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LOT 2348
African Wooden Ancestor Figure
BAULE TRIBE, EARLY-MID 20TH CENTURY A.D.
19 1/8 in. (1.06 kg, 48.5 cm).
A hand-carved standing female figure with hands placed by the side, some scarification and wearing arm rings. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa.
From an old Bristol, UK, ethnographical collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
The Baule are noted for their fine wooden sculpture, particularly for their ritual figures representing spirits; these are associated with the ancestor cult. The figures and human masks are often elegant, well polished with elaborate hairdressings and scarification.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Lega Warega Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Lentoid in plan with vertical lug for the bose and slits for the eyes; applied hair strip to lower face. 158 grams, 22.5 cm
From Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa. From the Estate of Dr J Bynon; acquired 30 July 1911. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Most of Lega masks are sculptures of a human face that are rarely worn over the face and never for purposes of true transformation. The Lega masks can be assigned different uses and meanings depending on the context of the performance. In Bwami ceremonies, masks are attached to different parts of the body, fixed to hat, piled in stacks, hung on fences, held in the hand, dragged on the ground, and occasionally worn on the forehead with the beard draping over the face of the wearer or arranged on a miniature palisade. Participants in most rites display their masks as a group in conjunction with particular dance movements and aphorisms, which vary depending on the context in which they are used. Lega masks differ from those used in many other African masquerades in that while women do not own them, both men and women handle and present them in very similar performances. Masks are among the initiation objects displayed on the grave before being passed to new owners. They are usually passed from an uncle to a nephew. -
African Decorated Brass Cuff Bracelet
Benin, late 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A highly patterned round bronze body with plain disc shaped ends, radiating studs to the outer edge. 59 grams, 74 mm
From Benin, West Africa. Ex Surrey, UK, ethnographical collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman. -
African Wooden Fertility Figure
Lobi Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Carved in a standing pose with a bald head, legs slightly bent, hands resting on the abdomen and an elongated neck supporting a face with bulging eyes. 425 grams, 35.8 cm
From Burkina Faso, West Africa. From a Glasgow ethnographical collection; formed 1940s-1950s. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
