This is a traditional Antique Coptic Christian scroll from the Oromo people of Ethiopia.
Painted on Vellum (processed animal skin) and using a special black and red ink, the text is in the now extinct language of Ge'ez, which was originally used for religious purposes.
Kitabe scrolls were often placed in a leather case and were carried as amulet...
It is made of genuine golden yellow Baltic amber that is opaque yet glowing and slightly translucent in bright light. It shows signs of old wear and has been repaired with silver/white metal staples and a band of braided wire around the circumference. These beads were always valued very highly, and sometimes the repaired examples are even more highly prized.
Diameter, 36 mm; weight, 18.9 g...
A fine set of the earliest types of bronze Manillas socalled Slavetrader bracelets, Africa, Nigeria, 16th.-18th. cent. AD.
These were made and used as currency well up in the 19th. century, but our selection are very old! These come with exceptionally fine jade like patinas and were wrongly sold as European bronzeage bracelets.
Size: Up to 8,2 cm. in diameter. Weight: 720 grams.
Ex. Old private collection, 1974-2015
An exceptional example of the antique Ethiopian Coptic Christian processional cross of unusual form 17th -18th century Ethiopia, Solomonic Dynasty.
The cross is made of cast copper alloy (white bronze) and has been pierced and engraved in openwork with an intricate pattern of interwoven lines, topped with small crosses. Two circular decorations flank the bottom of the cross; this motif refers to the divine halo of Christ...
An adorable and substantial Kissi-Noboli figure, Sierra Leone / Liberia, early excarvated type, pre 19th. century AD.
The greyish brown steatite figure is depicting a squating older man holding his hands in front of his knees. Groteque facial features...
A very unusual large and very early version of the currency bracelet, used also by slave traders in the in West Africa - these served as exchange currency.
A very ornate bracelet with miniature decoration around the three hemispheric profiles.
Size: 109 mm. wide and 59 mm. high. Weigh: 367 grams.
Condition: Good Very fine, small bumps, but intact with a lovely warm green, brownish red patina.
Ex. Old Danish Private Colection
A very early and rare pair of wooden twins, Nigeria, Yoruba, probably deep into the 19th. cent.
The fine set with blue pigments on their large headdresses, eyes with inlaid metal, tribal tatoos and addorned with jewelry.
A very early pair with an exceptional patina and remnants of pigments on both headdresses and body.This pair was part of Lau Sundes personal collection, see below.
Size: 30-31 cm...
A rare painted early wooden figure, Ivory Coast, Baulé, from the famous Danish Artist and Sculptor, Robert Jacobsen private collection and from the 19th.- or very early 20th. century
The figure appears facing the front, symmetrical with her arms resting on her stomach, which was a sign of peace for the Baulé people. She is dressed in a loincloth painted in black, red and white.
An artful carving in a hard dark solid wood...
A pair lovely unmounted figural staves, unusually large and detailed for the type, comes with a deep natural patina from old age.
These two figures known as edan have been cast in brass over iron rods. Each is a seated figure of the opposite sex. They are linked by a chain attached to loops to the tops of their heads. The figures resemble Onile, the owner of the earth, in both male and female forms.
Size: 27,5 cm...
Another lovely pair of wooden twins, Nigeria, Yoruba, c. 19th. cent.
The fine set of male and female with large headdresses, and exceptional facial features. Both adorned with jewelry.
A very early pair with an exceptional patina. This pair was part of Lau Sundes personal collection, see below.
Size: 27,5-28 cm...
A pair of unresearched very early african ceramic sculptural art, probably Akan and Nigeria, pre 18th. century and one is probably ancient!
Sold as one lot.
Size: The head is 16,5 cm. incl. the nice base, the other is c. 14,5 cm. tall.
Provenance: Collection of Gunna Munkvad, Denmark, aquired from the 1950s-1980s.
Rare and early mask, ca. 1st quarter of the 20th century. H. 43 cm.
Ex coll. Patrick Lemaire, Brussels.
Ex private collection Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
A very important large female figure, probably Baulé, Ivory Coast /Liberia, early 20th. century.
We offer a large selection of high-end wooden african figures from a very old collection, all with the original surfaces and elaborate carvings, dating back to the 19th.-early 20th. century.
An artistic master piece by a maker that would have inspired great artists like Picasso in his time...
Extremely fine and rare mask, made of hardwood. Warm glossy patina and beautiful age wear. Early 20th century. H. 22 cm. Comes with a patinated brass stand.
Provenance: private collection Lanaken, Belgium - private collection Breda, The Netherlands.
A rare burnished red earthenware foot rasp, in the form of a stylized crouching crocodile, probably made in Asyut (circa 1850-1920), for use in the Egyptian public bath house...
A very fine beaded dance panel from the first quarter of the 20th century. Dimensions: 29 x 29,5 cm. Good condition.
Provenance: private collection Lanaken, Belgium.
Senufo staff with anthropomorphic figure of a seated female. Made of hardwood.
H. 61 cm. One hand and part of the left foot missing. Excellent age wear and patina.
Provenance:
Roger Bediat, Abidjan. Part of his collection was sold at Drouot in Paris in 1966.
More info on this dealer/collector: Van Rijn wh-0000342-001
Very early figure of a standing male. Early 20th century or older. H. 44,5 cm.
More pictures are available on request.
Provenance:
Manfred Schäfer, Ulm.
Adrian Schlag, Cologne/Brussels.
Serge Schofel, Paris/Brussels.
Zemanek Münster, 2018.
Srdjan Sremac, Den Haag.
Condition: The surface of the figure is heavily eroded in some areas.