African Art Collection Auction Ending 1/25

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RITUAL SPOON. Dan people, Ivory Coast. The handle of this ritual spoon is formed by the bust of a woman with typical Dan features consisting of a three-lobed braided hairstyle, three neck rings (symbolic of good health), an ample bosom (symbolic of a nurturing role), and an umbilical hernia (symbolic of maternity). Three is a number associated with good fortune in many African cultures. The upper part of the bowl suggests the hips of a crouching woman, especially when the spoon is viewed from the back. Spoons like this are presented to a village woman who is an outstanding farmer and cook. It is used in ceremonial functions where the honored woman serves rice to the village. H 22in. W 4in. Wood, pigment. See Bacquart 1998 p. 38.

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NGIL FACE MASK. Fang people, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea. Worn by a member of the Ngil Society. The white kaolin clay used to paint the face embodies the spirits of ancestors. The masker is illuminated by torchlight at night during initiation ceremonies or during trials to punish witches and criminals. H 22.5in. W 9.0in. Wood, pigment. See Rosen 2013 117-172.

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WOMAN’S INDIGO WRAP. Mossi people, Burkina Faso. This cloth consists of 12 hand woven, hand sewn strips with three different warp patterns. The ends have been hemmed by hand. L 67in. W 39in. Cotton.

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BEDU PLANK MASK. Nfana people, Ivory Coast, Ghana. These masks are used to stress the importance of strong family and community ties in ceremonies of the Bedu Society. The masks often appear in male/female pairs. The male mask is topped by horns and the superstructure of the female mask has a central round aperture. H 72.5in. W 20in. Wood, pigment. See Rosen 2013 p. 31 Fig.28.

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ASAFO MILITA COMPANY FLAG. Fante people, Ghana. This flag refers to the proverb, “Like an airplane, we can go anywhere”. The flag depicts a one-armed man, probably representing a rival Company, facing an airplane. This flag delivers the message that the Company owning the flag has the mystical powers of airplane. Faced with such power, a rival Company is as weak as a one-armed man if it attempts an attack. The canton is a modified Union Jack. Entirely hand sewn with embroidered details. L 56.5in. W 34in. Cotton. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery, Philadelphia 2013. Published in “Emblems of Power” 2013 p. 89 Fig. 93. This book is only available from the authors at ppr2001@med.cornell.edu

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SEATED FEMALE PUPPET. Baule people, Ivory Coast. Collected in Boake region in 2005. With arms articulated at the shoulders, the left hand is clenched to hold a staff and the right hand is extended with the palm cupped upward. The flexed arms with protruding elbows create an angle that mirrors the angle of the legs flexed at the knees. A figure such as this would have been placed in a fertility shrine. H 13in.W 4in. Wood, pigment, nails.

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STRING PUPPET. Ewe people, Ghana. This old puppet, collected in Accra in 2004, is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, and knees. The age of the puppet is evidenced by the faded exposed trousers when compared to the waist hidden beneath the shirt. Note the Kente pattern in the shirt. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2004. H 15.5in. W 5in. Wood, cloth, string, nails, pigment, beads.

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PENDANTS (4). West Africa. Portrait of a woman, Baule people ,Ivory Coast H 3.25in. Commemorative coin celebrating agriculture in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) 13/8in. Diamond-shaped gold weight with geometric designs Ivory Coast H 2.5in. brass. Butterfly Ivory Coast 1in. copper.

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FACE MASK. Gere people, Ivory Coast. Masks such as this are worn during funeral rites or as “detective spirits” seeking persons guilty of crimes. Characteristic features are the tubular eyes highlighted with white pigment, an open mouth, prominent domed forehead, and horns emerging from the face. H 7.5in. W 5in. See Bacquart 1998 p.44.

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“WHITE WOMAN” STRING PUPPET. Ghana. Collected in Accra in 2004. This puppet is articulated at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips and knees. Dressed in African print cloth with a kerchief on her head, she carries a baby in a sling on her back. Collected in Accra, Ghana in 2004 where it was identified by the puppeteer as a “white woman”. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery, New York City 2005. H 16in. W 6.5in. Wood, string, nails, leather, cloth, paint.

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COMMEMORATIVE CLOTH. Mali. There is a tradition in Mali and other African nations to print textiles that commemorate important events or public initiatives sponsored by a government and/or private organization. This textile was printed by COMATEX S.A. MALI and was collected in Bamako. It honors efforts to improve maternal and neo-natal health by drawing attention to La Sage Femme (the midwife) during the Journee Internationale De La Sage Femme (The International Day of the Midwife) and ASFM, Association Des Sages Femmes du Mali (ASFM, the Association of Malian Midwives). The emblem of ASFM displays a pregnant woman undergoing an examination by a midwife under the motto Je Suis Sage Femme (I Am a Midwife). Another slogan reads Le Rôle de la Sage Femme Dans la Réduction de la Mortalité Maternelle et Neo-Natale (The Role of the Midwife in the reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality). The dot-like pattern is formed by the image of a seated infant. Collected in Bamako, Mali. L 70in. W 43in. Cotton.

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BEADED WOMAN’S APRON (CACHE SEXE). Kirdi people, Cameroon. The elaborate design with a contrasting bead in the center of each diamond and the diamond-shaped openwork throughout make this an extraordinary example of a Kirdi woman’s apron. As such it would denote a person of high social status. L 19.5in (beadwork only) W 8.5in. Beads, string, rope, cowrie shells. See Gillow 2003 p. 204.

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OKUY FACE MASK. Punu people, Gabon. This mask presents the idealized portrait of a deceased female ancestor who returns as a guardian spirit at funerals and other ceremonies. In this instance, the carving of the braided hairstyle is more elaborate than on most Okuy masks. H 13.5in. W 7in. Wood, pigment. See Rosen 2013 pp.164-169.

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ABSTRACT BOGOLAN TEXTILE. Bamana people, Mali. This unusual bogolan cloth with a painted leopard skin-like design consists of 10 hand woven strips. L 72in. W 44in. Cotton, pigment.

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GOLD WEIGHTS (2). Ivory Coast. Mudfish with twisted tail 2 in. Square with abstract design. 1.75in. Hand cast brass.

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FACE MASK. Salampasu people, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola. This old mask has copper plate over wooden form. The bumpy surface of the copper represents scarifications. The balls made from strips of plant material on the head and hanging by a string from the chin are characteristic features of older Salampasu masks. More recent masks made only from wood lack copper plating and the plant fiber balls. The fierce facial features reflect the use of this mask during initiation into a warrior society. H 18in. (mask alone) W 9.5in. Wood, copper, rope, string, wire, nails, plant fibers. On custom base. See Bacquart 1998 pp. 180-181.

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ASAFO MILITIA COMPANY FLAG. Fante people, Ghana. This exceptional flag expresses the proverb, “Our ship is ready to go. It can carry a load of any size.” It depicts a British sailing ship flying a modified Union Jack with two portholes for cannons on its side. In this context, the Company that displays this flag associates itself with an emblem of European power, announcing that if provoked it is ready to deliver a blow as devastating as the broadside from a large ship. In contrast to at least 95% of Asafo flags which have identical images on both sides, here the fish are white and the potholes are maroon on the obverse side whereas this combination is reversed on the reverse side. The flag is entirely hand sewn with embroidered details and a modified Union Jack. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery, Philadelphia 2013 and the SMA Fathers Museum of African Art, Tenafly NJ 2014. Published in “Emblems of Power. Asafo Flags from Ghana” 2013 p.72 Fig 60. Collected in Ghana. This book is only available from the authors at ppr2001@med.cornell.edu L 54in. W 33.5in. Cotton textile.

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KNEELING FEMALE MBOKO DIVINATION FIGURE. Luba people, Democratic Republic of Congo. The bowl holds ritual substances for libations. H 10.5in. W 4in. Wood.

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MBLO PORTRAIT FACE MASK. Baule people, Ivory Coast. This classic mask presents the face of an idealized beautiful woman. Standing on the crown of the mask is a crouching man. The serrated border of the mask refers to the sun. Masks of this type are worn in entertainment dances where the significance of the mask’s features is explained by the songs and performance that accompanies it. The mask is held in place by rubber straps and a transverse wooden bar that the wearer grasps in his teeth. H 19in. W 9in. Wood, pigment. See Hahner-Herzog 1998 p. 41.

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LAMBA MENA BURIAL SHROUD. Malagasy people, Madagascar. These fine single strip textiles with a traditional warp stripe design are woven by women. Several shrouds are used during a funeral. Malagasy textiles are not widely available to collectors. The weaver’s tag sewn to the cloth reads, “VOLASOA. No 4-26 Kashe lehibe” L 73in. (with tasssels) W 12in. Cotton. See Kraemer 2002.