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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.

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MALE CHI WARA HEAD CREST MASK. Bamana people, Mali. 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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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WEST AFRICAN STRIP WEAVING MATERIALS. (A) Pair of carding paddles used to transform raw cotton balls into strands that can be spun into threads. Late 19th-early 20th century. Labelled “CARD COTTON No1. Made by BFC FRANCE” with eagle trademark. Wire bristles, cloth, wood, nails. W 10.5in. (B) Oval bundle of hand spun cotton thread on a stick. Made by spinning cotton strands created with carding paddles. A bundle such as this was used to lay out the warp threads for undyed country cloth. A RARE FIND since commercially made thread wound on spools has been used for more than 75 years in West Africa. Mende people, Sierra Leone. Hand spun cotton thread, wood. L 10.5in. (C) Bundle of very fine, multicolored silk thread prepared to lay out the warp stripe pattern for an Ashante textile. Ashante people, Ghana. L 9.5in. (D) Two weaving “boats” (shuttles) and a hollow wooden spool with tightly wound fine blue thread. The spool rides on a wire that fits into a shuttle. Shuttle is passed back and forth between warp threads. Ashante people, Ghana. Wood, thread. “Boats” 8 in; Spool 6in. (E) Hand carved heddle pulley of Akan doll form and spool. Used to suspend a heddle through which warp threads are passed. Ashante people, Ghana. Wood. Pulley H 6.0in; Spool H 1.5in. (F) Two Heddles. Used to separate warp threads. One or more warp threads are passed through each space between the “teeth” made of fine threads. (1) Ashante people, Ghana. VERY OLD single heddle made from numerous strands of fine thread suspended between two rods. A bundle of green threads tied to a rope loop on one side passes through the shaft of a disc (made by cutting a thread spool in half) that serves as a pedal which the weaver holds between two toes to raise and lower the heddle. Wood, thread. Heddle 6.5in. (2) Ashante people, Ghana. VERY OLD double heddle with same form as (1). The two heddles were operated in tandem in order to manipulate different sets of warp threads. The heddles were suspended by loops of rope at the top. The bundles of green and black thread on the bottom were used to suspend foot pedals operated by the left and right feet, respectively. Heddles 6in each. (G) Beater. Ashante people, Ghana. The beater was used to pull each weft thread tightly in place after it was passed between the warp threads. The ropes at each end were used to suspend the beater. Wood, rope. 5.5in x 7.5in. (H) Ashante people, Ghana. Weaving sword. Used to separate selected warp threads to pass weft threads in “boat”. On custom base. Wood. H 10in. (I) Grooved beater. Used to soften raffia cloth and to give sheen to waxed, tie-dyed cotton cloth. Face carved on handle. H 13in.

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CEREMONIAL NECKLACE. Bamum people, Cameroon. Chief’s necklace consisting of beads carved from kola nuts and 3 large, egg-shaped wooden beads covered with hand-sewn Ndop cloth worn by Chiefs and high-ranking Court officials. Beads, cloth. H 20in.

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FOREARM CUFF. Fra Fra people, Burkina Faso. Highly prized and worn on the forearm between the wrist and elbow by a woman at important festivals as a symbol of high social status in the community. Sometimes a cuff was worn on each arm. Polished brass. H 7in.

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HEAVY BRASS ANKLET. Mongo or Kondo people, Democratic Republic of Congo. Dates from the early 20th century or before. To make this anklet, molten brass was poured into a flat mold in the soil that was created from the impression made with a wooden form. When still hot, the flat brass ingot was wrapped around the heavily padded ankle of a wealthy man’s wife. Although now tarnished with age, the anklet would have been kept brightly polished by the woman who wore it. It served as a store of wealth, like money in a bank account, and as a mark of high prestige in the community. Knowledge of how the procedure of attaching and removing the anklet was actually performed is no longer extant. Considering the method by which the anklet was produced, the finely etched surface design with intersecting bands of thin parallel lines is truly remarkable. The inside reveals the uneven texture of the cooled molten brass, providing a strong contrast with the finely finished outer surface. H 4.75in Diameter 4.5in. Weight 7lb 3oz.