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...

From our African Collection: Large scale tall figure with scarification, Dogon and Songe, Tanzania. Square Base with support 24 x 24", 72" h.

From our African Collection: A Baga Figure. 18" w, 48" h. TYPES OF ART Wooden figures, often worn or carried in the form of masks, are used by the initiation societies to educate initiates about the role of the spirits whom they represent. Large wooden serpent figures appear at initiations, and carved anthropomorphic figures are placed on shrines. The ancestors are represented in figures that embody both human and animal characteristics...

A very impressive African tribal Senufo bird statue measuring 61.75 inches high with a 25" wingspan. The bird's wings are carved in relief with images of lizards, crocodiles, turtles and birds. The body beneath the beak has a carving of a large lizard. The rest of the bird features repeated geometric carvings on front and back. In very good condition with expected splits to wood and various minor conditions associated with age...

From our African Collection: A Igbo Pipe Smoker Figure from Southeastern Nigeria. Circa 1940. 9" x 30" h. Extremely rare and in great condition.

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...

From our African Collection: A Burkino Faso Flying Wing Shield, circa 1940. 24 x 72" Many of the ancient artistic traditions for which Africa is so well known have been preserved in Burkina Faso because so many people continue to honor the ancestral spirits, and the spirits of nature. In great part they honor the spirits through the use of masks and carved figures. The history of Burkina Faso is dominated by its largest ethnic group, the Mossi peoples...

From our African Collection: A Nomoli Figure from Sierra Leone made from Stone. 9" across at base, 24" h. Nomoli figurines are among the earliest works of art from Sierra Leone. The Nomoli figurines and similar stone sculptures are the only known remains of an empire that existed hundreds of years ago in what is Sierra Leone and Liberia today. Nomoli figurines are often associated with the Mende people as they are often buried on Mende land...

From our African Collection: Igbo Figure from Nigeria 12" across, 20" h. Funerary Prince's Mask, purchased from Eastern Nigerian Ebo Family Ancestral Collection. The Igbo people are a meta-ethnicity native to the present-day south-central and southeastern Nigeria and also Equatorial Guinea.There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, as it is unknown how exactly the group came to form.Geographically, the Igbo homeland is divided into two unequal sections by the Niger...

From our African Collection: A Senufo Winged Figure,circa 1960. 72" h. The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the western Burkina Faso. One sub-group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...

From our African Collection: a Yoruba Granary Door, circa 1930. 32 x 52" h. Doors of these granaries are often adorned with impressive carvings of animals or people which serve as invocations of deities or spirits, or as symbols of status. The stored grain is considered "safe" when it is guarded by the ancestors whose images are depicted on granary doors. These doors protected the window-like opening into each family's grain storage building, and used a simple sliding door lock...

Anthropomorphic Lega mask from the Kievu & Maniema region in Eastern Congo. H. 22 cm. First half of the 20th century. Provenance: Hans Petereit, Cologne, Germany Fily Keita, Los Angeles, USA Michel Boulanger, Liège, Belgium Goldfield Auctions, Luxembourg, 27 June 2021, Lot 105. Guy van Rijn archive: ao-0186890-001

From our African Collection: An Yoruba Maternity Cult Figure from Nigeria, circa 1940...

From our African Collection: A Yoruba Metal Wheel Shrine, circa 1900. approx 80" h. TYPES OF ART The arts of the Yoruba are as numerous as their deities, and many objects are placed on shrines to honor the gods and the ancestors. Beautiful sculpture abounds in wood and brass and the occasional terracotta. Varied masking traditions have resulted in a great diversity of mask forms. Additional important arts include pottery, weaving, beadworking and metalsmithing. HISTORY The oral hist...

A late 19th to early 20th century Montol figure with a great provenance. This hardwood female figure stands 35,5 cm tall. A very strong figure with possible influence from the Goemai, Chamba or Mumuye. Provenance: Collected in 1967-68 by Daniel Mato, former curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, department of art history. Amyas Naegele, New York, ca. 2002. Robert Beckman, Henderson, Nevada. Srdjan Sremac, The Hague. Exhibited ...

Superb and rare mask with a very refined carving, representing a chief, with detailed coiffe, eyes, mouth, beard and scarifications. Wood, with fine patina. R.D. Congo, Bena Lulua or Luluwa ethnic group, early 20th century. Height: 35.5 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Obvious signs of age, otherwise very good condition. Provenance: old Paris collection. Reference: The Berlin Ethnologic Museum owns a Luluwa figure representing a chief, made of wood, 74 cm high, 19th century, ac...

From our Collection: Nigerian Bust from the Kingdo of Ife from the 20th century. 4" w, 19" h. Ife is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. The city is located in present-day Osun State. Ife is about 218 kilometers northeast of Lagos with a population of 509,813. According to the traditions of the Yoruba religion, Ife was founded by the order of the Supreme God Olodumare by Obatala. Ife ( pronounced ee-feh) is today regarded as the spiritual heartland of the Yoruba people living in...

From our African Collection: A Makonde Legionnaire from Tanzania, circa 1940. 12" wide at center, 52" tall. The Makonde are an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania, northern Mozambique, and Kenya. The Makonde developed their culture on the Mueda Plateau in Mozambique. At present they live throughout Tanzania and Mozambique, and have a small presence in Kenya.The Makonde population in Tanzania was estimated in 2001 to be 1,140,000, and the 1997 census in Mozambique put the Makonde population in ...

From our African Art Collection: An Akan figuring holding an Ashanti Stool, the figure has distinguishable tribal markings on its cheeks. "The Akan (/ˈækæn/) are a meta-ethnicity living in the countries of present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Akan language (also known as Twi/Fante) are a group of dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo family.[2] Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Agona, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akyem, Ashanti, Bono, Fan...

This 11" fetish is carved from a dark ebony colored work and has no paint work. The poultice sacks on the body are in excellent condition. Very beautiful, very desirable.

First half of the 20th century. H. 56 cm. Ex Lucas Ratton, Paris. Ex Jan Kusters, Eindhoven. Ex Srdjan Sremac, The Hague. Custom made stand included.

From our African Collection: A Luba Shield from the mid 20th century. 15 w x 40" h. The Luba people or Baluba are an ethno-linguistic group indigenous to the south-central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The majority of them live in this country, residing mainly in its Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema provinces. The Baluba consist of many sub-groups who speak various dialects of Luba (e.g. Luba-Kasai, Luba-Katanga) or other languages, such as Swahili. The Baluba developed a soci...

From our African Collection: 2 Baga Snakes, both are 72" h. The serpent Baga (Baga Snake), Kalimbe, or Bansonyi, refers to a protective spirit manifested in the form of a snake that presides over male initiation ceremonies among the Baga culture in Guinea, West Africa. Typically, during the days preceding the initiation ceremonies, two carved Bansonyies appear in the village and are decorated with streamers and colorful banners. The two sculptures are then supported by scaffolding and carr...

This tall figure was made by the Jompre people of Nigeria, although this appears to be an offensive name, probably given by the neighbouring Chamba, and meaning ‘cannibals’. Alternative names for the Jompre include Kutep, Kuteb, Kutev, Mbarike and Zumper. They inhabit the Benue Valley, on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon, an area that is still relatively undocumented. They number approximately 15,000 and are divided into a number of clans, each associated with a particular mountain, and tr...

Mid 20th century. H. 60 cm. ex Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam. ex Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.

Benue Plateau, mid 20th century. H. 40 cm. Ex Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam. Ex Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, March 2014. The Djompre are a small ethnic group with their homeland in the Benue Plateau State in northern Nigeria. They call themselves Kutep or Kutev, the denomination Djombre - which means cannibals - has probably been given to them by the neighbouring Chamba.

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

Exceptional pair of African wood carvings from the Nyamwezi tribes of Central Tanzania, the larger measuring 40 1/2" high, including stand, which is 6" x 6" square and about 1 1/2" high.. Both are carved of heavy dense wood, and the forms slightly vary due to the natural shape of the tree trunk or branch from which they were carved. They have inset white bead eyes, which is typical, especially in early figures. The elongated forms are striking, and they both have slightly bent knees, also typ...

Impressive hardwood figure from the Benue region. H. 57 cm. Mid 20th century. Ex coll. Dr. Harald Simon, Germany.

Anthropomorphic dance figure. Wood and pigments. It has moving arms that are tied to the head. Ca. Mid 20th century or earlier. H. 73 cm. The Eket are a sub group of the Ibibio. Their material is quite rare. Provenance: Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam, Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.

Rare Colon figure with blue pigments and great patina. H. 57,5 cm. Ca. Mid 20th century. Provenance: private collection The Netherlands. More pictures a available on request. Visit us at the Tribal Art Fair Amsterdam. www.tribalartfair.nl .

A carved and decorated Nigerian mother with child on her back, early 20th. century.

Artful style depicting a mother in a kneeling position, holding an offering bowl, with her child strapped on her back. The image, on a rounded base, is carved from a single piece of light wood. The figure has an oval head and bulging almond eyes with prominent, eyelids. The nose is flared and the lips full and sensual. Six vertical scarifications are on both cheeks. This type of scarification, termed p...

Large Widekum mask, of typical form, carved in relief, with an unusual cap, pointed scarifications, slit eyes, small nose, open rectangular mouth showing teeth, protruding chin. The mask is made in wood covered with animal skin. Cameroon, Upper Cross River, West Grassland region. Height: 47 cm. The mask is mounted on a custom stand. Good condition despite slight abrasion due to age. Provenance: old French Provincial collection, acquired in situ early 20th century.

From our African Collection: a Hand Carved container from the Easter Democratic Republic of the Congo, hand wrought. 8" x 15", 9" h. Congo’s many ethnic groups and regions have developed a mosaic of traditional arts, including painting, sculpture, music, and dance. There has been a tendency to classify sculpture and carving according to the styles of the areas from which they originate

From our African Collection: A Large Baule Mask with Horns, circa 1960. 22" Diameter, horns are 18" h. From the Ivory Coast. TYPES OF ART The Baule create art in several media, including wooden sculpture, gold and brass casting similar to their Asante ancestors, and mask and figure carving, which have been greatly influenced by their Senufo and Guro neighbors. HISTORY The Baule belong to the Akan peoples who inhabit Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Three hundred years ago the Baule people ...

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. They also have extensive masking traditions, which are used as a form of social control and community education. HISTORY The Bamana are members of the Mande culture, a large and powerful group of peoples in w...

From our African Collection: An old miniature figure from Dogon Peoples, . 1" w, 5" h.

Antique African Copper Bronze seated King or Oba with Rifle attributed to the Kongo peoples, Yombe group . Very well done near portrait bronze figure of probably a king holding a flint lock rifle seated in a very well made egg shaped chair. Size h 5" d 3.75" d 3.5"

High quality pair of proud standing male and female figures from the Igbo people in Nigeria, made of strong and heavy wood and mounted on custom stands. The figures were made around 1950. Former collection of Dr. Heinz Werner Schmitt, Hamburg, Germany. Good condition with blackened patina and some cracks, no repairs.

Size: 47 cm height x 10 cm width.

Shipping included

Anthropomorpic female figure. Probably used as a headdress. H. 48 cm. Mid 20th century. Provenance: Kathy van der Pas en Steven van de Raadt, 1998, Otto Schaap, Amsterdam, De Zwaan, Amsterdam, 2020.

From our African Collection: A Senufo Door from the 1960's. 20 x 48" Among the northern Senufo peoples, doors carved in low relief were signs of wealth and social status. In earlier times they were taken as booty in wars between villages. The designs most often refer to divination, bush spirits and sources of power. The central design is adapted from the scarification around a woman's navel, which symbolizes the order of the universe as set out by the Creator. Other images suggest symbols of...

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.

Tugubele figures represent helpful bush spirits. The belong to the local ritual expert of the Senufo people, assisting them with their oracles and predictions. This figure dates from the first half of the 20th century and shows good signs of use. Provenance: André Vanhecke, Belgium, Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.

An African helmet mask decorated with glass beadwork from Bamum/Yoruba tribe, Cameroon. With a bird effigy. Circa 1940.

Very large doll made by a known carver. H. 40,5 cm. Second quarter of the 20th century. Condition: both arms reattached. Lovely honey brown patina. The style of this Akuaba with its unusual coiffure is described in the book ‘Akua’ba Asante Wednesday Child’ by Ron van Doorn and Herbert M. Cole. Provenance: Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam. (Vetter at Parcours des Mondes, Paris).

Feminine figure of the "ekwotame" type, of typical face, with a squarish neck, sitting on a circular stool, her hands on her knees. Scarifications alongside the abdomen. Wood, with black and white pigments. Africa, Nigeria, Benue river region, Idoma ethnic group. Height: 63 cm. Some erosion, small losses, otherwise very good condition. Shipping charges: 50 euros worldwide.

Two females from the Egba sub group of the Yoruba’s. H. 23 cm. First half of the 20th century. Ex French private collection. Condition: old insect damage and some old repairs to the ears of one of the figures.

Black mask with an unusual slightly conical coiffe. Africa, Gabon, Punu Peoples. Height: 12 " ( 30 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Old accidents and infestations (no danger), otherwise good condition. NOTE 1: A similar mask is in the Dapper Museum collection in Paris, published in "Masques" Editions Dapper 1995, 2000, 2006 Paris, page 89. NOTE 2: Punu masks are worn during funerals by members of the "Mukuji" Society and are meant to represent ancestors.

19-20thc Uganda triple spout pot Ganda magic drinking Ndawula Walumbe Bamweyana Nakaima Muwanga. This rare pot was for ceremonial use and said to be for medicated beer. Probably early 20th c beautiful blackish burnished finish and cord impressed banding around the 3 spouts. Some slight scuffs to spout lip as well as lighter colored grey around rims though does not seem to be damage. No cracks quite heavy for the size comes with no stand. Weight 3.8 h 8" w 7"

From our African Collection: An African Benin Bust made in Bronze from the 1960's. 4" at base, 12" h. The kingship of Benin is closely related to Ife. The first king, or Oba, of Benin is traditionally supposed to be a descendant of Oduduwa, the founder of Ife. The most distinctive examples of Benin craftsmanship are the bronze plaques, which adorned the palace walls. As in the artwork of Ife, the craftsmen of Benin produced bronze and copper heads celebrating the power of the Oba. The cap...

From our African Collection: A Dogon Granary Door from the 1960s. 18 x 24" h. The Dogon are among African cultures that have remained closest to their ancestral traditions.One such tradition is building granaries and houses for grain storage. Doors of these granaries are often adorned with impressive carvings of animals or people which serve as invocations of deities or spirits, or as symbols of status. The stored grain is considered "safe" when it is guarded by the ancestors whose images a...

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).

Intricately carved face mask bearing horns, with features in relief, slit eyes, scarifications, stylised beard. Wood, with remnants of kaolin colouring on eyes, horns tips and coiffe. Fine age patina. Africa, Ivory Coast, Yaure ethnic group. Height: 33 cm. Insect infestation on right side (no more danger), otherwise good condition

Mongo drum, DRC, 1st half of the 20th century. H. 73 cm. Dry patina. Provenance: Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam, Piet van Boxel (1938-2021),The Hague, collector of ethnic musical instruments.

Ancient mask of oval flat form, with protruding forehead and nose, slit eyes, small open rectangular mouth showing teeth. Only one large hole on each side to attach the mask, and smaller holes around the mask probably to represent hair and beard. Wood, with remnants of kaolin colouring. Africa, Gabon, Fang ethnic group. Height: 32 cm. The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Tiny accidents, otherwise very good condition.

Male and female figure, wood, textile and glass. H. 32,5 and 36 cm. Mid 20th century. Provenance: Madeleine and Jean-Jacques Keller (until 1980 Abidjan, afterrwards Rheinfelden, Switzerland).

TORSO WITH PHALLUS

Primitive wood carving torso with phallus (like a body mask, though no displaying hole), originally flown out from a collector of African tribal art in Japan, though its details unknown and just told as it's from somewhere in West Africa, early-mid 20th century. approx. W 28 x H 57.5 x D 15 cm (11.02 x 22.63 x 5.90in). Not stand on its own. Aged deterioration as is as seen.


selected by hotoke




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Ife Benin Bronze Hip Plaque with Warriors and a leopard head. Size H 9" W 7" H 2"

Hardwood, first half 20th century. H. 18 cm. Old insect damage. Ex private collection Belgium, collected in Abidjan in 1968.

Shrine object, Yoruba, Nigeria/Benin. H. 74 cm, mid 20th century or older. Ex Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.