stylized multiple dancing animal or lizard forms. Large conical ...

A splendid and rare Amazon indigenous wamara wood Macana war-club Southern-Guyana or Northern Brazil, Wapitxana group of the Aruak peoples, 18th century, possibly earlier Measure: H. 43 cm The deep patina of the club present, and the residue on the part where it was held, attest to its great age. This unusually large Macana is decorated with several incised whitened anthropomorphic and human figures, a decoration only found on one other documented club in the British Museum, which is illustrated in: Hjalmar Stolpe, Amazon Indian...

Moroccan Berber cable hand-carved with tribal African designs. Rectangular wooden coffee table hand-carved wit tribal designs by skilled Moroccan artisans in Marrakech. Dark brown ...

Carved from a single piece of soft, light wood, this refined Lega lukwakongo mask displays the minimalist elegance characteristic of Bwami society art. The oval face features a long ...

19th Century or Earlier Ritual Buddhist Mask, Japan Ex Collection of Charles Smith, University of Washington A masterly carved ritual mask used in Shinto Festival ceremonies, most ...

An Exceptional Eastern Cape Nguni Pipe Bowl and Stem Wood, metal Old inscription and dated: ‘1892’ South Africa 19th Century Size: 45.5cm long - 18 ins long Published: ‘The ...

"Carved Drum (ngoma) – Luba-maniema / Zela, Democratic Republic Of Congo" Carved Drum (Ngoma) – Luba-Maniema / Zela, Democratic Republic of Congo Wood, hide Height: 34 cm A finely c...

Fine Aboriginal Wunda shield in carved with Zigzag Geometric fluted design colored with red and cream pigment. As well as a collectible historical Tribal artefact this Shield makes ...

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...

Very Good Antique Aboriginal carved wood Boomerang Australia Carved with fluted design on one face chip design on back, red pigment Central desert ...

"Club, Kanak Bird Beak (kana), 19th Century, New Caledonia" 19th-Century Kanak War Club (Kana) Origin: New Caledonia (Kanak People, Melanesia) Date: 19th century Material: Hardwood (...

Set of three rare ceremonial hammers.

Balinese offering tray; "Dulangs" served two main purpose, one purpose was to carry offerings atop woman’s heads during ceremonies. The present dulang was used exclusively in temples to display offerings. This dulang has faded polychrome and chipped wood...

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...

A rare hand carved Dayak tribal shield from Kalimantan/Borneo, Indonesia. These shields were made by the Dayak Iban tribes for real fighting use and ceremonial rites. Wonderfully car...

This is a very fine finger drum by the Showa people of Congo. Exceptional sculptural quality with the original skin sounding board. This drum would have been played at young boys ci...

Beautiful African headrest-stool from Congo, Luba tribe, correct and good patina and shine of the wood,worm color palet, very decorative piece

Early vintage or antique South Seas carved teak Mermaid, circa 1920s or perhaps earlier, a hand carved upright figure holding a carved shell, with deeply carved flowers in grooved hair flowing down back, shell necklace, and scale pattern throughout her tail. The statue is weathered, has a few age cracks, and the end of the tail is broken. Mounted long ago on a late Victorian brass lamp...

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 w...

Powerful portrait of a Makonde man with a traditional lip plug in his upper lip, high carved cheek bones in the form of a finely carved helmet mask, with attached hair on top from Ta...

This rare antique Kukukuku (pronounced "cookah-cookah") war club is from the remote Morobe Province located within the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The head is carved from...

Blacked wood helmet mask (Gelede), large human head surmounted by a dog eating a snake which curves around the head. No perforation for attachment to costu...

Showing a crescent shaped headrest braced by flattened 'V' shaped supports rising from a cupped base, decorated overall with hand carved linear motifs and exhibiting an old rubbed su...

This rare antique Kukukuku (pronounced "cookah-cookah") war club originates from the Morobe Province, which is a very remote area located within the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Gu...

An exceedingly rare Museum Quality traditional Men’s Sword of the Dayak Tribal Peoples of Borneo, Indonesia. An older, traditional piece made from Carved Wood, Steel, Antler, Inlaid ...

Luba Caryatid Stool – Upemba Region, D.R. Congo Late 19th century to 1900 Wood lightweight, rich patina Height: 50 cm, diameter top 29 x 27.5 cm Provenance: Danish colonial collectio...

A rare and beautifully aged Lobi tribal chair from Burkina Faso, dating to the early 1900s. Hand-carved from a single piece of hardwood, this sculptural piece reflects the refined mi...

A rare and authentic set of three carved wooden vessels from Tibet, dating to the 19th century. Each vessel is individually carved from a single block of wood and adorned with intri...

Amazing and scarce JUDAICA object, we have here one of the most touching jewish objects we had for a long time, this small silver dowry box was made in Algeria in the early 19th century, it is all covered with symbols of jewish faith and of couples, the sliding lid has 2 flanking birds with hamsa (protective hand) on each side and a flower vase in the middle. one side shows two flanking lions with a tree in the middle and the other side shows again two big and two small birds with a flower bowl in the middle, front side has a key hole and next to it there is the Hebrew inscription ס״ט״" which says Siman tov or in English "a good sign" it is taken from the wedding blessing, underneath the lock there is another inscription with the name ״עזיזה בת אברהם בן חמו״ which is the name of the bride, her father and her grandfathers name. the box is full marked a lot of times with the silversmith mark, every side of the box is marked. this box was probably ordered by the grooms family to hold the jewelry they are giving to the bride as dowry, this type of objects are rare and there are just a few of them on museum collections. DOWRY (Heb. נְדֻנְיָה), the property a wife brings to her husband at marriage; the Yiddish equivalent, nadn, is from the same root. The custom of nedunyah became clearly defined and institutionalized only in the talmudic period. In biblical times, mohar (מֹהַר), whereby the groom bought his wife from her father (Gen. 24:53; Ex. 22:15–16; Hos. 3:2), was the accepted practice. It was then customary that the groom give the bride gifts, and that she bring certain property to her husband's home upon marriage: slaves, cattle, real estate, etc. (cf. Gen. 24:59–61; 29; Judg. 1:14ff.; I Kings 9:16). Evidence of the custom of nedunyah is to be found in Tobit (7:14; 8:21) and in the Assuan papyri (Cowley, Aramaic, nos. 15, 18). Gradually, mohar was superseded by the ketubbah custom according to which the husband merely assumed the responsibility of compensation to his wife in case he divorced her: he had to pay her 200 zuzim if she had been a virgin at the time of marriage, and 100 zuzim if a widow or divorcée (see *Ketubbah). By talmudic times, the institution of nedunyah was prevalent; the father gave a dowry to the bride since the daughter was excluded from paternal inheritance. Fifty zuzim (equivalent to the worth of 180 grams of silver) was the minimum amount a father was obliged to give to his daughter (Ket. 6:5). Parents usually gave much more, according to their social standing. Community funds provided the dowry for an orphan or a very poor girl (ibid.; cf. Sh. Ar., YD 251:8). In case of her father's death, the brothers of a minor girl were obliged to give her the minimum dowry, and the court estimated how much her father would have given her above the minimum dowry. The sum was then taken out of the father's estate and given to the daughter upon majority (Ket. 6:6; 68a–69b). In the absence of such an estimate, each daughter was entitled to receive one-tenth of the value of her father's estate in money, or in valuables (Yad, Ishut, 20:4–7; Sh. Ar., EH 113:4). If the father was unable or unwilling to pay the promised dowry at the betrothal ceremony, the groom could refuse to marry his bride (Ket. 13:5; Ket. 108b–109a). Insistence on exact payment of the promised dowry, however, was frowned upon by later rabbinic authorities (Rema to Sh. Ar., EH 2:1). In certain communities it was customary for the groom's father to make a dowry contribution equal to that of the bride's father (Ket. 102b). The dowry, whether given in real estate, slaves, money, or chattel was recorded in the marriage contract (the ketubbah) and in some instances one-third or one-fifth of the actual value of the dowry was added to the sum mentioned in the ketubbah. Based upon a decree enacted by *Simeon b. Shetah (first century C.E.), the Talmud ruled that the husband and his entire property were liable for compensation as stipulated in the ketubbah, either in case he died (when she collected the sum specified in the ketubbah from the heirs) or in case he divorced his wife (Ket. 82b). For the status of the dowry and the husband's rights and obligations, see below. The rabbinic enactments (Takkanot Shum) by R. Jacob *Tam and by the rabbinic synod of the communities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz (Germany) stipulated that if a woman died...

A monumental Australian aboriginal throwing club, crafted from a very hard wood and it dates to the early 20th century. Incised longitudinal fluted design with a pitch coated handle. Condition: Very good condition. Display base not included. Dimensions: 26.5 inches in length. Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our works of art come with our lifetime authenticity guarantee. Red base not included. History: The throwing stick...

Benin brass Armlets or Anklets A pair of heavy Brass armlets with three rows of cowrie shells, Certainly a well worn pair one slightly twisted. They have been cleaned at some point. Rare pieces. Benin 19th century and earlier. For similar pair see re thinking pit Pitt Rivers pit rivers museum online collection Oxford UK.

An old carved wood handle from Nepal, North India or other Himalayan culture. A butter churn handle called a ghurra. Created in the early 20th century. The handle with finely carved...

A pair of Papua New Guinea Mendi wooden war shields on custom stands from the mid-20th century. This pair of war shields originate from the Mendi region, within the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. These oceanic war shields were not only created for protecting oneself for tribal warfare, but also in ancestral and ritual worship. They are adorn in various motifs, coloring and symbolism, intended to protect the carrier from magic and bring fear to the opponent. The shields are displayed upright on a custom black iron Stand, with the tallest of the set standing at a height of over 4.5 ft tall. This pair of Papua New Guinea shields...

This is a Kalinga shield that is used by warriors who are headhunters from the Northern mountainous region of the Philippines. Art meets utility in this shield which has three prongs...