Central African Clay Smoking Pipe

Carved with tubular eyes, a wide mouth with metal plate teeth, a broad nose and raffia hair around the whole mask. 1.15 kg, face long: 28.5 cm



From Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, West Africa. From an old Newbury, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

Masks are owned by families and used by individual lineage members in contexts of social control, boy’s circumcision camps, and entertainment. Most We masks were created to frighten with the gaping jaws and tubular eyes. Modern ethnology puts the Wobe and Guere together under the name We, despite the fact that the people themselves use the old names.

Penannular in form and D-shaped in section formed from bronze and brass coils, with clubbed beast-head finials. 182 grams, 76 mm



Private collection, London, UK.

Carved from light-coloured, lightweight wood in traditional form and dyed black; large, round head, with striated hairstyle to the centre, large eyes and three short lines representing the typical tribal scarification marks on the forehead; tapering body and stub arms, tiered base. 532 grams, 46.5 cm



From Ghana, West Africa. From the private collection of Mr N.J., Leicester, UK; acquired circa 2010. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

Among the Ashanti people in Ghana, women hoping for offspring carry these ‘Akuaba dolls’ in their clothes. Traditionally, these ‘Akuaba’ have a large, round, flat head that is reminiscent of its origin as a representation of the moon goddess, which is associated with fertility. Once the ‘Akuaba’ figure has fulfilled its purpose, the mother of the desired child places it on her domestic altar, where it is worshipped in a shrine, or she passes it on to the next generation.