This austere and well-carved female figure was made by the Baga tribe of Guinea, and is a rarity. The proportions are deliberately modified, so the figure has short arms, a  More »

This austere and well-carved female figure was made by the Baga tribe of Guinea, and is a rarity. The proportions are deliberately modified, so the figure has short arms, a long torso, elongated arms and an oversized head. The face is absolutely classically Baga, with a high, hooked nose, wide-open eyes, a created coiffure, facial scarring and a small, tube-shaped mouth. Unusually, it also has a pierced nose (with an iron ring), several necklaces, anklets and a series of raffia/textile belts around the hips. The figure is seated upon a low stool, the hands resting on the knees. The figure is of a young female, as evidenced by the pert breasts and taut rendering; the patina is golden but does not appear to have received libations. The status of the figure might be argued to be somewhat elevated on the basis that it is seated – stools are prestige items – and adorned with jewellery.The Baga live on the Coast of Guinea, and are named for the phrase bae-raka: People of the Seaside. They speak their own language and also the Mande language, Susu. Their economy is based upon rice agriculture and fishing; the latter which may have been secondarily learned as oral tradition states that the Baga people were once inland rather than coastal, and were driven towards the sea by a hostile invasion of their homelands. Baga Style Wooden Statue of a Woman with Metal Coverings - PF.1222Origin: West Africa Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: Decorative Arts Style: Baga Medium: Wood and Metal   « Less

Benin Style Bronze Sculpture of an Oba - PF.1510Origin: Southcentral Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Style: Benin Medium: Bronze

Benin Style Bronze Sculpture of an Oba - PF.1510Origin: Southcentral Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Style: Benin Medium: Bronze   « Less

This beautiful head was made in the style of one of Africa's greatest historical groups: the Ife.It is a beautifully serene piece, with vertical scarifications of the face,  More »

This beautiful head was made in the style of one of Africa's greatest historical groups: the Ife.It is a beautifully serene piece, with vertical scarifications of the face, triangular eyes and an aperture atop the head,perhaps for holding libations or offrenda.This shadowy group is known primarily from its artworks, and is also believed to be ancestral to the Yoruba polity of Nigeria. This is a reiterative piece, but one done with superb skill and sensitivity. This is an outstanding piece of African art.- (DA.683 (LSO))Ife Style Terracotta Head - DA.683(LSO)Origin:West Africa Circa:20th Century ADDimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high Collection: Decorative Arts Style: Ife Medium: Terracotta Condition: Extra Fine   « Less

This beautifully-observed and charmingly- executed sculpture of a snake charmer pertains to a cultural tradition of enormous importance to the development of West African and  More »

This beautifully-observed and charmingly- executed sculpture of a snake charmer pertains to a cultural tradition of enormous importance to the development of West African and even world art trends. The Ife people were at the very forefront of technological and aesthetic innovation, and their artworks count among the very earliest naturalistic anthropomorphic statuary in the world, significantly predating the European renaissance, and even today ranking among humanity’s greatest artistic achievements.This piece represents a well-nourished male, sat cross-legged with the left leg splayed to the side and his right leg raised and with his right elbow resting on his knee. The modelling of his face is exceptionally fine, with a high forehead, arched brows, a tapering nose and relief-rimmed eyes, his head topped with a skullcap (which usually implies a certain social status in Ife art). His figure is rounded, with a plump stomach, rounded shoulders and naturalistic legs with spatulate feet. The arms are also well modelled, with expressionistically-rendered hands. He is dressed in a lattice-worked and pleated loincloth that reaches from the hips to the mid-thigh. He has a snake wrapped around his right wrist and held in the right hand, while the serpent continues to his left hand there his fingers grip it right behind the head. Ife Style Bronze Replica of the Seated Figure of Tada - DB.011 (LSO)Origin: West Africa Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 13"(33.0cm)high Collection:Decorative Arts Style: Ife Medium: Bronze Condition: Very Fine   « Less

Ife Style Terracotta Standing Figure - DB.051Origin: Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 34" (86.4cm) high Collection: African Art Style: Ife Medium: Terracotta  More »

Ife Style Terracotta Standing Figure - DB.051Origin: Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 34" (86.4cm) high Collection: African Art Style: Ife Medium: Terracotta Condition: Very Fine   « Less

This sculpture of a seated woman with a child seated on her right knee is a maternity shrine figure from the latter days of the Benin Empire, Nigeria. The representation is  More »

This sculpture of a seated woman with a child seated on her right knee is a maternity shrine figure from the latter days of the Benin Empire, Nigeria. The representation is indisputably that of an elite personage, as judged from the seated position (stools are prestige items in African tribal groups), the well-nourished body shape, the ornate crown/coiffure and the jewellery. The face is traditionally Benin, with a rounded chin, oval, rimmed eyes and the trefoil designs at the edges of the mouth. It is remarkable in the five- stripe “ikharo” scarifications over each eye. While not rigid in terms of definition, these are associated with women, and also with foreigners (representations of Benin males typically have 2 x 3 marks). The status markers imply that this represents a queen or ancestress of the Benin polity.The kingdom of Benin can justifiably lay claim to having produced the finest artists and craftsmen in the history of the African continent. The foundation of the Benin peoples was contemporary with the European late mediaeval period, when the kingdom of Benin was founded by a descendent of an Ife king in c.1180 AD. In the 15th and 16th centuries AD the power of the empire stretched across most of West Africa, and those areas not under their control were indirectly influenced by the effect of their trade networks and material culture styles. The power of this empire was unequalled in its time, and the full extent of the rulers’ wealth only became apparent in the aftermath of its destruction by the British in 1897. Terracotta Maternity Figure - MT.0277 (LSO)Origin: Africa Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 35.5" (90.2cm) high Collection: Decorative Art Medium: Terracotta   « Less

This amusing piece poses a quandary as it is so unusual that it cannot be reliably linked to any specific tribal group. Minor details, however, can be thus linked. For  More »

This amusing piece poses a quandary as it is so unusual that it cannot be reliably linked to any specific tribal group. Minor details, however, can be thus linked. For instance, the beard is similar to those of Dogon pieces, the face shape of the Chokwe, while the droopy eyes are reminiscent of Pende masks. The triangular pendant is fairly universal (perhaps Malian?), and while armlets such as this have been noted in the ancient Bankoni group, they went on to be a marker of high status in numerous other populations. The pose is also peculiar – African statues are usually monolithic in terms of stance, and while some are dynamically carved they do not usually demonstrate anything approaching this somewhat anecdotal posture. The fact that the comparatively large genitalia are exposed is unusual, for these are usually hidden or only hinted at by the sculptor, given their social impact.Sculpture of a Man with One Hand Raised - MT.0276 (LSO)Origin: West Africa Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Art Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Ife Style Terracotta Sculpture of a Seated Figure - MT.0279Origin: Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 31.75" (80.6cm) high x 16.5" (41.9cm) wide Collection: African  More »

Ife Style Terracotta Sculpture of a Seated Figure - MT.0279Origin: Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 31.75" (80.6cm) high x 16.5" (41.9cm) wide Collection: African Art Style: Ife Medium: Terracotta   « Less

The ancient Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern nation state of Benin) was situated in southern Nigeria. The people of Benin, known as the Bini, were ruled  More »

The ancient Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern nation state of Benin) was situated in southern Nigeria. The people of Benin, known as the Bini, were ruled by an Oba, or king. Benin City (known as Edo to the Bini) was their fortified capital from which the Obas carved out their territory and controlled of lucrative trade routes. Commercial links with Europe via the Portuguese were first established in the late 15th Century, ushering in a Golden Age of wealth, power, and prestige for the Obas. Eventually, the Kingdom would succumb to the ravages of colonialism, when in 1897, the British launched a punitive expedition that destroyed the “great city of Benin” as it was once described by the Portuguese. Ironically, the destruction of the city and the pillaging of its artistic treasure ultimately exposed the West to the sophisticated sculptural traditions of Benin and led to a tremendous curiosity and appreciation of their culture. Today, the magnificent creative legacy of the Kingdom of Benin is considered to rank among the finest works of art on the African continent and beyond, on par with the contemporaneous masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque Europe.The art of Benin is the product of an urban royal court. As such, it is meant to symbolize and extol the power,mystique, grandeur, endurance, and continuity of the ruling dynasty. As the role of the Oba became increasingly ceremonial, their art evolved into an instrument of the state. Sculptures in ivory, wood, and bronze depict the Oba festooned in ornate robes and beaded necklaces alongside attendants and guardians. Foreigners (mostly Portuguese) are also occasionally represented, demonstrating the extent of the Oba’s authority. The Oba himself is often symbolized by animals including the leopard and the mudfish. Pair of Benin Style Bronze Sculptures of Leopards - CK.0033Origin: Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADDimensions: 11.75" (29.8cm) high x 4" (10.2cm) wide x 10" (25.4cm) depth Collection: African Style: Benin Medium: Bronze   « Less

Wooden Sculpture of a Man - MT.306Origin: Mambila/ Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Art Style: Mambila

Wooden Sculpture of a Man - MT.306Origin: Mambila/ Nigeria Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Art Style: Mambila   « Less