From our African Collection: A Yoruba Metal Wheel Shrine, circa 1900. approx 80" h. TYPES OF ART The arts of the Yoruba are as numerous as their deities, and many objects are placed on shrines to honor the gods and the ancestors. Beautiful sculpture abounds in wood and brass and the occasional terracotta. Varied masking traditions have resulted in a great diversity of mask forms...

Fertility doll. H. 16,5 cm. Mid 20th century.

Very large doll made by a known carver. H. 40,5 cm. Second quarter of the 20th century. Condition: both arms reattached. Lovely honey brown patina. The style of this Akuaba with its unusual coiffure is described in the book ‘Akua’ba Asante Wednesday Child’ by Ron van Doorn and Herbert M. Cole. Provenance: Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam. (Vetter at Parcours des Mondes, Paris).

Ashanti doll, 2nd quarter of the 20th century, by a known carver. See Ron van Doorn - Herbert M. Cole : Akua’Ba Asante Wednesday Child, page 154-155. H. 24,5 cm. Provenance: private collection UK.

Old mask of the "gunyeya" type, used for ritual running competitions, with eyebrows in slight relief, round eyes, protruding large nose and lips, small chin. Multiple perforations around the rim for attachment of hair and beard, both missing. Wood, with fine age patina. Ivory Coast/Liberia, Dan ethnic group, first half of 20th century. Height: 25.5 cm. Small accidents, otherwise good condition. Provenance: Paris auction sale 1971.

Antique, first half of the 20th century, African Tribal throwing knife with hand-forged iron blade of elaborated form adorned on each face with a scored pattern, mounted in hand-carved bulbous wooden handle.

The custom-made metal display stand is included...

Fertility doll, called "akuaba", with its typical cross shape and flat circular head. Wood, with fine glossy patina. Africa, Ghana, Ashanti ethnic group. Height: 10" (26 cm). Old insect infestation at the back lower part (no danger), otherwise very good condition.

Very old and nicely carved black mask, of typical conical coiffe and slightly smiling feminine face. Wood, fine patina. Africa, Gabon, Punu Peoples, Tsangui sub-group. Height: 13 1/4" (34 cm). Old accident on left side of coiffe, erosion due to age, otherwise very good condition. Ex. old French collection.

Anthropomorpic female figure. Probably used as a headdress. H. 48 cm. Mid 20th century. Provenance: Kathy van der Pas en Steven van de Raadt, 1998, Otto Schaap, Amsterdam, De Zwaan, Amsterdam, 2020.

This collection of 3 hand carved wooden hair combs is from the Nigerian Yoruba tribe. They were brought to the US by a (then young) anthropologist who traveled extensively in Africa during the early 1960's and have been retained in his personal collection until recently.

The taller center comb is 8 inches and the shorter combs on the sides are 4.25 inches. I prefer to sell them as a collection.

H. 85 cm.  Mid 20th century. Artist: Tage from Kpwazang (?) Provenance: Norfolk State Museum Marc Assayag, Montreal, Canada Srdjan Sremac, The Hague Auction: Dorotheum Vienna, ‘Tribal Art’, March 2022.

Wonderful kneeling female Agere Ifa Figure from the Yoruba People made of wood and pigment, carrying a bowl. The figure has good age and shows much handling.

Such figures could well have been used in the divination process among the Yoruba called Ifa. Cowry shells, cola nuts, may have been kept in the bowl being carried by the woman...

From our African Collection: A Senufo Winged Figure,circa 1960. 72" h. The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the western Burkina Faso. One sub-group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...

A glass bead decorated gourd from the Maasai people in Kenya. This type of gourd is used traditionally for the mixture of milk and blood that is a staple of the Maasai diet. Early 20th century.

Approximately 24 cm long. In fine condition. Noted are half a dozen insect holes in the lid, these are old and mostly filled in...

Face mask of oval shape, with typical cubistic features. Wood, dark-brown patina, remnants of kaolin around the eyes. Africa, R.D. Congo (ex. Zaire), Lwalwa Peoples. Height: 11 5/8" (29,7 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Old accident locally restored on top of coiffe, otherwise very good condition.

Gelede mask - Yoruba - Ohori - Benin. H. 25 cm. Mid 20th century. Guy van Rijn archive ao-0110592-001. Ex coll. Ursula Voorhuis (1932-2021).

This tall figure was made by the Jompre people of Nigeria, although this appears to be an offensive name, probably given by the neighbouring Chamba, and meaning ‘cannibals’. Alternative names for the Jompre include Kutep, Kuteb, Kutev, Mbarike and Zumper. They inhabit the Benue Valley, on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon, an area that is still relatively undocumented...

The gourd container with a hardwood stopper with a head. H. 17 cm. Mid 20th century.