African Art Auction Ending 4/9

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Painted cast brass Fulani warrior with weapon on rearing horse. Ivory Coast H 2 3/4in.

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Copper manilla-form bracelet with partly effaced spiral and dot design . ?Yoruba people, Nigeria.

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Bracelet with three bells on custom base. Base labeled “BE15” on bottom. Brass. 5in. in greatest diameter. Exhibited Pen and Brush Gallery, New York 2003.

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Custom shadow box (20 1/4in. x 12 l/4in.) containing three mounted portions of ancient chains, including a 5 in. long bell.

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Old, worn hand cast circular brass bracelet with engraved traditional motifs and single ridge around circumference.

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HEAD CREST MASK. Temne people, Sierra Leone. Worn during Jolly (pronounced Jollay) Society masquerades in which the performer is hidden by a voluminous costume that hangs from the armature supporting the head crest mask. The woman depicted has an elaborate coiffure. Wood, paint. H17in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2011. Published in "Masks from West and Central Africa" p64 Fig 77.

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GOLDWEIGHTS (4). Ivory Coast/Ghana. Three square geometric forms (1-2in) and one fish (2.5in). Used to weigh gold on a balance scale. Brass.

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Fertility statue of a seated woman holding a child. Wood, paint, beaded necklace. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

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AVIAN GOLDWEIGHTS (4). Ivory Coast/Ghana. Rooster with spurs (2.75in) Stork (2.5in) Knot bird (2in) Hornbill with long neck (2.5in). The spiral motif on wings is symbolic of life and regeneration. The knot is symbolic of wisdom; on a bird it refers to state authority. Brass.

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ALL WINGED CURRENCY ROD (KISSI PENNY). Kissi people, Guinea and Liberia. T­ shaped rods terminating at one end in lateral pointed appendages symbolic of wings or ears (nileng) were widely used by the Kissipeople. They were made from iron smelted by Mandingo people in the Guinea villages of Bakpapa and Nemisola and forged by Kissi blacksmiths. Until the 1920s, they were the only "money" used in the region. After 1940 they were no longer accepted by the colonial government as payment for taxes or fines. Kissi pennies are still used in rituals such as the payment of bride wealth. The pointed wings, twisted shaft and hammered thin foot were indications of the good quality of the iron. This example dates from around 1900. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H23in. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003.

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CEREMONIAL SICKLE-FORM STAFF WITH BIRD HEAD. Kirdi or Marghi people, northern Nigeria and Cameroon. This example has an unusually long handle with a heart shaped base that gives it a form similar to a ceremonial throwing knife. Bird head staffs were carried by women who waved them overhead during ceremonial dances. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H23in. Exhibited at Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003.

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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. Each on a custom base. Iron, brass, leather. Barbed blade 18in Handle 17. 5in.

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KNOTTED TWISTED COIL MANILLA BRACELET (BOUCHIE). Yoruba people, Nigeria. This extraordinary example of a blacksmith's skill was made from a single heated copper rod. The flared ends of the coiled rod are held in hairpin knots, and there is a twisted knot in the middle of the coil. The knot is a symbol of permanence. To appreciate how difficult it is to make this bracelet from a hot copper rod, one can attempt to duplicate it with a soft stick of cool licorice. The technique by which this was accomplished is no longer known to African blacksmiths who now make reproductions by casting copper in molds. This authentic example which dates from the latter part of the 18th century was excavated in the 1950s. Knotted, twisted manillas were highly prized and used as currency in important transactions. They were also a store of wealth and as such were sometimes in or near a home. Copper. Diameter 5in.

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FORM FOR ANKLE LEG BAND MOLD. Mongo and Konda people, Congo. This wooden form was pressed into specially prepared clay or sand to create the mold for an ankle leg band. After the metal was set but still very hot, the ingot was wrapped around a log to create a cylinder. The leg band was then carefully burnished to create a smooth outer surface. The inside retains the uneven surface of the molten brass and impressions left by the log around which it was formed. (see LOT #8). Wood. H12in.

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LEG BAND. Mongo and Konda people, Congo. This type of heavy brass leg band was worn by a wife of a wealthy man. It served as a store of wealth and would be removed if needed as a form of currency. Large rolls made from plant fiber wrapped in cloth were used to protect the wearer’s ankles (see picture). They were made by pouring molten brass into a mold in clay or sand (see LOT #9). Brass H8in Weight 8lb.

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ARCHED BAR CURRENCY Mbole and Ngelima people, Congo. Brass bar ingots in various shapes were used as currency in the regions of the Ubangi and Lomani Rivers. Some were simple rectangular flat bars, but others were shaped into faceted arches or twisted spirals. This arched, faceted example has flared feet which were enhanced by engraved native designs that include a 6-pointed star. Dated to mid-1800s. Brass with high copper content. H4in. W5.75in. Weight 4lb.

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CURRENCY BRIDEWEALTH BUNDLE. Kissi people, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. T-shaped rods with a twisted shaft, terminating at one end in lateral, pointed appendages called nileng, were widely used as currency by the Kissi people. Until the 1920s, the so-called “Kissi pennies” were the only money used in the region. By the 1940s colonial governments had replaced Kissi pennies with coins, but the metal objects were still used in certain rituals, especially as bundles wrapped with cloth which were presented by a man to a potential bride’s family to signify his interest (bride wealth). This fine example of such a bundle dating from the early 1900s resembles a bouquet of flowers. On custom base. Hand forged iron, cloth. H18in. Ex Eric Robertson Collection.

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RIBBED HEAVY BRACELET-FORM MANILLAS. (A) Yoruba people, Nigeria. Almost complete circle with 5 ribs. Dates from mid-1800s. Excavated near Ife in 1965. Encrusted (due to being buried) brass with high lead content. On custom base. Diameter 5in. Weight 5.2lb. (B) Ekonda subgroup of Mongo people, Congo. Nearly complete circle with 10 ribs (5 ribs on either side of a central spine). Dates from mid-to-late 1800s. Brass with high lead content. Diameter 5in. Weight 6.5lb.

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CEREMONIAL CALABASH HANDLE. Kirdi people, northeast Nigeria and northern Cameroon. Found in villages named Mora, Mokolo, and Yagoua. Was attached to a calabash with leather thongs that passed through holes at the ends of the arched blades (see picture). Punched designs decorated the arched blades. The blades rise to the top of the handle and after passing through an iron band they are transformed into open work formed by three twisted rods capped by a pointed cupola. One small ring of twisted iron wire hangs from each of the open work twisted rods. During ceremonial dances betrothed and married women held calabashes by these handles to demonstrate their status. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H13.5in.

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SERPENTINE ROD CURRENCY. Iyembe people, Congo. Copper rods imported to Africa by Europeans as early as the 16th century were traded in many regions for goods such as palm oil, gold, and slaves. African blacksmiths cut the rods up, reshaped them, or melted them down. The molten copper was cast into a vast variety of objects, especially jewelry. In this case, the rod has been twisted into the shape of a snake, probably for some ceremonial purpose. A knob representing the head has been created at the upper end. The surface of the rod has many blacksmith’s hammer marks left when the heated rod was shaped into this spiral form. Copper. H 18in.