African Art Auction Ending 3/26

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ASAFO MILITIA FLAG. Fante people, Ghana. This flag expresses the proverb, “The leader of the body is the head”. It celebrates the leader of the militia, Kwesie Inkoom, and a female Asafo officer, Essiein Koomah. The dual powers of the leader are symbolized by the Siamese twin figure seated on a stool (authority by the three-tailed whip and military leadership by the sword). He is being fanned by Essiein, and act of respect intended to “cool” a powerful warrior. The appliqued figures and Union Jack canton are hand sewn with embroidered details. Cotton textile. 57inx 36in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia, the SMA Fathers Museum of African Art New Jersey, and the University of Memphis TN. Published in “Emblems of Power. Asafo Flags from Ghana” p84 Fig 83. This book is only available from the authors at ppr2001@med.cornell.edu.

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FACE MASKS. Sierra Leone. These masks were worn in Jolly (Jollay) Society masquerades. (A) Lokko people. Old female mask with red lips and Hindu-inspired red dots on forehead and cheeks, sites where traditional scarifications would be located. Collected in Port Lokko. Wood, paint. H 6.5in. (B) Temne people. Female mask with abundant hair held with headband and braid. A cloth covering was attached to the wire armature. Cheek scarifications. Collected in Matatuka village. Wood, paint, cloth, fake hair, wire. H 10in. Both exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. (A) published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p87 Fig 114.

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MAMI WATA FACE MASK. Temne people, Sierra Leone. This extraordinary tri-level Ode-Lay Society mask, carved from a single block of wood, has Hindu-inspired features in the lower face and the upper female figure who is holding two snakes. Two other snakes are attacking the central leopard head. The wearer peered through the eyes of the lower face. It required great agility to support this large mask. This sculpture is the work of John Goba, the renowned Sierra Leone sculptor, who is credited with creating some of the most important Ode-Lay and Jolly Society masks. Wood, paint, cloth, fiber. H 32in. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 91 Figs 119, 120.

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AKUNITAN CLOTH OF THE GREAT OR KING’S ROYAL ROBE. Ashante people, Ghana. Worn only by Chiefs on important ceremonial occasions. This example has appliqued symbols of royal power and wealth. The symbols are often associated with proverbs that refer to the Chief’s authority such as the elephant, lion, stool and crocodile. Similar symbols are found on adinkra stamped textiles. Older akunitan robes such as this example typically have alternating representational and abstract symbols. The open work border, unusual for an akunitan cloth, is referred to as “the wings of the King” (meaning that his hands cover and protect his people). This cloth was collected in Kumasi in 2005. It was created by Opanin Akwasi Bamieh and was reported to be 93 years old. Felt with appliqued felt symbols and border. 126in x 87in (without border).

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MAN’S WRAP. Ewe people, Ghana. At least 70 years old, this cloth was made from 18 hand-woven, hand sewn strips with alternating warp stripe designs. In contrast to more recent Ewe textiles woven with bright colors, this very soft old cloth has a muted aspect despite the wide range of colors employed. Collected near Kpetoe Ghana. Cotton. 104in x 61in.

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MAMI WATA HEAD CREST MASK. Temne people, Sierra Leone. Mami Wata is a siren or spirit associated with water and snakes. In this female bust sculpture, two snakes encircle her neck and rise along her back to emerge over the top of her coiffure of abundant black yarn. A number of features suggest that this is the work of the renowned Sierra Leone sculptor, John Goba, who is known for his use of Western material to ornament and empower his work. In this case, an old blue glass Christmas tree ball hangs from the hair and pieces of colorful, shiny plastic have been pasted to her forehead. Pasted on her cheeks are small cutouts of the symbol for radioactive material, indicating the extraordinary powers associated with Mami Wata (she’s radioactive!). Collected in Port Lokko. Wood, paint, yarn, Christmas tree ornament, other decorative material. Exhibited at the Free Library Gallery Philadelphia 2012. Published in Rosen/Rosen 2013 p 67 Fig 83.

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NTSHAKISHWEPI MAN’S DANCE SKIRT. Bushongo people, Democratic Republic of Congo. This soft, unusual old hand woven textile has been dyed deep red. The elaborate, densely distributed geometric designs were largely created by hand embroidery. The many circles are an unusual feature. Because this process is very labor intensive, newer raffia work has much less dense embroidery and larger appliqued patches. After it is woven, raffia cloth is stiff and uncomfortable to wear. It is softened by soaking water and beating (see Lot #29H) which can produce holes. The initial role of applique was to cover these defects, but in time applique was seen as a welcome decorative motif even when there were no holes to cover. Raffia cloth. 17ft 2in x 34in.

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COPPER NINETEENTH CENTURY PRE-COIN CURRENCY OBJECTS. Congo. All made by pouring molten copper into a flat wooden mold embedded in sand. When still very hot, the metal was bent around a log to the desired shape. (A) Currency arch (Ngelima). Mbole people, Lomani and Lower Ituri River region. Used only for barter transactions and bride price. On custom base. H 3.0in 1.4lb. (B) Anklet (Budja or Ngombe). Mongo people (Bozene village on a tributary of the Ubangi River). Prized form with multiple ridges. Worn by women on important occasions as a sign of high status. Used as bride price. H 5.25in 6.4lb. (C) Anklet. Mongo people. Has a characteristic central ridge that divides into two branches at each end. H 4.5in 4.0lb.

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WEST AFRICAN STRIP WEAVING MATERIALS. (A) Pair of carding paddles used to transform raw cotton balls into strands that can be spun into threads. Late 19th-early 20th century. Labelled “CARD COTTON No1. Made by BFC FRANCE” with eagle trademark. Wire bristles, cloth, wood, nails. W 10.5in. (B) Oval bundle of hand spun cotton thread on a stick. Made by spinning cotton strands created with carding paddles. A bundle such as this was used to lay out the warp threads for undyed country cloth. A RARE FIND since commercially made thread wound on spools has been used for more than 75 years in West Africa. Mende people, Sierra Leone. Hand spun cotton thread, wood. L 10.5in. (C) Bundle of very fine, multicolored silk thread prepared to lay out the warp stripe pattern for an Ashante textile. Ashante people, Ghana. L 9.5in. (D) Two weaving “boats” (shuttles) and a hollow wooden spool with tightly wound fine blue thread. The spool rides on a wire that fits into a shuttle. Shuttle is passed back and forth between warp threads. Ashante people, Ghana. Wood, thread. “Boats” 8 in; Spool 6in. (E) Hand carved heddle pulley of Akan doll form and spool. Used to suspend a heddle through which warp threads are passed. Ashante people, Ghana. Wood. Pulley H 6.0in; Spool H 1.5in. (F) Two Heddles. Used to separate warp threads. One or more warp threads are passed through each space between the “teeth” made of fine threads. (1) Ashante people, Ghana. VERY OLD single heddle made from numerous strands of fine thread suspended between two rods. A bundle of green threads tied to a rope loop on one side passes through the shaft of a disc (made by cutting a thread spool in half) that serves as a pedal which the weaver holds between two toes to raise and lower the heddle. Wood, thread. Heddle 6.5in. (2) Ashante people, Ghana. VERY OLD double heddle with same form as (1). The two heddles were operated in tandem in order to manipulate different sets of warp threads. The heddles were suspended by loops of rope at the top. The bundles of green and black thread on the bottom were used to suspend foot pedals operated by the left and right feet, respectively. Heddles 6in each. (G) Beater. Ashante people, Ghana. The beater was used to pull each weft thread tightly in place after it was passed between the warp threads. The ropes at each end were used to suspend the beater. Wood, rope. 5.5in x 7.5in. (H) Ashante people, Ghana. Weaving sword. Used to separate selected warp threads to pass weft threads in “boat”. On custom base. Wood. H 10in. (I) Grooved beater. Used to soften raffia cloth and to give sheen to waxed, tie-dyed cotton cloth. Face carved on handle. H 13in. SEE ATTACHED PICTURES OF WEAVERS AT WORK IN GHANA, the pictures are for reference only and are not included in the lot. {1. Weaver in his work station. Red, green and gold weft threads stretch from lower left into white heddle suspended from a heddle pulley. Weavers holds pedals to operate heddles between his toe. Bonwire Ghana. 2. View from inside a weaver’s work station showing weft threads attached to a weight to keep the taut as they enter heddles suspended from heddle pulleys. Sanga village, Ghana. 3. Apprentice weaver 18-year-old Stanley Emeybo holding a shuttle in his work station. Picture shows the position of two heddles and a beater on the warp threads. Sanga Village, Ghana. 4. An apprentice weaver holding a shuttle in his right hand is using a beater in his left hand to tighten a weft thread he has just inserted with the shuttle. Note his feet operating pedals attached to the heddles. Sanga Village, Ghana.}

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CHIEF’S ROBE. Ewe people, Ghana. Twenty hand-woven, hand sewn strips with two warp stripe patterns, various weft blocks and bird “scriptures” at the ends. Cotton 79in x 145in.