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LOT 2343
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
SALAMPASU TRIBE, EARLY TO MID 20TH CENTURY A.D.
15 3/8 in. (855 grams total, 39 cm including stand).
Piriform and hollow to the reverse, with white-painted lower face, long nose, a square red-painted mouth with carved teeth; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the frontier between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola, Central Africa.
From a private London, UK, ethnographic collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Salampasu masks were integral part of the warriors’ society whose primary task was to protect this small enclave against invasions by outside kingdoms.
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 Brass Manilla Slave Bracelet
Okombo Tribe, late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Penannular in profile and round in section with integral pellet and wire detailing. 248 grams, 10.5 cm
From Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Derby, UK, specialist collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Also known as okpoho, Okombo or abi. 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.” The Manilla is in very good condition and measures 105mm wide and weighs about 250gms. Manillas are typically horse shoe-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. -
African Wooden Tugubele Figure
Senufo Tribe, 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Carved in the round standing nude female on a socle base, with crested hairstyle and red painted detailing. 131 grams, 22.6 cm
From Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. From an old Shrewsbury, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Such relatively small figures are employed by the soothsayers of the Senufo people as ‘helpers’ during their oracles and prophecies. -
African Terracotta Bead Necklace Group
12th century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £65
Ten restrung mainly cream and beige-coloured rondelle, tubular and ribbed beads and other types. 64 grams total, 70-74 cm
Ex property of a UK gallery, early 2000s.
