African Art Auction Ending 2/19

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RARE T-SHAPED NKASE BRIDE WEALTH CURRENCY. Yako people, Nigeria. The Yako are a tribe of about 40,000 persons who live in the rainforest of southeastern Nigeria along the Cross River. Nkase was used as a dowry payment. One surface of this superb example has a fine etched design (see drawing). Hand forged iron. H 12in.

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NGEEGUE RITUAL THROWING KNIFE. Sara Daye people, Chad and Central African Republic. Ngeegue with a curved blade that resembles a shepherd?s crook represents the female principle among the Sara Daye people. As their most important ritual object, it is under the control of the King (Mbang) who displays it and other ritual throwing knifes (miyo-bo) to his subjects once a year. Otherwise, it is kept in a special hut facing the setting sun. An F-shaped throwing knife representing maleness sits in the same hut facing the dawn. The blade is sharp and is estimated to be more than 100 years old. One custom base. Hand forged iron. H 20in. Ex Martial Bronsin collection Brussels Belgium.

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DRAMATIC WINGED ILER (HILAIRE) HOE. Songhai people, Niger and Mali. The winged blade is adapted to farming in the sandy soil of northern Mali and Niger on the border of the Sahara Desert. A long wooden handle was inserted in the socket at the base. Said to be more than 100 years old. On custom base. Hand forged iron (see picture). H 16in.

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KONGA OR BOLOKO U-SHAPED ROD CURRENCY. Nkutshu and Basongo Meno people, Congo. This currency was referred to as Konga by the Nkutsu people and as Boloko by the Basongo Mena people. It was produced by Nkutshu blacksmiths and used as currency to buy copper ore from the Basongo Meno people. Boloko were used to buy slaves and as bride wealth payments by the Basongo Meno. In 1910, the bride wealth payment was 10 boloko and a male slave cost 2 boloko. The significance of the flat, disc-shaped feet is not known other than they provide support. Boloko were still used as currency in the 1950s when 1 boloko was worth 30 Belgian francs. Boloko were largely absent from Western collections until the 1980s. (A) Copper. H 12in. (B) Copper. H 15in.

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SPEAR HEAD CURRENCY. Ngbakaa, Mbili, and Bangala people, Congo. Used by the Ngbaka and other groups as bride wealth payment. The knob at the top and the wings at the base of the blade emphasize the non-utilitarian nature of the object. Often referred to as Bangala currency by collectors. This example is thought to be at least 100 years old. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 15in.

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SEVEN 19TH CENTURY GOLD COAST GOLD WEIGHTS. Various shapes including triangle, square, and rectangle. Some notched and perforated. Some with raised abstract designs. See LOT #12 for further information about Gold Coast gold weights. Weights range from 0.4oz to 1.7oz.

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COPPER MBOLE ANKLETS (2). Mbole, Mongo, Jonga, Hamba and other people, Congo. Worn by men and women, and used as currency in important transactions including bride wealth. They were also symbols of status. Wearing one on the right ankle denoted lower status than wearing one on each ankle. Diameter and weight were also important indicators of status, with larger, heavier examples reserved for the highest ranking members of the community. They were made by hammering a rectangular copper plate into the hollow, circular form which was a remarkable feat of the blacksmith?s skill. Not cast in a mold. Although referred to as ?Mbole anklets? by collectors, they were made, worn, and used as currency by multiple tribes in the region of the Kasai and Lomami Rivers. (A) Heavy ring WITH UNUSUAL ENGRAVED RECTANGULAR DESIGNS near both ends. Diameter 5.5in. 2.2lb. (B) Small anklet, possibly for a child. 4.5in 10oz.

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THREE DUBIL CURRENCY RODS. Sukur people, Nigeria and Cameroon. This iron rod currency was made from locally smelted iron by tribal blacksmiths in the Madagoli region of northern Nigeria and Cameroon living in the Mandara Mountains. The blacksmith?s hammer marks are readily apparent. The form with flared ends (that resembles a tibia or shin bone) dates from as early as the 16th century and possibly earlier. In the early 1700s, a male slave cost 13 dubil and a female slave 10 dubil. On custom magnetic base. Hand forged locally smelted iron. H 14-16in.

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TWO MEN?S HOES. Karango people, Zimbabwe. Throughout most of Africa, weeding in traditional farming practice has been done with light weight hoes with short wooden handles. It was important that the hoe be as light as possible because many women farmers also had babies strapped to their backs. A man without the burden of a child and stronger shoulders could use a heavier hoe with an iron handle. (A) 15in long handle with round shaft welded to a 6.5in wide blade. White blotches on the blade are the remnants of moth cocoons (hoes were typically hung outside of a house). (B) 10.5in flat handle with flared base. Handle and blade are a single piece of iron bent at a 60 degree angle. Blacksmith?s hammer marks evident, especially on handle. Both hand forged dating from 1950s.

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ANCIENT RITUAL GONG WITH HUMAN FIGURE. Dogon people, northern Mali. Discovered in a cave in the Bandiagara cliffs. Possibly dating from the 18th century or earlier. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 11.5in.

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FOUR WEST AFRICAN BRACELETS. (A) Mitako coil currency bracelet, Congo. Three rings of 4-sided imported copper alloy wire. Ends have been flattened. Late 19th century. On custom base. Diameter 4in. (B) Twisted coil bracelet called bochie. Made from an imported copper wire. Ends of the bracelet have hairpin turns that were the masterwork of a highly skilled Nigerian blacksmith. In order to appreciate how difficult this is to accomplish with a copper rod hot enough to bend without breaking, one can try to duplicate this feat with a cool stick of licorice candy. Very few, if any, living African blacksmiths can make such a twisted ring. Bochie were highly valued and were often placed in graves with their owners. This example was excavated in the Calabar region of southeastern Nigeria. Copper. Diameter 4in. (C) Yoruba people, western Nigeria. Made from half inch brass rod bent to bracelet form. Spiral engraved design. Patina from wear. On custom base. Diameter 4in. (D) Tuareg people, Mali and Niger. Man?s arm ring called ahbeg worn just above the elbow on one or both arms. Carved from indigenous gneiss stone. On custom base. Diameter 4.75in. Collected in Mopti, Mali, a city on the bank of the Niger River, in 2003. This region is not safe to visit today due to terrorist activity. The US State Department recommends staying away. Visitors are advised to prepare a will and arrange for repatriation of their body in advance if they go to Mali now.

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BRIDE WEALTH SPEAR-FORM CURRENCY. Ngbaka people, Congo. Both from locally smelted, hand forged iron with blacksmith?s hammer marks. Said to date from mid-19th century or earlier. (A) The ?male? form with a distinct point. If a man accepted a girl or woman presented to him as a bride by her family, he would plant one or more of these spear-form objects upright in the ground in front of her family compound. If the offer was rejected, he would lay the blade flat on the ground. H 17in. (B) The ?female? version with a conical knob at the top. Used by the potential bride?s family with same protocol. If the suitor was accepted, the spear was planted upright in the ground. If his suit was rejected, the blade was laid flat on the ground by her family. H 16.5in.

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BANDAKA BRIDEWEALTH CURRENCY. Mambila and Chamba people, Cameroon. (A) ?Jellyfish? form probably derived from a hoe with the curved handle ending in a loop indicating that this is not a functional tool. Although the blade is a single piece of iron, it is divided into two parts which are slightly offset from each other (another sign that this is not a functional tool). The purpose of the rounded knob on the lower edge of the blade is not known. An iron band has been wrapped midshaft, probably to enhance its value. On custom base. Hand forged iron. H 15in. (B) Hoe bride wealth that may be a precursor of the larger ?jellyfish? form. Note the loop at the base of the stem. Hand forged iron. H 8.5in.

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IRON ROD CURRENCY. Ibibio, Efik, and other people in Cross River and Calabar region, Nigeria. These 9 flat rods measuring 13.5in to 16in in length and 3/8 to 5/8in wide date from the 1850s to 1900. All show blacksmith?s hammer marks and were probably traded to natives by Europeans for slaves (female slave worth 10 rods) and used by Africans as currency or to make tools. On custom base. Ex Roberto Ballarini collection, Milan Italy.

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HEAVY ANKLET WITH 4 RIBS. Ngata (Waangata), Kutu (Bakutu), Kela (Akela) and other Mongo subgroups. Named Konga and Likonga by Africans, these anklets were used as currency by various tribes in the Mongo group. Emil Torday, a Hungarian who explored the Congo for the British Museum in 1907-1909 reported that the ?Akela use copper ankle rings as currency which are called Konga?. In 1925, the Belgian explorer Alfred Mahieu noted that ?the Wangata use the Likonga as their main currency? which was worth 2.5 Belgian francs at that time. These anklets were produced by Kutu blacksmith living near the Akela and other tribes of the Mongo group. To make the anklet, molten copper alloy (mostly copper with lead added to increase its weight) was poured into a mold. When partly cooled and formed but still malleable, the flat bar was bent over a log to a curved shape leaving a nubby grain on the inner surface. Dark patina from age with bright copper showing on ribs where rubbed. Diameter 5.5in. Weight 7lb.

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THREE EXAMPLES OF WEST AFRICAN MANILLA CURRENCY. Manillas are a diverse group of iron, copper, and brass forms of African currency. Origin of the term manilla has been attributed to manilho or manillio, said to refer to bracelet in Portuguese and Spanish. Manillas have semi-circular C-shapes, U- or elongated U-shapes, as well as ring and coiled forms. The majority of manillas used in Africa were of European origin, but some were also produced by Africans, especially in the Congo. The major European sources of manillas were the Portuguese, the English who brought Birmingham manillas, the French who brought ?popo? manillas cast in Nantes, and the Dutch with manillas made in Amsterdam. Larger manillas were classified by the British and other Europeans according to size and weight as King, Queen, and Prince manillas. Manillas were accepted by Africans in trade for a vast variety of goods which Europeans shipped back to their countries, including slaves. Manillas were also used as currency by Africans in major transactions such as bride price, as prestige items (often placed in tombs), and as a store of wealth. This was especially true for ?King? and ?Queen? manillas which frequently were decorated with engraved designs, inscriptions, or the owner?s name and hidden or buried to protect them. Each on custom base. (A) British C-form ?okpoho? manilla from Birmingham with flared feet. Late 18th century. Exported to Calabar region of Nigeria. Copper alloy. Width 3.5in. Weight 5.2oz.(B) Extended U-form ?Prince? manilla with faceted cross-section and faceted, square feet. Exported to Congo from Belgium in the 18th century. Copper. Width 7.5in. Weight 2lb. (C) ?King? extended U-form manilla with quadrilateral cross-section. Spiral designs along 3 of the 4 edges. One surface has an inscription or name engraved in capital English letters. Imported from Britain in the 18th century and excavated from a stash of manillas in central Nigeria. Square faced feet. Width 13.5in. Weight 11lb.

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SPIRAL COIL MANILLA. Nigeria. Coiled manillas were made by Nigerian blacksmiths from imported copper wire. They were used as currency for important transactions with value depending on length, the number of coils, thickness of the wire, cross section shape of the wire (diamond vs round), and shape of the feet or ends (conical or discoid). Used most widely in the Calabar and Cross River regions from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. This example made from round wire with twenty-seven coils with each ring 4in in diameter is 10.5in long and has conical feet. Because of their high value, coiled manillas were often hidden in buried stashes and placed in graves with their deceased owners. This coiled manilla is reported to have been excavated in the Igbo-Ukwu region in the early 1900s. On custom base. Weight 7lb.

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HEAVY CONGOLESE BRASS ANKLETS. These heavy anklet/leg bands were forged by blacksmiths who poured molten brass into a mold. The mold was created by pressing a wooden form in specially prepared wet sand mixed with clay which hardens like concrete when dry. While the metal was still very hot, the ingot was bent over the trunk of a tree to achieve the correct shape. The anklet was worn by a woman during celebratory events as a sign of wealth. Her feet and ankles were protected with pads of cloth and leaves (litelele). See picture. The anklets were also a form of currency in important transactions. A high sheen was created by polishing the surface with a smooth stone. (A) Kutu (Bakutu), Ekonda, Kota and other Mongo subgroups. Worn with high side in back and slit in the front. Copper alloy. H 9in. Weight 7.2lb. (B) and (C) Budja and Ngombe Mongo subgroups. Anklets like these are reportedly from Bozene village located on a tributary of the Congo River. They were the work of a highly skilled blacksmith able to create heavy objects such as these with numerous nearly flawless fine ribs and channels using primitive molds. (B) Copper H 6in Weight 6.4lb. (C) Copper alloy H 3in Weight 4.2lb.

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WEST AFRICAN GONGS AND GONG BEATERS. (A) Fon people, Benin. Ceremonial gong. Iron. H 15in. (B) Yoruba people, Nigeria. Ceremonial gong and gong beater. Each with looped handle. Each on custom base. Iron. Gong H 9in Beater H 12in. (C) Mossi people, Burkina Faso. Unusual shape for a gong with curved handle. On custom base. Iron. H 9.5in. (D) Asante people, Ghana. Contemporary gong with traditional form made from recycled iron. Collected in 2004 in the main Kumasi market. Gongs like this were still used at that time to summon villagers to gather. H 15in. (E) Malinke people, Guinea. Articulated gong beater used for a large gong. On custom base. H 9in.

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FOUR ANIMAL GOLDWEIGHTS. Gold Coast (Ghana and Ivory Coast). All brass and lost wax cast. See LOT #!2 for more information about gold weights. (A) Monkey on all four legs holding a banana in one hand. H1.5in 2.2oz. (B) Stork on base. H 2.5in 2.1oz. (C) Hornbill bird on cannon on a pyramidal base. H 2.5in 4.4oz. (D) Two crocodiles with a round common body. Represents the proverb, ?No sense fighting over food since it all goes to one stomach?. A symbol of cooperation. H 0.5in 1.6oz.