African Art Collection Auction Ending 9/28

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EBEN CEREMONIAL SWORD. Fon people, Benin. Markers of prestige, eben swords, are emblems of the God Ogun, the deity of iron with creative and destructive powers. Ogun is represented by ceremonial swords and certain staffs but not by any sculpture in human form. The eben is carried by Benin chiefs and the King or Oba. On custom base. H 34in. Iron.

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RITUAL PRIEST’S DUGE CHAINS (2) AND BRACELET. Dogon people, Mali. According to Dogon belief, the stones attached to the chain are duge which symbolize the bones of ancestors and the creator God’s egg from which the world was created. The stones are retrieved from caves where ancestors were buried. Probably dating from the early 20th century. (A) Bracelet and chain mounted in shadow box measuring H 16in W 12in. (B) Chain with elongated paired links of twisted iron and oval ritual stone in iron basket. L 14in. Iron, stone. (C) Chain with miniature blacksmith’s tongs and pins which are used ritually to defend against persons with evil intentions. Chain has finer links where it goes around wearer’s neck. L 23in. Iron.

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WEST AFRICAN RING BRACELETS (3). (A) Polished stone ring. Niger. On custom base. Diameter 4in. (B) Old cast brass ring. Diameter 4in. (C) Ancient spiral ring. Excavated near Sanga, Mali. Dogon people. Worn by a priest of the cult of Lebe, the deity who created the Dogon people. On custom base. Diameter 3.5in.

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CEREMONIAL AX BLADE WITH HOOKED FLANGE. West Africa. The wooden handle has been lost from this old ax. On custom base. H16in. Iron.

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HUSBAND AND WIFE STRING PUPPETS. Ewe people, Ghana. Both puppets were hand carved by Bature Tanko. They were collected in Accra Ghana in 2005. (A) Larger male puppet is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, and ankles. He is wearing slip-on sandals. H16in. Wood, cloth, string, leather, iron, nails. (B) The female wearing a traditional head scarf and dress is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, and knees. H12in. Wood, cloth, string, nails leather, iron.

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PENDANTS (2). Tuareg people, Mali, Niger. The Tuareg are nomadic people in the Southern Sahara. Each subtribe has its own customs and a unique identifying pendant. Because of rebellion and terrorist activity in the region for the past decade, pendants such as these are now difficult to obtain. Arrowhead shape on beaded chain with silver tubes. Iferouane people 3in. Anchor shape on twisted leather strands. ? InGall people 2.5in. Both sliver, nickel, copper alloy.

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STONE GRAVE MARKER. Bura people, Niger/Nigeria. Objects from the Bura civilization dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries were first discovered in the 1970s. Terra cotta and stone sculptures were thought to have been grave markers. Although many Bura stone sculptures are very fragmentary, this unusually tall example has an intact head with a complete face and a complete torso with arms at the sides. An incised ring is visible around the neck and there are parallel scarification marks on the torso. On custom base. H21in. Stone.

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RARE ROYAL NECKLACE WITH CLOTH-COVERED BEADS. Bamum people, Cameroon. The chain consists of seed-form beads and a brown heart-shaped seed. Alternate beads have been wrapped in indigo resist dyed royal Ndop cloth, as is the donut-shaped pendant with a small limpet shell at its center. This type of necklace was worn only by the King and high ranking members of his court. L 15.5in. Beads, cloth. Seed, limpet shell, string.

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ROYAL AKUNITIN CLOTH. Ashanti people, Ghana. Referred to as King’s cloth, this robe is only worn by Chiefs. It consists of several panels of red felt cloth that have been sewn together to create this robe that is decorated with elaborate machine-embroidered designs of symbolic significance. It required great skill to create these complex designs using a manual sewing machine that was available nearly 100 years ago in Kumasi when this cloth was sewn by Opanin Kwasi Bameh. Considering its reputed age, the cloth is well preserved. L 112in. W 86in. Felt, cotton.

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AVIAN GOLD WEIGHTS (4). Ivory Coast/Ghana. Rooster with long, ringed neck and large wattle. H3in. Stork with open beak. H 3in. Seated senkofa bird in traditional pose looking over its back (symbol of wisdom and learning from the past). On triangular base. H 1.5in. Seated duck H 1.5in. All cast brass.

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OLD WEST AFRICAN FARMING TOOLS (2). (A) Short handled pick ax with hand forged blade, probably locally smelted iron. Encrusted material on upper part of wood handle may be libation. H 14in. Wood, iron. (B) Hand forged hoe blade, probably locally smelted iron. Democratic Republic of Congo. On custom base. H 8.25in. Iron.

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ZAPOZAPO CEREMONIAL AX. Luba people, Democratic Republic of Congo. Used as an insignia of status and wealth, and sometimes bride wealth. The handle of this example has the typical bulb top of Luba Zapozapo axes and a tulip-shaped blade. Handle H 14.25in. Blade L 7.25in. Wood, iron.

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ABARAIT WRIST KNIFE WITH SHEATH. Turkana people, Kenya/Sudan. These weapons are unique to southern Sudan and Kenya. The inner leather sheath protects the wearer’s wrist. Turkana men wore a wrist knife most of the time with a leather sheath around the circumference of the blade. The ends of the outer cover of this example have decorative brass fittings. On custom base. H 5in. Iron, leather, brass.

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RITUAL RATTLE. Dogon people, Mali. Rattles like this are used by priests during initiation and circumcision rituals for young boys. This spectacular example has an exceptional number of clappers of various sizes made from dried calabash shells. A piece of indigo-dyed cloth has been tied around the end of the shaft to keep the clappers from sliding off. The smooth, shiny patina of the shaft is evidence that this rattle was used many times. On custom base. Handle 19in. Wood, dried calabash disks, cloth.

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COMMEMORATIVE CLOTHS (4). Mali. (A) Green cloth with elephants commemorates the 45th anniversary of Mali’s independence on September 22, 2005 in the city of Sikasso. L 77in. W 42in. (B) Cloth with red ribbons commemorates the leadership of women and youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS (sida in French) L 71in. W 44in. (C) Blue cloth commemorates the independence of Mali on September 22, 2007. L 140in. W 44in. (D) Beige cloth with black dots that commemorates the 50th anniversary in 2003 of three high schools (lycee) for girls in Mali: Lycee Nelson Mandela, Lycee National, and Cours Normal. L 71in. W 42in. All printed on cotton cloth by Comatex SA Mali, the national textile manufacturer. Length of cloths (A), (B), and (D) is one pagne, a standard unit of measure for length. Cloth (C) is 2 pagnes. Textiles such as this are used by women to sew their clothing.

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CEREMONIAL SWORD. Bapoto/Ngombe people, Democratic Republic of Congo. Swords with this form come from the north western region where blacksmiths have a centuries-long tradition of forging iron weapons. These swords, emblems of membership in a secret society, were carried during important ceremonies. The ball at the end of the handle, referred to as the “head”, consists of “magical” plant material encase in the skin of a feline predator that was killed by the owner. The blade and the oval shaft are decorated with engraved designs of symbolic, ritual significance. Dated 1930s to early 1940s. Rarely used as “currency” in important transactions. Hand forged. H 24.5in. Iron, wood, leather, plant material, string.

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SPEAR-FORM CURRENCY. Gurma/Fulani/Tubu people, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Mali. This miniature spear, forged from a single iron rod, is a good example of a type of “currency” used in barter transactions that mimics the form of a utilitarian object. Faint engraved decorative marks are present on the shaft and blade. Surface changes at the flared end suggest that this spear currency was implanted in the ground at some time. Hand forged. Dated first half of 20th century. On custom base. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003. H 30in. Iron.

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QUEEN AND PRINCE MANILLAS. Probably Nigeria. Manillas are a diverse group of copper, iron and brass objects of European origin that were used as currency particularly in West and Central Africa. The name, manilla, is attributed to the word manilho or manillio said to have referred to bracelet in 15th or 16th century Portuguese. The wearing of ring and manilla-form bracelets by Africans was observed by the earliest Europeans (mainly Portuguese) to arrive in West Africa in the 15th century. How this observation led to the ultimate forms of imported manillas is not well documented, but European manillas were already depicted in 15th century brass plaques from the royal palace in Benin. The most common forms are open U, elongated U and C forms, sometimes with flared ends. Because iron, copper, and brass were more scarce than gold in most of West African in the 15th and 16th centuries, European traders were quick to import these metals in the form of manillas to exchange for gold, ivory, other trade goods, and slaves. Manillas were manufactured in many European countries, varying in size, shape, composition of metal and thickness. The king manilla generally has a span greater than 12 inches, the queen spans 8-12inches, and the prince 6-8 inches. On custom bases. Queen 10in. 81oz. Prince 7.5in. 29.10z.

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ELU FACE MASK. Ogoni people, Nigeria. This mask has an articulated bird beak jaw. There are scarifications on the forehead and temples. Bags under the eyes may refer to an aged individual. Elu masquerades sometimes poke fun at individuals in the community or refer to ancestors with attributes that may be illustrated in the mask. As is appropriate for a bird beak, this mask does not have teeth. H 11.5in. Wood, pigment, rope.

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OLD WOOD FARM TOOLS (3). West Africa. (A) Hoe with wide blade. The knob at the top represents an amulet that helps the farmer reap a bountiful harvest. Wood hoes are sometimes still used when the farmer is unable to afford a hoe with a metal blade. Carved from a section of the trunk of a tree with a branch as the handle. Handle is buttressed where it blends with the blade. L 21in. Wood. (B) Hoe with long blade and handle. The stem of an iron hoe blade would be inserted into the iron ring at the distal end of the wooden blade. Used to farm millet, probably in Burkina Faso. Carved from a single tree trunk with a branch as the handle. L 32.5in. Wood, iron. (C) Scoop used for measuring millet after the grain has been ground by pounding in a mortar. Fine patina on the handle and undersurface of the scoop from long use. Residue of encrusted flour in the bowl. L 20in. Wood.