African Furniture

A Moroccan smaller-sized carved wood door from the late 19th century on custom stand. This antique door from Morocco has a wonderfully rustic appearance, with hand-carved accents and...

This set of 3 pieces of African currency is very interesting. Looking like some sort of ancient maraca, these 19th century pieces jingle and noise-make with each step. The dimensions...

A Fine and Rare Shona Knife and Sheath Wood, steel, copper Fine colour and patina Zimabawe / Africa 19th Century Size: 48cm long - 19 ins long (with scabbard) 42.5cm l...

A royal chair in Asante society It is a sign of power and prestige used exclusively by chiefs. The chair is made of a hand carved wood frame covered with hammered brass tacks and stu...

This long, rare bronze bracelet was worn by women from tribes located in the common area between Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana. These bronze bracelets were a symbol of wealth and were ...

19th Century Moroccan Vessel Discover the enchanting beauty of Moroccan craftsmanship with this exquisite mid-19th-century vessel. A testament to the rich history and artistry of ...

A South Eastern Congo, Zaire Songye Protective Fetish Figure ‘Nkishi’ of Geometric Form the arms placed to the side A plug of fetish material in the head cavity a strip of old hide and fur around the waist Old smooth crusted patination 19th Century – Early 20th Century Size: 20cm high – 8 ins high / 29.5cm high, 11½ ins high (including stand) The face of this protective figure is typical of the strong angularity of Songye carving. Amongst the Songye ‘Nkishi’ were associated with a magico-religious society known as ‘bukisi’ which controlled initiation camps and circumcision ceremonies. A shaman would ritually add magical substances ‘bashimba’ to activate the figure as a source of power that would give protection and ensure well-being. Larger figures ensured the tranquillity of the whole community and promoted village fecundity and fertility. Smaller personal or family ‘Nkishi’ were used for protection against illness, sorcery, witchcraft, and war and to promote fertility. Due to their considerable powers the figures were considered dangerous and so they were manoeuvred by means of rods or sticks attached to their arms. They were sometimes made to walk as if on parade. These small half figures were not always used as personal protective devices, but were placed in gourd bowls and used by diviners to communicate with the supernatural world. These divinatory calabash were filled with a number of symbolic objects such as chicken claws, teeth, stones, seeds, etc., as well as carved wooden figures. The Songye’s ritual use of calabash can be compared with the baskets used by the Tshokwe. Provenance: Ex English Private collection Acquired 1950’s Ex Finch and Co...

Female Ubangian statue in carved wood represented standing, the body of anthropomorphic type and zoomorphic head. Late 19th Century. Good patina. Past estorations. Provenance : Pri...

A Songye Male ‘Power’ Figure Open aperture to the head and stomach Fine overall patina, loss to feet Democratic Republic of Congo 19th Century Size: 23cm high - 9 ins high The ...

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 ...

A Rare and Extremely Fine South African Tsonga Prestige Staff by the ‘Baboon Master’ Depicting a Zulu elder wearing a head-ring Superb silky reddish brown patina Late 19th Century ...

Magical pair of huge painted Moroccan Riad courtyard doors. Install them as doors in your home or use them as decorative pieces. Hand carved and wonderfully weathered.

Marroquin forged steel dagger with sheath. Beautiful koummya dagger with a sheath from the region of Morocco, circa 1870. The blade was created with forged steel, mounted in wood an...

Oriental Work. 2 chairs In Carved Wood, Bone And Mother-of-pearl Inlay 1880 the price is for tne pair

19th Century Moorish Armchairs , carved wood, bone inlay

French copper golden plate in commemration of Marie-Thérèse of Austria and Louis XIV king. This dish was produced in 1860 to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of the marriage...

PRESENTING a very RARE Early 19C (or possibly even earlier) Ornate Middle Eastern Bronze Bin. We are of the opinion that this large bin/bucket/planter or water pail is from the very...

Beautiful hardwood strapped with decorative iron Formerly a camel cart - legs have been made from the original wheels Waxed and retains a beautiful patina.

A Hanging or Curtain for a Wedding Alcove or Reception Room Tetouan, Morocco 19th century Silk strip weave with double weave patterning 129 x 24 ins (61 x 328 cm) This luxurious, sh...

Antique Moroccan Moorish Silk Textile Tapestry Wall Hanging Hiti Ottoman voided silk velvet wall covering. Silk velvet cut designs, light browns, yellow, cream and blue, the panel co...

Octagonal with elaborate brass inlay. Nice old patina with conforming frieze and moorish arches. All around stretchers.

A Nomoli is a carved stone figurine native to Sierra Leone and Liberia. They are usually made of soapstone, limestone, or granite. The carving depicts a man holding his belly with a...

A Nomoli is a carved stone figurine native to Sierra Leone and Liberia. They are usually made of soapstone, limestone, or granite. The carving depicts a woman in a dress and choker,...

Manillas are horse-shoe shaped, made of an open circle of bronze, brass, or copper with enlarged finial terminations. They were used as a currency in West African countries from the ...

19th-century bronze currency bangle / Manilla with a fixed opening. Minimalist, simple design work with engraved geometrical circles and lines. This type of bracelet was used and wor...

19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical swirled rope work design and tips are shaped with large flat ends with geome...

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 ...

19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical design with a lattice pattern. This type of bracelet was worn or used by the...

19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical design with lines and accent points on the top and at both tips. This type o...

19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical swirl design and tips are shaped with large flat ends with cross pattern des...

19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in horseshoe form with fixed opening. Intricate graphical swirl design and tips are shaped with large flat ends with 5 beads on each s...

Early to mid-19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in circle form. Intricate graphical geometrical. This type of bracelet was worn/used by the Zaghawa People also called Bé...

Early to mid-19th-century bronze currency bracelet / Manilla in circle form. Intricate graphical geometrical. This type of bracelet was worn/used by the Zaghawa People also called Bé...

Tribal Carved-Stone ‘Hear No Evil’ Sculpture. Republic of Congo, circa late 19th Century.

Nice late 19th century tribal Rabat rug with beautiful geometrical design and nice natural colours. Some wears , and some loses in the edges, due to the age and use. Entirely hand kn...

A fine Zulu head rest neck rest South Africa Raised on central pillars with geometric lozenge shaped carving all over. Measures: 22 x 14 x 5 cm approx. Period Early 20th century Ex U...

Wonderful object with arrow shaped blades. Beautiful decorative with complex and fascinating history; Iron currency tokens are among the most compelling and virtuosic of sub-Sahara...

This crucifix, cast in solid bronze, is known as a Nkangi Kiditu, qui signifie « Christ protecteur », and is from the Kongo people of the Congo. Christ is portrayed with his head inclined to the left, his eyes closed and his mouth shut. The right ankle over the left, with a small loin cloth cast, the nipples marked and with radiating geometric patterns to denote his ribs and hair. The Christ figure is stylized, the face severely abstracted and hands and feet treated as fanlike forms.The Portuguese presence in the coastal regions of west Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries saw the local tribal people absorb European influence. The Kingdom of Kongo, founded in the 14th century, has some of the earliest Christian influence in sub-Saharan Africa. The conversion to Christianity in 1512 of King Alfoso I of the Kongo saw the subsequent creation by Kongolese bronze casters of Christian crucifixes...

Fantastic bronze pipe from the Vienna tobacco museum’s collection, from Belgian Congo.

Remarkable 19th century watercolor on paper depicting a sunny day in french Algeria with figures, horses and a dog in the distinctive architecture. Presented under glass in a gilt wo...

Antique Raffia Kuba cloth pillow, beige and brown pattern.

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...

LISTED PRICE IS PER PIECE. WHEN PURCHASING PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH CHAIR YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. In this listing you will find 3 gorgeous and very sculptural antique Western African S...

Old large oriental mirror in engraved and polychromed wood; beveled mirror small paint losses

20393 Berber cm. 255 x 147 € 2,800 Beautiful vintage Azilal carpet with different shades of red / orange, cream white, black. The Azilal carpets come from the steep and steep Azilal...

A large antique Moorish revival style walnut fireplace with ebony and mother of pearl inlays. This extremely rare Moorish style Moroccan fireplace, dating back to the year 1900 featu...

Three African iron currency blades or swords currency from the Topoke peoples from the Democratic Republic of Congo which are nicely presented up...

old oriental style moucharabieh screen, with several openings, work from the middle of the 19th century carved wood with bone inlay

African Toma Tribal Initiation Ceremonial Mask From Liberia (Guinea) From the Tribal people of Liberia (Guinea, Africa) Initiation masks were used by secret male socity know as Poro

Moroccan Berber hand-carved wooden sugar hammer "Deggaga". Handcrafted by the Berber women of Morocco, hand-carved and hand painted wood with tribal desig...

small Syrian bench, oriental work from the mid-19th century fine sculptures and bone inlay. The fabric is not perfect, but original;

19th Century Bronze Coin with Silver Bezel Earrings by Jewels of Santa Fe/Marrakesh A pair of earrings made by Jewels with bronze coins from Morocco and Egypt set in silver bezels a...

Full of character with its asymmetry and unusual proportions, this vintage Beni Ouarain carpet exemplifies the spirit of handcraft found in Berber arts. The large feminine central lo...

World-renowned for high-quality lost wax casting, the city of Benin in West Africa has been a leading producer of fine cast brass and bronze sculptures since as early as the 16th cen...

MAGNIFICENT! BENIN OBA 19TH CENTURY BRONZE WARRIOR SCULPTURE SUPERB EXAMPLE OF OBA METALWORK! DIMENSIONS: APPROXIMATELY 13" TALL CIRCA 1860-1900 Offered is a rare 19t...

Superb Antique Moroccan Koumiya Berber Dagger A rare and superb example of a Moroccan Koumiya Berber Dagger with highly ornate silver and brass work a...

Yoruba Maternity Group  Wood, polychrome, pigment, scorching Old collection name to base: ‘Sealy’ and ‘16.’  Nigeria  Late 19th Century  SIZE: 58cm high - 22¾ ins high PROVENANCE:...

Carefully carved from bone, these beads boast a natural luster and individuality, each one bearing unique textures and patterns. The earthy tones and smooth finish evoke a sense of c...