African Art Auction Ending 4/9

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Carved statue of a man holding a cane and a horn, his clothing has carved lizards and design throughout, Bamu, Cameroon. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

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WOMEN’S INDIGO WRAPS (3). Marka/Dafing people, Burkina Faso. All are softened from repeated washing. Collected in 2006. (A) Tie-dyed old wrap with a braided tie rope. Made from 11 hand sewn strips of hand woven cotton cloth. Designs include birds, men, camels (or goats), airplanes, and the words “Tindona ota BEMBAM Ba’ Amidou” which might be the owner’s name. Cotton, indigo 73.5in x 44in. (B) Hand woven from deep indigo cotton yarn with a warp stripe design in 13 hand sewn strips. Cotton, indigo 62in x 43in. (C) Hand woven indigo warp stripe cloth made from 12 hand sewn strips. Cotton, indigo 58in x 40in.

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Hand-Carved Wooden Panel With Geometric and Textured Design on Display Stand. Features intricate carvings on one side with a geometric pattern and textured detailing, while the reverse side shows a textured carved pattern. Mounted on a black metal display stand for presentation. Pickup only.

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Dan headdress, Liberia with metal bells, cowrie shells and grass decoration on custom metal base. 18" tall.

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PRESTIGE DOOR (MGBOEZI). Igbo people, Nigeria. Elaborately carved doors of honor such as this were placed at the main entrance to the home of a person of high importance in a community. This example, dating from the late 19th century, was carved from traditional African oak (Milicia excelsa), a hard wood of the type which is associated with “maleness”. The door separates the sanctuary of the family home from the profane world of the village. Geometric designs are typical of an Igbo prestige door. In this case the central circle represents the nuclear family. On custom base. Wood. H 54in W20.5in. Ex Eric Robertson collection. Purchased at the African Heritage Auction 5/31/02 Lot #63.

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A cap with horns sits on top of this mask of Jine, a bush spirit with human facial features and transparent glass eyes. A cowrie shell surrounded by beads is attached to the forehead, and there are painted facial scarifications. H 29.5 in. Wood, paint, horns, beads, cowrie shell, glass, cloth, metal. Page number 147 figure 172 in the book: The colorful Sogo Bò Puppets of Mali, Mary Sue Rosen Paul, Paul Peter Rosen.

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Large carved Mali style African drum with rope decoration, approx 25"T.

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CEREMONIAL DOUBLE GONG. Bamum people, Cameroon. Large double gongs such as this are important emblems of the Kwifoyn Society composed of elite members of the royal court. The arched handle is wrapped with intricately woven straps of leather-like raffia. The bells a made from hand forged iron. The gong was used during funerals for members of the Kwifoyn Society, other solemn occasions, and to announce the arrival of the King. Iron, raffia. H 36.5in W 20in.

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This rod puppet head of Dugon, the hornbill bird, has a long, slender articulated beak that is supported by a rubber strap. The crest is detachable. H 5 in. Wood, paint, rubber, metal. Page number 140 figure 158 in the book: The colorful Sogo Bò Puppets of Mali, Mary Sue Rosen Paul, Paul Peter Rosen.

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Unique large carved bowl with a woman's face and chest, pink, red, black, and blue paint. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

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Drum affixed to head of woman holding a drinking cup. Purchaed in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C, from Baga Guinee, Africa.

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Carved statue of a man wearing a face mask. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

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Walking Stick “Very Old,” on custom base, Sierra Leone. 39" tall. Provenance - Exhibition: “Texture & Form The Art of Personal Objects Selections From The Rosen African Art Collection.” The Pen and Brush Gallery, New York City 2004.

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Six African statues with varying detail & decoration. Largest is 10"T.

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RARE BLACKSMITH’S BELLOWS, FIVE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN BLACKSMITH’S TOOLS AND IRON ORE. (A) Bellows. Gogo people, Tanzania. See picture showing multiple similar bellows in use. This example of a completely intact double-barrel bellows with iron nozzles is an exceedingly rare find worthy of any museum or personal collection. It is said to date from the 1930s. The bellows, carved from a single block of wood, was used to force air into hot coals by an assistant who pumped the leather caps by alternately raising and pushing down on the wooden rods. Wood, leather, iron. H 26in. (B) Round headed hammer with wood handle. Baule people, Ivory Coast. Handle shows excellent patina from use. On custom base. Wood, iron. H 11.5in. (C) Dagger-shaped anvil. Matakam people, Cameroon. On custom base. Iron. H 10in. (D) Anvil with white pigment. Kissi people, Guinea. The anvil has been anointed with white kaolin libations honoring ancestors by a blacksmith seeking guidance in his work from ancestral blacksmiths. (E) Punch. Cameroon. Used to make holes and decorative designs. On custom base. Iron. H 7in. (F) Small iron-containing rocks. Stones such as these were loaded into a traditional smelting furnace to separate the iron (bloom) from the slag (See pictures showing a traditional clay iron smelting furnace. In one image, the furnace is being heated with wood. Other image shows iron-bearing rocks being added to the furnace). This is the way native iron was obtained before it was commercially available. The stones were collected in a region of Mali where the soil is rich in iron.

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OLD CURRENCY SPEARS. Tuareg people, Mali and Niger. The Tuareg are nomadic people in the southern Sahara regions of Mali and Niger. Spear-form currency was exchanged in important transactions like the purchase of a camel or rifle, and as bride wealth. These examples were collected from a Tuareg man in the city of Moptiin northern Mali in 2003. More recently, many local tribesmen in and around this city, including the Tuareg, have become involved in Jihadist terrorism. Consequently, it is no longer safe for Westerners to visit this region and coveted objects such as these currency spears are difficult to obtain. To facilitate transport on a camel, each spear consists of 2 sections. The upper blade ends in a tapered blunt point that fits in a leather-bound socket at the top of the handle. A couple of brass bells are suspended from a ring below each leather-bound socket. There are engraved abstract designs on both sides of each blade and handle.

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Five figural pcs African art incl marked "Nyam West Tanzania Mortar", all with intricate carvings. Largest is 13.5"T.

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WOMAN’S WRAP. Ewe people, Agbozume Ghana. This textile consists of 15 hand sewn, hand woven strips with blue, red, and grey warp stripes. Various figural designs (“scriptures”) include hands, spears, a hat and a crane-like bird. Collected in 2005 from Kwaku Gyasi who reported that it originally belonged to a queen mother who died “90 years old”. Cotton. 74in x 51in.

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BLOLO BLA FEMALE SPIRIT SPOUSE. Baule people, Ivory Coast. This statue was carved according to instructions from a diviner. It represents a man’s spouse in the spirit world, a figure who is consulted in dreams for help in solving personal problems. It is kept in the owner’s room as an altar. This statue has the carved base, typical short legs slightly bent at the knees, bulging eyes, and hands resting peacefully on the abdomen. H 17in. Wood, pigment. See Bacquart 1993 p.48-49.

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The cotton print robe worn by this tall rod puppet figure of a beautiful woman covers strings that move her articulated arms. The appended, protruding bosom made of cloth is an unusual feature of this puppet. H 44 in. Wood, paint, cloth, metal, string. Page number 153 figure 179 in the book: The colorful Sogo Bò Puppets of Mali, Mary Sue Rosen Paul, Paul Peter Rosen.