African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask

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.

Two lost wax bronze cast decorated standing leopards. 943 grams total, 13.4-13.5 cm wide



From Benin. From the late Brian Morley collection, 1950s. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

The leopard is a motif that occurs throughout many of the Benin Bronzes as it is the animal who symbolises both the Oba (king) and justice.

Penannular in form, comprising rectangular polyhedral blocks with ring-and-dot ornament, spiral form to the arms. 244 grams, 87 mm



From Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Derby, UK, specialist collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

Once a form of currency for West African peoples, manillas became one of the main currencies of choice during the slave trade to the Americas. Their usage during this time in history was of such prevalence that they were often referred to as “slave trade money.” Provenance: Private Derby Oriental Collection. The Manilla is in very good condition and measures 105mm wide and weighs about 250gms. Manillas are typically horseshoe-shaped with flared ends and often decorated with balls on each end. Africans from each region had names for each variety of manilla and were very particular about the types they would accept. They valued the Manillas by the sound they made when struck and used them as the dominant form of currency for many things including everyday market purchases, bride price and burials. The main purpose of the manilla – the trading and purchase of slaves- fostered a system where the incoming voyage of Europeans took manillas to West Africa to obtain slaves, who were then taken to the Americas. The price of a slave valued in manillas varied depending on the time, place and type being offered.