H. 85 cm. Mid 20th century. Artist: Tage from Kpwazang (?)
Provenance:
Norfolk State Museum
Marc Assayag, Montreal, Canada
Srdjan Sremac, The Hague
Auction: Dorotheum Vienna, ‘Tribal Art’, March 2022.
Very old Dan mask with circular eyes, protruding forehead, long thin nose, protruding lips, small chin. This mask is of the "gunyeya" type, and was used during the running competitions which were organised to train men to run and fight. It is made of wood, with a fine dark brown glossy patina. Its height: 19.8 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Africa, Ivory Coast/Liberia, first half of 20th century. Obvious signs of use and age, otherwise very good condition.
Important mask of the "kiwoyo muyombo" type, of elongated shape, with a protruding forehead and fine features, surmounted by a highly stylized cylindrical coiffe, and a long "beard" decorated in relief with bicolored lozenges and framed by weaved bamboo slices. Fine glossy patina. Africa, Gabon, Pende Peoples. Height: 45 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Small losses, otherwise very good condition.
Fertility doll, called "akuaba", with its typical cross shape and flat circular head. Wood, with fine glossy patina. Africa, Ghana, Ashanti ethnic group. Height: 10" (26 cm). Old insect infestation at the back lower part (no danger), otherwise very good condition.
Caryatid stool with a sitting female figure. Hardwood, h. 26 cm, diameter 23 cm. First half of the 20th century.
minor repair to one leg. The earrings have been replaced.
Provenance:
Donald Taitt, Paris,
Aponem Auction, 2019,
J.M. Desaive, Herve, Belgium
From our African Collection: A Nok Terracotta Figure, 18" w, 50" h. The small head is 3 x 4".
Nok refers to the culture associated with a one hundred square kilometer area in central Nigeria where thousands of terracotta figures were found. These figures were first encountered in tin mines by Colonel J. Dent Young in 1928 and were classified as Nok by Bernard Fagg in 1943...
With a great offering patina. H. 16,5 cm. Mid 20th century or older.
Ex Galerie Maine Durieu, Paris
Finely carved dance crest representing a female bust with an elaborate coiffe. Wood, with glossy dark-brown patina. Africa, Nigeria, Idoma Peoples. Height: 11 1/8" (28,2 cm). The piece is nicely mounted on a custom bronze stand. Old insect infestation (no danger), otherwise very good condition. Ex. old French collection.
From our African Collection: A Mali Bamana Figure on Horse. circa 1900. 12" wide at base, 60" tall.
The Bamana Empire (also Bambara Empire or Ségou Empire) was a large West African state based at Ségou, now in Mali. This state was established after the fall of the Mali Empire and the Keita dynasty, as a smaller Bambara Empire founded by other Bambara families related to the Keita clan. It was ruled by the Kulubali or Coulibaly dynasty established c...
A very rare group from Ketu, Benin, probably used as a divination tray or as a display piece for an important Babalawo. Diameter 52 cm, H. 30 cm. Mid 20th century. The hand of one figure has been replaced.
Ex coll. Ursula Voorhuis (1932-2021), The Netherlands
Ex Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg
Guy van Rijn archive: ao-0102485-005 with comments from Ursula Voorhuis and Hans Witte.
The scene depicts the consultation of the Ifa oracle by a woman...
Colon figure, Lobi, Burkina Faso.
H. 43 cm. Excellent wear and patina.
Mid 20th century.
Ex Pierre Taliercio, France.
Silver Hamsa (five), Moroccan protective amulet in the shape of the hand of Fatima, ornated with a bird; 9 x 5cms. Morocco, Essaouira. CE 24 (see Bibliography)
Anthropomorpic cup, depicting a standing female. H. 21,5 cm. Rare and early piece.
Repair to the rim of the cup.
Provenance: Dutch private collection.
Ancestor figure. Ca. Mid 20th century. Strong posture and very good patina. The lower legs eaten by termites. H. 46 cm (51cm including the stand).
Bateba Phuwe, made by the ‘carver of the long neck’. Mid 20th century. H. 29 cm. Good condition.
Literature: Katsouros/Herkenhoff - Anonyme Schnitzer der Lobi.
From our African Collection: A Bamana Tribe Chief's Chair from Mali with a Crocodile Motif. 22" w x 52" h.
TYPES OF ART
The artistic tradition of the Bamana is rich, filled with pottery, sculptures, beautiful bogolanfini cloth, and wrought iron figures fashioned by blacksmiths...
Rare "Mbangu" deformity mask, showing a distorted face. Wood, with traces of black and white pigments. Africa, Gabon, Pende Peoples. Height: 12" (30 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Old accident restored locally, chips, age cracks, otherwise good condition. NOTE: Representations of distorted faces are rare in African art. They symbolize the effects of epileptic crisis, which are supposed to be a manifestation of the spirits...
African, probably Ethiopian teaching board.
Extra large 89x39 cm. Heavy wood with black ink Arabic script on both sides. Ex private collection.
Can be viewed and collected in central London as excess weight would make shipping expensive.