African Art Auction Ending 9/25

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TALL 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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TALL WINGED CURRENCY ROD. Toma people, Guinea. In addition to the Toma people, tall winged bars larger and heavier than Kissipennies were used as currency by the Loma people in Liberia and ldoma people in Nigeria. The winged end flares into a broad triangular shape and the foot is a blunt point. The long, flat shaft is relatively wide and is decorated with hammered striations. On custom base. H28. 5in. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2003.

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TALL WINGED BAR CURRENCY. Luba people, Katanga province, Congo. The Katanga province has one of the world's richest deposits of copper ore. Although most noted for their cruciform copper ingots (LOT #10), the Luba people also cast copper into other forms such as this heavy bar which has been forged by a blacksmith into a sculptural, winged form with notched edges. The surface is heavily oxidized consistent with dating to late 19th or early 20th century. On custom base. Hand forged copper. H28. 5in 71b.

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WEDDING BLANKET. Fulani people, Mali or Niger. The exceptional feature of this blanket is the numerous decorative tassels woven into the cloth. It consists of 9 wide strips with matched horizontal red, green, blue and orange bands and a white central square within a red square. The squares represent the home of the newly wed couple. Textiles such as this were mainly hung as dividers for privacy in tents. Hand woven cotton cloth. 56in x 122in.

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TWO EAST AFRICAN HEADRESTS. (A) Mwila people, Angola. Rare form on a conical base and twisted column. Top darkened from use. Hand carved wood. H Gin. (B) Rendille people, Kenya. Carved from the trunk of a carefully selected tree. The trunk has been carved and shaped to create the concave surface. Three branches form the legs. Knots from smaller branches are evident. The fine, lustrous patina and smooth surface are the result of years of use. Hand carved wood. H6.5in. Exhibited at the Pen and brush Gallery New York 2004.

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TWO HINGED LOCKING ARM BANDS. Senufo people, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Both are hinged on one side and locked on the other side by a hinged pin in the shape of a bird's beak that fits into a hole in the rim at the top. (A) Has raised decorative design. H4in. (B) Excavated in 1970s. H4. 5in.

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THREE PRIEST'S DUGE CHAIN NECKLACES. Dogon people, Mali. Worn by a Hogon, the village priest of the Lebe cult. In their mythology, Lebe was one of the 8 ancestors of the Dogon people created by the Supreme God, Amma. After Lebe died, the 7th ancestor, a snake, ingested lebe's body and regurgitated his bones in the form of smooth stones which are represented by the stones on a necklace. Each necklace was made by a blacksmith to the specifications of a Hogon. All collected in Mali and said to date from the early 1900s. (A) long tongs on a short chain. Tongs refer to the ability of a Hogon to detect and restrain sources of evil. Iron. H19in with tongs. (B) Chain with long links and a single smooth oval stone held in an iron basket. Iron, stone. H19in. (C) Chain with 3 small perforated smooth stones set on links. Iron, stones. H24in.

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EXCEPTIONAL SPIRAL COILED MANILLA WITH LARGE FEET. Cross River region, Nigeria. It consists of 8 spiral coils made from twisted copper wire. The large coin-shaped decorative feet have stems which were inserted into the flared ends of the coil. On custom base. Copper. Length 12in.

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DUBILIRON INGOT. Marghipeople, Sukor Madagoli region, northeastern Nigeria. This region is rich in easily accessible iron ore and was a major site of iron smelting before iron was brought to Africa in bulk quantities by Europeans. The iron ingot produced from locally smelted iron in this region is called a dubil. They are known to date at least from the 16th century and possibly earlier when a male slave cost 13 dubil and a female slave was valued at 10 dubil. Dubil were also an important component of bride price. This example is thought to date from the early 1800s. It is a fine example of early African iron smelting and the work of a blacksmith. On a custom magnetic base. Locally smelted and hand forged iron. H16in.

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TWO BREACELETS WITH BELLS. Bracelets with bells were widely worn as musical instruments during ceremonial dances. Small examples were worn on the wrist and larger one on the arm or ankle. (A) Wrist bracelet with 5 bells. Dan people, Liberia and Ivory Coast. The clappers are small stones which were inserted through the apertures before they were compressed into slits. The spiral designs on the bells are said to represent the trail the ancestors traveled before coming to West Africa. Emits a high-pitched ring. On custom base. Brass. H3. 5in Width 4. 5in. (B) Arm bracelet, Dogon people, Mali. There are multiple small stones in each of the 4 bells. On custom base. Hand forged brass, small stone. Diameter 5.5in.

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TWO OIL LAMPS. Dogon people, Mali. Oil with a wick was put in the bowl and the lamp was hung on a wall inside the home. Both hand forged iron. (A) There are punched decorative designs on the shaft and round ring and there is a small chain at the base of the shaft to which the wick was attached. H12. 5in. (B) H12. 5in.

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FOUR TRADITIONAL WOMEN'S HAIR PINS. Bozo people, Mali. Each with decorative punched designs on both sides of the shaft. Collected from a blacksmith in Mopti, a city on the northern part of the Niger River, in 2003. This city is now largely under the control of Islamic militants and no longer safe for Westerners to visit. According to the blacksmith, each has a different design associated with a specific tribe: Bela, Bozo, Songhai, Tuareg. Pins were used to curl and hold hair. On custom base. Hand forged steel. H5. 75in to 6. 25in.

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CHEETEM ROD CURRENCY. Anang people, Nigeria. Currency in the form of bundles of thin copper rods was introduced to the Calabar area of Nigeria by naval Captain Cheetem in the late 18th century. The bundles typically had 9 to 15 rods. This example has 12 rods measuring about 28in in length. These old copper rods have a beautiful verdigris patina consistent with their age. In the 1800s a Cheetem bundle was valued at 1/8"d" and in 1920 at 1/3"d". The symbol"d" is derives from the Medieval Latin term "denarius". It is the old name for what is now called a pence or a penny weight of silver. On custom base. Ex Robero Ballarini Collection. H13in.

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MITAKO COIL MANILLA CURRENCY. Teke people, Stanley Pool region of Congo. This region is rich in copper ore which was mined and smelted by the Teke people as early as the 18th century. The copper currency they created, called Ngiele, consisted of thin copper rods which were sometimes shaped into coils. British and French traders who entered this area in the mid-to-late 19th century offered this larger version, called mitako, which was the standard currency until the 1940s. The value of mitako varied with the thickness of the rod and ]number of coils. At one time, a male slave cost 600 mitako, a female slave 200 mitako, and an egg one mitako. Six coils of copper rod. H2. 25in Diameter 3. 25in.

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THREE WEST AFRICAN BRACELETS. (A) Gan people, Ivory Coast. Slightly tapered of cast brass with circumferential ribbed design. H2. 5in. Diameter 2. 5in. (B) Nupe people, Nigeria. Unusual gold-tone brass C-form bracelet with incised and punched designs. Ends have traditional spatulate form. Surface wear from long use. On custom base. Brass. H3. 25in. (C) Dogon people, Mali. Stone bracelets worn on the wrist or arm were carved from solid, veined gneiss rock in the Songhei region of Mali and Niger. This example was collected from a Dogon man in Mopti, a city along the upper part of the Niger River. This city is now under control of lslamist militants and no longer accessible to Westerners. On custom base. Stone. Diameter 4in.

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KASHU HOE-FORM CURRENCY. Karamajong people, Uganda. The shape of this object is thought to derive from a kind of hoe blade which was transformed into this bird-like form called Kashu. Not functional for farming, Kashu was a symbolic object that was used as payment to the father of a bride (bride price) well into the early 20th century in northern Uganda. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H17in.

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CEREMONIAL PRESTIGE AX WITH SERPENTINE BLADE. Chamba people, eastern Nigeria. This ax belonged to man of high status in his community. He carried it during ceremonial dances as a symbol of his importance. There are several iron rings around the handle. On custom base. Hand forged iron, wood. H15. 5in. Blade 12. 75in long.

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SNAKE FETISH GONG. Chamba people, eastern Nigeria. The serpentine handle passes through an iron ring that supports four gongs. The pointed base which is the tail end of the snake was inserted in a wooden staff which was carried during important ceremonial dances. Note the snake's open mouth. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H18. 75in.

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TWO EXAMPLES OF BRACELET-FORM CURRENCY. (A) Mbole people, Congo. This solid C-form object is similar in shape to the more common hollow copper anklets of the Mbole people. The surface shows wear from use. On a custom base. Copper, H3. 5in 31bs. (B) Kundu people, Congo. C-form with 2 raised ribs. The slightly irregular shape and rough edges indicate that this example was pried off the wearer, most likely a woman. Bracelet-form currency such as this was worn by the wives of important tribesmen (who had many wives) as a way of showing his wealth. When needed for an important transaction, it was removed by a blacksmith. Brass. H4in. Weight 5lb.

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TWO WEST AFRICAN CURRENCY HOES. Because of their importance for farming and for survival, locally forged iron hoe blades were highly prized throughout Africa and they were used for currency as well as for farming. Many varieties of hoe blades were produced in shapes which were characteristic for a particular tribe and best adapted to local farming traditions and conditions. In almost all cases, the iron blade was attached to a wooden handle. (A) Mambila people, Cameroon. An old blade with a symmetrical spade form. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H8in. (B) Mangbetu people, Congo. This fan-shaped blade named shoke was used in the Stanley Falls region. One blade was worth 10 mitako (see LOT#34). The shaft gives rise to a raised spine in the center of the blade. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H10. 5in.