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LOT 2327
African Bronze Fertility Figure Pair
YORUBA TRIBE, EARLY-MID 20TH CENTURY A.D.
6 3/4 in. (2.23 kg total, 17-17.1 cm each).
Comprising male and female standing figures, each with hands resting on extended abdomen; drum-shaped base. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Nigeria, West Africa.
Acquired during 1950s.
From an old Surrey, UK, oriental and ethnographical collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Senufo Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Carved with an oval face, pointed chin, a flat nose, slit eyes, an open mouth; animal figure presented on top and some scarification. 715 grams, 36 cm
From Burkina Faso, West Africa. From the estate of a West Sussex, UK, collector. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Several types of masks are used depending upon the occasion. The Kpelie, a human face with projections all around, is said to remind initiates of human imperfection. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Pende Tribe, early-mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Carved with scarification panels to the cheeks and forehead, protruding mouth with teeth, flat nose and a neck panel below the chin. 560 grams, 37.5 cm
From Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa. From the collection of the late Professor R M Hicks, OBE. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Pende masks are among the most dramatic works of all African art. There are two styles: the western one of the Kwilu with its mbuya mask characterized by a somber, gloomy expression, and the Kasai style that is more geometric and colorful. The Kwilu Pende are especially well known for their masks that were originally used for circumcision ceremonies but later became accessories for a type of popular theater. The minganji, or masks of power, represent the ancestors; the mbuya, or village masks, represent human types, such as the chief, the diviner, the epileptic with a twisted mouth, the madman or man in a trance, the widow, the lover, or the executioner. -
African Terracotta Bead Necklace Group
12th century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £46
Ten restrung mainly cream and beige-coloured rondelle, tubular and ribbed beads and other types. 64 grams total, 72-74 cm
Ex property of a UK gallery, early 2000s.
