African Art Auction Ending 7/27

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ELEGANT CEREMONIAL KNIFE WITH SICKLE-SHAPED BLADE. Bamum (?) people, Cameroon. The slender, serpentine shaft rises to a hooked blade that resembles the beak of a bird. The handle is wrapped with a spiral iron band. One surface of the blade has an engraved design. Appears to be awkward to hold but is well balanced. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 18in.

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ANCHOR-SHAPED HOE BLADE. Lotuko people, Sudan and Uganda. The short shaft ends in a socket for an L-shaped wooden handle. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 12in.

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RARE EAST AFRICAN HEADRESTS. Each hand carved from a single block of wood. Note the patina and wood grain. (A) Dinka people, Uganda. Rare form shaped like a two-headed horse on tripod support. Braided leather thong for carrying over shoulder. Wood. 19.5in. wide, 8.75in. high. (B) Me’en people, Ethiopia. Slightly concave platform set on an oval hollow pedestal rising from a round base. Elegant form juxtaposing rectangular, oval and rounds shapes. Wood. 9in. wide, 7.75in. high.

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ENSUBA. Bafia people, Cameroon. Sometimes referred to as “potato masher”. Iron ingot used as currency. In early 18th century, bride price was 10 ensuba. The shape resembles an anvil the pointed end of which would have been embedded in a log or in the ground. Heavily oxidized iron. On custom base. H 12in. Weight 12lb.

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NINE ASSORTED RARE GOLDWEIGHTS. Ghana and Ivory Coast. All lost wax cast brass. Includes balaphone, ax, key, stringed instrument, elephant tusk horn, man servant with bowl, pineapple, ring and Akan stool.

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SOWEI HELMET MASK. Mende people, Sierra Leone. Traditional blackened surface. This fine carved example has a prominent forehead and a large, upswept coiffure brought together with a top knot. There are two rounded neck rolls at the base and scarifications on each cheek. On custom base. Light weight wood. H 15in. Ex Bonhams Auction #16124 May 2008 Lot #628.

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ANKLET. Wooddabe people, Niger. Worn by a young girl, sometimes in pairs, over a cloth wrap that protects the leg. Made by a Hausa blacksmith on commission and decorated with incised designs requested by the purchaser. All surfaces of this example are decorated with designs of symbolic significance to the Wooddabe people. Polished brass. H 5in.

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ROYAL SCEPTERS. Mbum people, Cameroon. Each on custom base. (A) Handle has a polished patina from prolonged handling. Polished brass. H 12.25in. (B) Straight shaft. Iron. H14in. (C) Curved shaft. Iron. H12in.

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EARLY ASAFO MILITIA FLAGS. Fante people, Ghana. (A) This flag dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. Because of the hot, humid insect-infested environment in which these cloth textiles are stored, flags from this era rarely survive intact. Consequently, original flags of this period are very rarely available to collectors. This flag is exceptional not only for its age, but also because it was made from burlap of the type from a bag used to store grain, instead of the plain cotton sheet typically used in newer flags. The flag depicts two crows picking up kernels of corn below a dog with a bone in its mouth. The image refers to the proverb: “If you put corn on the ground, birds will not be a rare sight”. The message of the proverb is that the Asafo Company which flies this flag is as peaceful as a dog with a bone, but if challenged (as in putting corn on the ground) many of us will confront you. The cotton figures and British Union Jack canton are entirely hand sewn with embroidered details. 56in. x42in. Published in Emblems of Power p. 75 Fig 66, a book that is only available from ppr2001@med.cornell.edu. Ex collection of Baba Mahama Accra Ghana. (B) The message of this Early 20th century flag is similar to flag (A). A rival Company, represented by the large spotted leopard is tempting the No.1 Company (the smaller black leopard) with a pot of palm wine. The canton is a modified Union Jack. Entirely hand sewn cotton textile with native repairs (indicating a flag highly prized by the No 1. Company). Published in Emblems of Power (see Lots #1 and 10) p. 91 Fig 97. Collected in Winneba Ghana from Owasu Kwaku 53in. x 41in.

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FOURTEEN UNUSUAL ANIMAL GOLDWEIGHTS. Ghana and Ivory Coast. All lost wax cast brass. Includes scorpion, lioness, leopard, beetle, pangolin, crocodiles, elephant, warthog, coiled snake and large frog.

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WEST AFRICAN U-SHAPED MANILLA CURRENCY. Calabar region, southeastern Nigeria. Each was excavated from a different site and probably dating from the early 1800s. Each on custom base. (A) Horse shoe-shaped with flared feet. Copper. Width 8in. 6lb. (B) Extended U-shape with notched design along edges. Width 11.5in. 6lb. (C) Exceptionally long extended U-shape with flared feet. Copper with dark patina. Width 23in. (D) Extended U-shape. Copper. Width 11in. 5lb.

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NINE AUTHENTIC ADINKRA STAMPS. Ashanti people, Ghana. Collected in 2004 in Ntonso, the center for Adinkra textiles from Samuel Evans, a master Adinkra textile maker. Each stamp was carved from the dried husk of a large calabash. The designs depict important Asante symbols. Printing is done by dipping the stamp in a special black ink. The struts are veins of a palm frond tied with pieces of hand-woven plain cloth. It requires great skill to dip the stamp in the ink and then imprint the design on cloth without dripping ink. Adinkra symbols and Adinkra cloth are associated with funerals. The word Adinkra means “saying good-bye to the dead”. Hand stamped Adinkra cloth is still worn at funerals and memorial services. Each symbol has a name and meaning. (A) Round stamp with radiating spokes called Fofo refers to a kind of seed and warns against jealousy. (B) Rectangular stamp with crocodile called Odenkyem is a symbol of prudence. (C) Rectangular stamp with horns at top and 3 cross bars is Akoben, the war horn and means a call to action. (D) Concentric circles are the king of adinkra symbols, Adinkrahene. (F) Bird looking over its back is the Sankofa bird, a symbol of wisdom gained from experience. (G) Hye wonhye a bilobed symbol, represents toughness. (H) Gye nyame expresses the omnipotence of God. (I) A heart with curls inside is another Sankofa symbol. See Lot #17 for Adinkra cloth.

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SEVEN GEOMETRIC GOLDWEIGHTS. Ghana and Ivory Coast. All brass lost wax cast. Late 19th and early 20th century. (A) Fortress form. 3.4oz. (B) Cross form. Abstract designs. 2.8oz. (C) Square. Abstract designs. 2.8oz. (D) Bar. Abstract designs. 1.6oz. (E) Rectangle. Abstract designs. 1.1oz. (F) Square with swastika. 0.3oz (G) Rectangle. Abstract designs. 1.6oz.

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C-FORM WEST AFRICAN MANILLAS. Each on custom base and all dated early to mid-1800s. Although the majority of manillas were imported to Africa by Europeans, some with more artful forms such as these examples were created by native craftsmen. (A) Yoruba people, Nigeria. Surface decorated with extensive engraved designs. Copper. Weight 5.4lb. (B) Baule people, Ivory Coast. Unusual form with pointed feet. Engraved fine designs near feet. Brass. Weight 3.6lb. (C) Tuareg people, Niger. The multifaceted feet represent protective amulets with triangular and diamond shapes with engraved designs. Bright brass. Weight 2.6lb.

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EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE KNOTTED TWISTED RING MANILLA OR BOCHIE (TORQUE). Ibo people, Calabar region of Nigeria. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, English and Dutch traders exported copper rods to Calabar to exchange for slaves, ivory and other goods. Africans polished the rods to a high sheen and twisted them like rope to make bracelets. The resultant rings had greater value than the original rods because of the great skill required to make them. A knot, a symbol of permanence, contributed symbolic value. Large knotted, twisted manillas such as this were highly prized by their owners and were placed in their graves. This 5lb. example was excavated in Old Calabar in the 1960s and probably dates from the early 1800s.On custom base. Copper. Width 7in. (See LOT #20).

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QUARTZ DISK MONEY. Moba, Asante and other tribes, Togo and Ghana. This is one of the most unusual and oldest forms of African currency dating from the 1600s or earlier, probably predating the arrival of Europeans in Africa. Only cowry shells and salt are of similar antiquity as currency in Africa. It was believed that these smooth translucent stones had medicinal properties and that they had fallen to earth from the sky. They were highly valued as good luck charms and in transactions. They were usually found buried in the red, iron-rich mud of stream beds which gives them an orange hue. Holes were drilled through them by blacksmiths so that they could be strung like beads. Each on a custom base. Quartz stone. (A) 1.75in. (B) 2.5in. Ex Scott Semans collection.

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EXTRAORDINARY TORCH-LIKE SNAKE ALTAR OBJECT. Chamba people, Lake Chad region of Chad. Snakes play a central role in the rituals of the Chamba people. This ritual object consists of three concentric bundles of snake-shaped slender, flat iron strips. The pointed end at the bottom was embedded in the ground at a ritual altar. The entire assemblage resembles a flaming torch. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 26.5in.

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RARE ZONG AND MANDJONG DOWRY CURRENCY. Eastern Bakwele people, Gabon and Congo (Sembé and Liouesso villages). A subgroup of the Kwele people, the Bakwele number about 15,000 persons. (A) The zong was introduced early in the 20th century by traders of the N’Goko Sangha Company to exchange for ivory and rubber. It was called “commodity currency”. Later, zong were presented by a man to a prospective bride’s family as payment in a marriage contract, generally tied in bundles (mezong) of 10. The first examples in Western collections were described in the early 20th century. On custom base. Iron with fine patina. H 18in. (B) The Mandjong is “considered to be one of the most elegant forms ever made by an African smith’s hands”. Used as payment to confirm a marriage contract (bride wealth) until the mid-20th century when up to 100 Mandjong might be required. On custom base. This example is dated 1900-1925. Hand forged iron. H 20in. Ex Roberto Ballarini collection Milan, Italy.

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NIGERIAN HOE-LIKE CURRENCY. Although some pieces are attributed to the same tribe, the forms varied among tribal villages. Each hand forged iron on custom base. (A) Chamba people. Slightly concave round blade with spike (which would have been inserted in a wood handle) splitting at the end into 2 curls, indicating that this was a non-functional object. Used as bride price payment to family of prospective bride. Collected in Mubi village in northeast Nigeria in 1904. H 7.5in. (B) Hausa and Tangale people, Nigeria. Collected in Kaltungo village in the Gombe region of the Jos plateau. This round currency was known to the Hausa as Kwasunting, with the typical bride price being 50 pieces. On custom base. H 7in. (C) Chamba people, Gayum village. Dates from the mid-19th century. A ceremonial object used as bride price. Hand forged iron. H 10in. (D) Chamba people. Elongated form used as bride price. Typical vertical striations made by blacksmith on the surface. H 15in. (E) Chamba people. Elegant curved spike with curled point. Used as currency. H 7in.

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STUNNING SO IRON CURRENCY. Mambila and Mfumte people, Nigeria and Cameroon. Collected in Antere village in the border region between Nigeria and Cameroon in the 1920s. Used in important transactions and as bride price. Note the typical thick central vein with hammer marks near the base and pattern of linear scratches made by a blacksmith on the front and back on either side of the central vein. Hand forged iron. On custom lucite base. H 25.5in.