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...
H. 9 cm. Mid 20th century or a bit older.
For a similar spoon see the screenshot of the Van Rijn Archive.
Depicting a female spouse figure ‘Blolo Bla’. H. 13 cm.
first half of the 20th century. Great age wear and patina.
Ex coll. Maine Durieu, Paris.
The Baule believe a person is married to both an earthly and a spirit spouse. This sculpture honored its owner’s spirit partner to bring peace, luck, and money. Scarifications on her face and body individualized and enhanced her idealized beauty...
Caryatid stool with a sitting female figure. Hardwood, h. 26 cm, diameter 23 cm. First half of the 20th century.
minor repair to one leg. The earrings have been replaced.
Provenance:
Donald Taitt, Paris,
Aponem Auction, 2019,
J.M. Desaive, Herve, Belgium
With a great offering patina. H. 16,5 cm. Mid 20th century or older.
Ex Galerie Maine Durieu, Paris
Old Baule (Baoule) Colonial Period carved wood sculpture of a maternity figure or spirit spouse (Blolo Bla). With elaborate hair and ringed neck. Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire). Pre 1950. Approximately 18” tall.
Baule maternity, Côte d’Ivoire.
Made for sale by a traditional Baule carver in the 1920’s-30’s.
According to Guy van Rijn there were two workshops in those days, where traditional Baule carvers produced objects for commercial purposes.
H. 44 cm. Left hand missing, right arm repaired.
Ex Dutch private collection, ex Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.
Lovely small bird fetish from the early to mid 20th century.
H. 24 cm.
Ex Jean-Marc Desaive, Belgium,
Ex Srdjan Sremac, The Hague, The Netherlands,
Ex Berry de Bruijn, Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands.
Benue Plateau, mid 20th century. H. 40 cm.
Ex Robert van der Heijden, Amsterdam.
Ex Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, March 2014.
The Djompre are a small ethnic group with their homeland in the Benue Plateau State in northern Nigeria. They call themselves Kutep or Kutev, the denomination Djombre - which means cannibals - has probably been given to them by the neighbouring Chamba.
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).
An African helmet mask decorated with glass beadwork from Bamum/Yoruba tribe, Cameroon. With a bird effigy. Circa 1940.
Two females from the Egba sub group of the Yoruba’s. H. 23 cm. First half of the 20th century. Ex French private collection. Condition: old insect damage and some old repairs to the ears of one of the figures.
Anthropomorphic Lega mask from the Kievu & Maniema region in Eastern Congo. H. 22 cm.
First half of the 20th century.
Provenance:
Hans Petereit, Cologne, Germany
Fily Keita, Los Angeles, USA
Michel Boulanger, Liège, Belgium
Goldfield Auctions, Luxembourg, 27 June 2021, Lot 105.
Guy van Rijn archive: ao-0186890-001
Tugubele figures represent helpful bush spirits. The belong to the local ritual expert of the Senufo people, assisting them with their oracles and predictions.
This figure dates from the first half of the 20th century and shows good signs of use.
Provenance:
André Vanhecke, Belgium,
Srdjan Sremac, The Hague.
Hardwood, first half 20th century. H. 18 cm. Old insect damage. Ex private collection Belgium, collected in Abidjan in 1968.
An African Mali ceremonial mask. Hand carved with applied brass strips and cowlry shells. Beautiful patina, it measures 15" high x 9" across x 5".
Bamana Sukun mask
First half 20th century.
Parts of the ears and a kind of horn on the forehead are missing.
Traces of polichromy.
Rare mask with great age!
Ex Swiss private collection.
H. 40 cm
Stand included.
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...