African Art Auction Ending 4/9

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

PRIZED MAN’S CEREMONIAL ROBE NAMED “OHENE AFORO HYEN”. Ashante people, Ghana. The title of the design of this cloth means “the King has boarded a ship”. This refers to an event in 1937 before Ghana gained independence from Great Britain. After putting down a rebellion by the Ashante people, the Ashante King, Prempeh I, was captured and sent into exile in the Seychelles Islands on a ship. This event not only signaled the end of the Ashante Kingdom, but it also broke the centuries-old tradition that the King would not cross the Pra River (which he had to cross in his journey into exile). The cloth was collected in Bonwire, the center of Ashante weaving. The weaver was Nana Mensah Abrampa and the estimated age is 80 years. Silk. 77in x 123.5in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

TWISTED TRIPLE COIL KNOTTED CURRENCY BRACELET. Igbo people, Nigeria. Bracelets made from twisted metal rods were masterpieces created by Nigerian blacksmiths in the late 19th century. Heavy rings such as this piece were reserved for important trades and kept as a store of wealth. The end of the twisted rod is defined by a hairpin turn where the rod doubles back on itself. The knot is a symbol of permanence. The skill required to create this bracelet free hand from a hot copper rod may no longer exist. On custom base. Oxidized copper. H2in. Diameter 4in. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

RASP GONG. Lobi people, Burkina Faso. Rasp gongs, made from wood or metal, are musical instruments used throughout Africa, especially the Western and Central regions. They are hollow, tubular forms that differ from simple gongs in that part of the external surface has a rough, striated or notched texture which produces a rasping sound when rubbed with a wood or metal stick. They may also be played by beating the outside with the same rod. This old example was made from hand forged iron that is now heavily oxidized. Note the dentate surfaces along the open edges of the tube. A wooden handle was attached to the metal flange in the center. On custom base. Hand forged iron. L11in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

LONG SICKLE=SHAPED WEAPON. Ngombe people, Congo. The blade is sharp on the concave edge of the straight shaft. The curved tip is sharp on both edges. This hand forged blade is set in a wood handle that is wrapped with iron wire. A loop at the end of the handle protrudes through the bottom of the handle. Black smith’s hammer marks apparent. Indistinct chevron design on shaft of blade. Dated to 1930s. On custom base. Iron, wood. H23in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

SLASHING KNIFE. Konda or Mongo people, Congo. Typical tulip shape with flared rounded end. Central rib gives rise to subtle branches near the top. Decorative material was sometimes hung from or attached to the holes. Edges sharp. Used as a weapon but also carried as a mark of prestige in certain ceremonies. Dated to late 19th or early 20th century. Hand forged iron with blacksmith’s marks. Wooden handle shows wear from use. On custom base. Iron, wood. H 21in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

MALE CHI WARA HEAD CREST MASK. Bamana people, Mali. This mask is the mate to the example in Lot # 37. In contrast to the mask in Lot #37 where the body of chi wara is that of an antelope, here the horns of an antelope are combined with elements of a pangolin (curled tail) and aardvark (arched body), both noted for their skill as diggers. This mask is a metaphor for a farmer. Mounted on a custom base. H10.25in. W23.75in. See “Masks from West and Central Africa” by Mary S. and Paul P. Rosen 2013 pp.94-95.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

NGIL FACE MASK. Fang people, Gabon/Equatorial Guinea/ Cameroon. With carved designs, white, and black paint. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

Large face mask, Dan people, Liberia/Ivory Coast with rope, cloth, and wood. Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

FACE MASK. Baule people, Ivory Coast. This mask has the typical T-shaped nose, and serrated border of a Yaure mask that is worn during celebrations related to the visit of important persons to a village Purchased in the 2nd quarter of the 20th C.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

MATERNITY FIGURE. Lokko people, Sierra Leone. Brightly painted figures are typical of Lokko art The authority of the figure is enhanced by placing her on a Western-style high back chair. The scarf adds a dramatic flourish contrasting with her yellow skin. A sculpture such as this would be placed in a woman’s personal altar at home. H 17.5in. Wood, paint, cloth.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

MATERNAL ANCESTOR FIGURE. Hemba people, Democratic Republic of Congo. This seated woman nursing an infant has the typical characteristics of a Hemba figural sculpture: short legs, an elongated torso, and an enlarged head with a backward swept coiffure held in place by a band arching over the forehead. Custom base. H 12in. See Bacquart 1999, p.160-163.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

WEST AFRICAN HEDDLE PULLEYS. (A) Senufo people, Ivory Coast. Hornbill form. The hornbill bird is referred to as the “master of birds” by the Senufo people because of its intelligence. In the men’s Poro Society, the title “Master” indicates creativity and mastery of a skill such as weaving. Wood. H 6.0in. (B) Bobo people, Burkina Faso. Human bust with elaborate coiffure. Wood, string. H 7.0in. Each on a custom base.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

MAN’S ROBE. Ewe people, Ghana. This old man’s wrap was collected in Kpetoe, an important Ewe weaving center, from John Akpoa who stated that it had belonged to his grandfather, Torgbui Kavi and that he had stored it with other important cloth in a box in his home (see Lot #24). Consisting of 20 hand woven, hand sewn strips, it has no weft blocks and only 5 inlay designs or “scriptures” in the warp (one representing a four-legged animal, another a bird in flight, and the others abstract forms). Dating from the early 20th century, this cloth is an excellent example of early Ewe weaving lacking weft blocks. Several different warp strip patterns are represented. Although Ashante cloth is named for its warp stripe designs, this is not a custom with Ewe textiles. Cotton. 77in x 119in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

PICTORIAL BOGOLAN TEXTILE. Bamana people, Mali. This domestic scene depicts three generations. A farmer smoking a pipe and with a hoe on one shoulder is accompanied by his dog as he returns from his fields. An elder man smoking a pipe, probably the farmer’s father, is seated under a tree as the farmer’s wife with a baby in a sling on her back is preparing a meal. L 86in. W 42in. Hand painted, hand woven cotton textile.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

WEDDING BLANKET. Fulani people, Mali or Niger. This exceptional textile consists of 9 hand woven, hand embroidered strips with tufts and tassels. It was given to a newly-wed couple and is used for warmth (nights in the southern Sahara desert can be cold) as well as for protection against wind, sand and insects at night. Cotton. 57in x 108in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

ROD PUPPET. Nyamwezi people, Tanzania. An old puppet such as this was probably used in funerals as a medium for communicating with ancestors. Nails in the eyes and the metal cap would shine during nocturnal torch light ceremonies. The body is wrapped in cloth that holds fetish material in the front and back. On custom base. H 13.5in. Wood, cloth, rope, beads, metal.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

CALABASH STRING PUPPET. Ghana. Calabash puppets are used for entertainment in Ghana, including televised programs for children and adults. This puppet is clad in wax resist dyed cloth made in Ghana labeled “American Wax”. Mounted on a custom base. H19in. W10in. Calabash, string, cloth, bamboo, cowrie shells.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

WOMAN’S WRAP. Ewe people, Ghana. This extraordinary textile consists of 14 hand woven, hand sewn strips, each with a different pattern. The offset placement of the weft blocks endows the cloth with vibrant energy. Cotton. L 84in W 45in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

WOMEN’S INDIGO WRAPS (3). Dafing people, Burkina Faso. Made from hand sewn strips hand woven with indigo-dyed cotton yarn. All extremely soft from repeated washing yet retaining vibrant blue color. (A) Design of alternating pale stripes and bands. L 60in. W 36in. (B) Tie dyed block pattern with Xs at ends. L 60in. W 45in. (C) Pale narrow stripes and 2 broad bands. Native repairs. L 55in. W 33in.

More Info / Bid Track Item Register

COUNTRY CLOTH WRAP. Mende people, Sierra Leone. This old cloth was hand woven from hand spun cotton. It consists of 12 hand sewn strips with the traditional asymmetrical blue warp stripe design of the kula hina type. This type of cloth was worn by men with high status in the community. The native repairs are evidence of the importance that was attached to this textile and the efforts undertaken to preserve it. The thick weave offered protection against mosquitoes. Collected in Sierra Leone in 2005. It was estimated to be at least 50 years old. L 72in. W 49in. Hand spun cotton. See Lamb 1984 pp. 100-104.