Mende / Sierra Leone Sande Society Wooden figure of a Female, Africa Mid 20th Century. 36" high. The female association Sande is the counterpart of the male association of the Poro. Sande is directed by experienced older women and divided in subgroups. Right foot missing but in very good condition.
Large African Kuba Wooden Owl Mask, circa mid-20th Century, Democratic Republic of Congo. Hand carved with pricked ears, sharp pointed beak, and large rounded eyes. Pigments of cream, brown, and black. 22" high and in excellent condition.
Large African Wooden Songye Kifwebe Mask, circa mid-20th Century, Democratic Republic of Congo. Striated mask, or Kifwebe, are generally used by figures of authority to exercise political or social control. The female mask is predominantly white while the male is generally striated in three colors. 19" high and in excellent condition.
Baule / Cote d'Ivoire Kpwan Dance Mask, Africa, Mid 20th Century. 17" high, wood, kaoline. Stunning facial features with two figures playing a game atop mask. Used for performances and not considered dangerous or sacred. In excellent condition.
Shoowa / Democratic Republic of Congo Hand woven Raffia Textile Cloth, Africa Mid 20th Century. 47: x 23 1/2". Rib is pulled from palm frond and rubbed soft. Fiber is scraped with a shell and combed. It is then woven on loom and pounded with ivory tusk until soft. In excellent condition.
Benin / Nigeria Bronze Bird of Prophesy, Mid 20th Century. 12 1/2" high. During the Igala war, the bird of prophecy flew over the Benin warriors making loud shrieking noises, an indication of doom. Oba Esigie was advised by his mother, Iyoba Idia, to shoot the bird of prophecy out of the sky and cast it forever in bronze. Oba Esigie went on to win the war against the Igala. During the annual Ugie Oro ceremony, chiefs strike the bronze beak of the bird of prophecy in honor of Oba Esigie’s vi ...click for details
