A Curated Auction from the Rosen African Art Collection in New York Ending 4/9

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PENDANTS (5). Coptic Christian people, Ethiopia. Four variants of cross form and one star. Silver-nickel alloy. 1.5in-3in.

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ELU FACE MASK. Ogoni people (?), Nigeria. The hair is arranged into 8 twisted spikes. This mask is slightly larger than the typical Elu mask and may belong to a tribe near the Ogoni. The lower jaw has a multitude of thin teeth. Wood, pigment. H 11in. Exhibited at the Free library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 117. See Lot #7.

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NGIL FACE MASK. Fang people, Gabon. Worn by a member of the Ngil Society, the mask has been painted white with kaolin clay to embody the spirits of ancestors. Scarifications are represented on the forehead and cheeks. Wood, pigment. H 24.5in. See Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 171.

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BOGOLAN (“MUD CLOTH”) TEXTILE. Bamana people, Mali. Made from 8 strips of hand woven, hand sewn cotton “country cloth” characterized by thick strands of yarn. This textile displays a stunning, colorful array of hand painted designs created with earth tone pigments. Cotton. 70inx47in.

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RUFFLED DANCE SKIRT. Kuba people, Democratic Republic of Congo. This old textile has a black cut pile border and characteristic hand embroidered designs on hand woven raffia cloth. Raffia cloth, pigment. 72inx25in. See Clarke 1997 pp 46-63.

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FACE MASK WITH OWL. Anang(Ibibio) people, Nigeria. A nocturnal animal with large frontal eyes like humans, exceptionally keen eyesight, and silent flight, the owl is associated with witchcraft and death. On this mask, the owl stands above a coiled snake, possibly a reference to Mami Wata, a water spirit. The face is decorated with lines and dots that are typical of Anang masks. Wood, paint. H 19in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. See Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 153 for a similar example.

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RITUAL RATTLE. Dogon people, Mali. The head of a rooster graces this superb example that was collected in the Bandiagara region of Mali near Mopti in 2005. The 12 rattle discs made from dried calabash shells have differing sizes and shapes that account for the distinctive sound it makes when shaken. The Bandiagara region is noted for beautiful cave paintings at the site where rattles such as this are used during initiation ceremonies for boys. On custom base. Wood, calabash. H 17in.

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WOMEN’S INDIGO WRAPS (3). Burkina Faso. All hand woven cotton cloth. Very soft from repeated washing, and tie dyed. (A) Dafing people. Fish, porcupines and various abstract designs. 70inx40in. (B) Gurunsi people (?) Checker board designs composed of chevron-shaped dots. Deep indigo color with a X-design border at both ends. Made from 15 narrow strips. 60inx50in. (C) Mossi people. Made from 7 strips with 3 different designs composed of chevron-shaped dots including the checkerboard pattern. Light and deep indigo strips. 56inx29in.

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FACE MASK, Dan people, Liberia. This mask has the male characteristics of a beard and large, round eyes encircled by metal discs. There are also metal teeth. The spirit of the mask is “activated” by the nail in it’s forehead. Wood, pigment, raffia, metal. H 9.5in. See Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 22.

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SICKLE-FORM CEREMONIAL THROWING KNIFE. Kirdi people, Chad/Cameroon. Although considered a type of throwing knife, these weapons were only displayed on ceremonial occasions where they were hand held or carried on a short staff inserted in the socket. Given the primitive conditions under which blacksmiths worked, it required great skill to forge the socket, twisted shaft, and flat bird head-shaped blade from a single rod of native smelted iron. For this reason, an object such as this was a prized possession. On custom base. H 16.5in. Exhibited at the Pen and Brush Gallery New York 2006.

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GHANAIAN PUPPETS (2). (A) Ewe people. Hand puppet representing an elephant. Collected from Gadede Gilbert, puppet maker, in Accra 2005. Can be displayed on a capped bottle filled with water or sand. Calabash, printed Kente cloth, cowrie shells, wood. H 15in. (B) Ashante people. String puppet of a woman carrying a load of firewood on her head. She is dressed in a printed cotton blouse, skirt, and white sandals. Multiple articulated joints moved by strings. On custom base. The stem of the base fits into a socket in the back at the top of the skirt under the blouse. Wood, cloth, string, leather, metal. H 16in.

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DANCE SKIRT PANEL. Shoowa Kuba people, Democratic Republic of Congo. This exquisite textile displays complex cut pile design elements with diamonds and triangles in a criss cross pattern created by embroidery on hand woven raffia cloth. Raffia. 103.5inx20in. See Gillow 2003 pp 196-197.

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JOLLY (pronounced Jollay) SOCIETY HELMET MASK. Temne or Lokko people, Sierra Leone. Collected in 2003 from Cisse Amiata in Ropupu village. The helmet portion of this mask has 4 Hindu-inspired faces typically found on Mami Wata-related masks. The wearer peered through two small slits below one of the faces. A circular hole cut in the mask for ventilations was partly obscured by the cloth costume.The figure on top represents one of the acrobats who entertains at Jolly Society masquerades. In Sierra Leone sculpture, the presence of a man above a female (here 4 females) refers to the power of women as expressed in the commonly used expression, “woman tote man”. Brightly colored paints such as silver used here are common in Jolly Society masks. Wood, paint. H 18in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 62. See attached text.

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ASAFO MILITIA FLAG (FRANKAA). Fante people, Ghana. This flag reflects the patrilineal membership of an Asafo Company as expressed in proverbs such as, “It is with one of its own family that the bird roosts”. The flag depicts a mother hornbill bird (here a symbol of the Company elders) teaching three offspring (young Asafo Company initiates) how to fly. Unusual features are the eccentric position of the images as well as the brown and beige bands that frame them. The canton is a modified Union Jack in the form of a cross. Entirely hand sewn. Cotton textile. 59inx43in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2013, the SMA Fathers Museum of African Art New Jersey 2015, and the University of Memphis Tennessee 2016. Published in “Emblems of Power: Asafo Flags from Ghana” 2013 by MS Rosen/ PP Rosen p 82. This 103 page book has detailed descriptions of this and about 50 other Asafo flags and a history of the Asafo militia tradition. It is available ONLY from the authors at ppr2001@med.cornell.edu. See attached picture.

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TWO SPEARS. Democratic Republic of Congo. (A) Mongo people. This is primarily a prestige spear with a bell. Carrying this weapon indicated a person’s high rank in the community as represented by the bell and copper wire twisted on the shaft. Wood, iron, copper. H55in. (B) Kusu/Batella people (see original tag attached). From an old English collection. The iron point is balanced by a wooden knob at the base. The insertion of the iron shaft into the wood handle is wrapped with leather. Attached is an old C.B. Fenton & Co shipping tag with the inventory number “B353/E32”. Spear dates from the late 19th century. Wood, iron, leather. H 47in.

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WEST AFRICAN HOES WITH AMULETS. (A) Songhai people, Niger/Mali. This is referred to as an “iler” type of hoe. The iron wing-shaped hand forged blade is attached to a hand forged iron shaft. The handle portion of the shaft is decorated with amulet-inspired designs with 3 embedded brass bands that are intended to help the farmer to reap an abundant harvest. The iler-form blade is very effective for farming in the sandy soil of the southern Sahara or Sahel. The fine patina of the handle where the inscribed designs have been partly effaced attests to the long use of this implement. Iron, brass. H 55in. (B) Bamana people, Mali. This hoe was collected from a “champion” farmer in Wereba village. The rectangular knob on the shaft is an amulet. Fine patina on handle from use. Wood, iron. H 29in.

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SIERRA LEONE BUNDU (SOWEI) HELMET MASK AND MEDICINE HEAD. (A) Helmet mask, Sherbro people. Collected in 2004 from a village near Sumbaya. The object on top that resembles an up-side-down table is an amulet. Three tiers of additional medicine bundle amulets form part of the coiffure. The eyes are pierced by horizontal slits. On custom base. H 16in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p48. (B) Medicine head, Mende people. Collected from a village in the Kenema region in 2004. As free-standing objects or situated on a cloth and wood body, medicine heads are altars women consult for various issues including infertility. They are miniature solid replicas of Bundu helmet masks. Wood, pigment. H 9in.

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WOMAN’S INDIGO WRAP. Dogon people, Mali. Hand woven, hand sewn soft exceptionally deep indigo textile with resist-dyed chevron-shaped designs. Cotton. 57.5inx43.5in. Ex Museum for African Art New York 2003.

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MAMI WATA MASK. Yoruba people, western Nigeria near the Benin border. The female face has puffed out cheeks decorated with scarifications, and bulging eyes. A cloth band with a floral design tied in a bow surrounds her hair. The hair is braided and drawn over her forehead where it is held by a tie. A serpent encircles her face ending in a head with a gaping, tooth-lined mouth below her chin. The pupils of the woman’s eyes and the eyes of the serpent are flashlight bulbs. Mami Wata is a water spirit related to snakes. This mask was worn on top of the head, slightly pitched downward. It was probably placed on a cloth pad that contained substances which attracted the insects that damaged the interior. Wood, paint, flashlight bulbs. H 9in. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 134.

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WINGED PLANK MASK. Bwa people, Burkina Faso. Representing a bird or a butterfly, this mask embodies the spirit of nature and the rebirth that accompanies rains after the dry season. It appears at initiations ceremonies, funerals, and festivals. Wood, pigment. H 58in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 106.