Hand-Crafted Tribal Art

Insika (Screen or Wall Panel) Rwanda-Burundi, Tutsi people Circa 1900 or earlier Natural fibers and dyes H 23 ins (58.5 cm) W 16 ins (40.5 cm) Depth 3 1/2 ins (9 cm) This superb ...

Mid-20th Century Antoñio Pineda (1919-2009) Silver and Moonstone Brooch, Taxco, Mexico This beautifully crafted silver brooch contains eight oval-cut moonstone cabochons set in a curved row above six stylized leaves. The marks on the back of the pin are: TAXCO SILVER BY TONO, Made in Mexico, with a 17 eagle stamp...

African Ashanti Kente Cloth, hand loomed textile, ceremonial regalia worn by the tribe early to mid 20th Century

A 1920s handcrafted Ethnic bracelet by Berber women of Morocco. Women wear this kind of bracelet and silver jewelry for special ceremonies and wedding. Silver, but not of the standa...

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...

Brazil, Pará or Mato Grosso, circa 1950’s-1960s H. 50.8 x W. 33.5 cm (incl. stand) Provenance: Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s)

Poto African sword, Congo Africa on stand. A forged iron sword with fine incised design, inlaid brass dots, overlaid brass strips, finely carved wood ha...

This rare 18th-century Ngelima bronze currency manilla is a stunning artifact, weighing an impressive 20 pounds of solid bronze. Adorned with intricate incised line drawings at its e...

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...

An exceptionally large Akha Tribe woven silver bracelet with spiral design. This Tribal bracelet encompasses tradition Hill tribe silversmithing techniques ...

An early 20th century antique African tribal leg band (ankle bracelet), These leg bands were both currency and status symbols for the Mongo tribe of northwest Congo. They were ma...

This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rod...

Old Pende giwoyo mask with traces of yellow, black and red pigments and woven black raffia hair cap. Strong face with tight expression, weathered surface, goo...

Old well used tall rice container carved from bamboo, with wood top from the island of Toraja, Indonesia. Early to mid 20th century or earlier, with deep dark patina from traditiona...

This magnificent leather bag is covered entirely with old coins on the front, as was often the case with these kind of bags. The strap might have b...

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 sh...

Elegant old cedar wood sweet Egyptian mummy mask, 8 3/4 Inches high. Soft weathered surface and great expression. Areas of chips erosion and little bits mis...

This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It features movable arms, controlled by outer bamboo rods (however this puppet lost one of its bamboo rods over the years due to age) It was used in Wayang puppet...

Set of 4 Plains Tribe American Flag Motif Ceremonial Beadwork Strips  USA, circa 1900s A rare collection of four Plains Tribe American Flag motif ceremonial beadwork strips dating ba...

Handcrafted Moroccan horse saddle cover made for a ceremonial Festival and shows. Elaborately embroidered overall in gold threads, comprising of a saddl...

Early 20th C. Brick/Cream Wool Stepped Polygon and Cross Ceremonial Carpet, Tibet A wool carpet from Tibet with a talismanic stepped-polygon and cross motif in a rich brick red on a...

Prestige open top basket Sukuma People (?) Tanzania Circa 1900 Coiled and woven basketry, natural fibers and dye 8 x 6 1/2 inches (21 x 16.5 cm) Provenance: ex private collection U...

Polished brass Moorish style tray finely hand-hammered edge & etching in a pattern of linked hearts & foliage. In very good condition. Good size to easily move in or outdoors. Rare p...

Traditional torque or Hansuli silvered necklace choker from Lambadi or Banjara and Sugali People, Andhra Pradesh, India.t India, circa 1940. Fabulous vi...

Vintage Nupe of Nigeria thinly cast hollow bronze purse or container, probably created by the lost wax process with attached bronze bells and rings. Hollow with fine overlaid designs...

A scarce framed fragment of "Negreria" dance cape, circa 1940s, Huayucachi, Junin, Peru. Dating to the mid-20th century, the rare large size South ...

Mask Embera Tribe made of the Embera tribe in 2025, in Panama in Darien rainforest, central america, unique piece. Mask made with Palm leaves, common “Chunga” palm (Astrocaryum stan...

Tuareg leather tribal camel saddle from Agadez, Niger Africa. Finely handcrafted camel saddle formed by stitching brightly colored leather embossed onto a forked wooden base. The sa...

Ashanti cast bronze ceremonial staff top in the shape of a hoe with 3 cast turtles, from Ghana. It is in good condition with a deep patina and polish from traditional use, appropria...

Moroccan Berber tribal bracelet Moroccan tribal bracelet, cuff from the high atlas of Morocco. Handcrafted by Berber women using Moroc...

A monumental, rare and important Oceanic Papuan Asmat People tribal carved war shield from the first half of the 20th century, collected from the coast of the headhunting tribe in Papua New Guinea, a Provincial Indonesian island in the mid 20th century. Among the Asmat, war shields are the most powerful symbolic element of a warrior's equipment, and have many layers of meaning. Traditionally, they were functional items used to protect warriors in battle by deflecting an enemy's spears and arrows. The carved and painted images on the surface of the shields were also intended to frighten the enemy and symbolize the power of the ancestors. Ancestral imagery appears on multiple forms of Asmat art...

Throwing Knife (Ngalio) Sara People, Chad, Africa Mid-20th century Material: Iron Height on custom display stand: 28 in. / 71 cm Known as "ngalio", thi...

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...

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...

Antique Ethnic Artifact Sepik River Cassowary Bone from Papua New Guinea For many groups in Papua New Guinea, bone was an important medium for making tools of all types. This artifact is made from leg bone of a cassowary, a large, flightless, and extremely dangerous, bird. Cassowaries also play an important role in the mythology of groups in the Sepik River area. Though no longer used these bone artifacts are still used ceremonially. They often play important roles in male initiation and other rituals. They are also worn as personal adornment by tucking them into a band of braided fibers worn around the upper arm. Antique Ethnic Bone Cassowary Artifact with minimal carving and incised design confined to the joint end. A small hole has been drilled through from both sides of the top and presumably for the threading of a cord. The bone has been partially divided near the top and to form two prongs that project down the back of the dagger possibly allowing the user to wear is tuck into a waist band or belt. Origin Papua New Guinea Maprik Dist Area From the Art Collection of Marian and John Scott, acquired in 1962. Similar items are in display in the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology. Purchased from the amazing private collection of Mark Lissauer who spent his life collecting niche ethnographic pieces. About Mark Lissauer: Mark Lissauer spent forty years travelling abroad for months at a time collecting ethnographic artefacts primarily from New Guinea and the islands of the West Pacific, and from Asia and Himalayan countries. Fluent in five languages and having in the course of business travelled to more than forty countries, Mark is well-known to museums and art-collectors around the world for his long career and his interesting and diverse collection of rare ethnographic material. Mark knows the origin and symbolism of each piece. Through extensive research and more than ninety trips around the globe, Mark familiarised himself with the traditions of the various cultures he visited in order to understand the meaning of each object to its region and tribe. His home has a specialist library and several rooms are filled with tribal carvings, textiles and ethnographica. He acquired his first tribal piece in 1948 during a business trip to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and has since documented the acquisition of some 35,000 items. Several thousands of these have been sold to important private collections and museums worldwide, including the Rockefeller Museum, the British Museum and the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now incorporated into the Louvre Museum. Estimator certificate of authenticity by Wayne Heathcote Tribal Art Dealer and Expert. Heathcote has a flash gallery in Brussels, where much of the tribal art business is centred, and is an expert at Sotheby's tribal art sale...

Early Papua New Guinea Sepik River area tightly woven raffia yam mask with areas of heavy yellow and black pigments. In profile small bird beak form at bottom...

A striking 20th century Amazonian Shipibo pot hand-built from clay, decorated with wide red and orange lines, and glazed with the sap of a tree. Members of...

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

This flat shadow puppet was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It was used in Wayang puppet...

Large Polychrome Fruitera Pedestal Dish, Cocle Culture, Panama A large pedestal dish with two hammerhead shark-like sea creatures in plum, ochre and b...

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 exquisite painted pottery canteen by celebrated Hopi-Tewa artist Jean Sahme Nampeyo (b. 1949) is a remarkable example of traditional Hopi pottery ...

West African hand beaded head dress crown from Yoruba, Nigeria. This artistic beautiful and functional art piece is covered with beads in ivory, red and black colors with faces bird...

Offered by Zena Kruzick Early 20th century tribal sanggori brass or copper alloy head ornament, Toraja people, Sulawesi, Indonesia. These sinuous brass and copper alloy head piec...

African Moroccan Tuareg tribal Khoumya arm dagger in dark brown leather sheath. great to use as a paper cutter on desk. Handcrafted by Artisans in south Morocco, very fine quality craftsmanship with a stamped leather engraved with Moroccan Tuareg geometric tribal designs. The arm dagger was a weapon widely used by people across Africa in the Sahara and Sudanic Africa, from the central Sahara to North Cameroon, from Nigeria to Somalia. It was worn in a sheath attached to the inner side of the left forearm by a loop, Metal steel blade shows some rust, leather in very good condition. Size: 13 inches length x widest part 1.5 inches. Blade is 1 inch. Africa, Morocco circa 1940s. Great Islamic antique Nomadic Tuareg knife dagger...

Nice Vintage Asian Indian ethnic Tibetan Silver coral Necklace Ladakh Typical Ladakh ethnic Himalayan Tibetan Traditional necklace 850 grade silver with coral beads Conditi...

1995 Hopi Kachina Doll - Aholi on wood base Matte and Glazed in ceramic (heavy) Feather missing on one ear muff The perfect addition to any Kachina D...

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, ...

This 'Kalabubu' necklace, also known as the 'head-hunter' necklace made out of coconut and brass is the most important ornament for the men of Southern Nias Island, North Sumatra...

Carved wood Akuaba, sometimes known as an Ashanti doll or a Fanti doll. Untouched condition with a beautiful natural age-related patina. Akua'ba (sometim...

An iron figurine made in Africa around the 20th century. In many countries in Africa, iron objects are used for objects, coins, tools, and rituals. Dogo...

A wonderful 20th Century Samoan/Fijian circular wooden kava bowl called a tanoa fai'ava and carved from a single piece of wood and standing on seventeen round legs. Made of a native ...

This flat shadow puppet depicts a mythical bird. It was crafted on the island of Java by a puppet artist using buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. It was used in Wayang puppet...

Asmat, Papua Province, Indonesia, Late 19th century Provenance: - Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s or 1990s)

Moroccan Berber handwoven tribal throw pillow made from a vintage rug. The front and the back are made from a different rug, front is more elabor...

Felts are among the first woolen structures made by mankind, some of the earliest we know were found in the 'kurgans' of Central Asia, decorated by a variety of zoomorphic motifs typ...

Late 19th-early 20th Bailer shell pectoral, Highlands, possibly Mendi People, Papua New Guinea These large shell pectorals were worn ceremonially by men and women in Papua New Guine...

A Berber necklace, hand-crafted with stone beads and wool clasp, with a pair of copal amber center stones. Morocco, early 20th Century. Green and blue amazonite, turquoise, red cor...

Mid to late 20th century incised bamboo comb, Huon Gulf, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea This large incised comb is typical of the bamboo combs of the Huon Gulf area. This parti...

Old Pende giwoyo mask with red pigments, black and white beard with carved triangles and woven black raffia hair cap The mask is 13 1/4 inches high, on custom...