Kuba Royal Mask

Life along the Congo

The Congo has been the life-force of Central Africa, sweeping across jungles and swamps, forests and lush grasslands, nurturing various unique civilizations, tribes and ethnic traditions. This uniqueness from the Dark Continent was brought to Singapore, showcased in an exhibition of over a hundred rare objects, focusing on face masks, ancestor worship and female power. Art and sculpture dominated, bringing strangely beautiful artifacts from bygone times. The crowning glory was the special showing of four Picassos, based on the African theme.

The after-life seemed to have gripped much of Africa, not just the Nile Valley. Remains of respected elders were secured for all time in reliquary figures, in baskets or wooden containers. Portable shrines in the form of carved personalities represented ancestors, sure to guard and protect the people. These were preserved by repeated applications of palm oil, perhaps also done to activate the idol's dormant powers as a medium. The tribes of Fang and Kota in Gabon, the Kuba and Luba, Punu and Kwele all brought a well-displayed glimpse of the vastness of Africa's artistic traditions.

Ritual masks

Heart-shaped masks were common among the peoples living along the Congo — these were usually covered with a local white pigment called “mpemba”. Such masks were worn at complex native ritual ceremonies, and dances, along with dresses made of leaves, plant fibres, or rough woven cloth. The “kwele” tribe used masks with encircling horns, a reflection of “ekuk”, their protective forest spirit.

The “okuyi” mask idealised female beauty among the Punu of Gabon. The women were venerated and immortalised in masks and figures — often these figures show postures such as holding up a stool-like seat — these were meant for ancestors to be seated. Women were rulers, queens, high priestesses, mothers, or just important relatives — all designating authority, highlighted by their seat.

African mystique

The Portugese came to Africa in the 16th Century, and African mystique began to be carried to the European mainland. The Congo region was colonised in the 19th Century, and the first exhibition of African artistic objects was held in Paris, in 1887, highlighting Gabon's Kota heritage. Some years later saw Henri Matisse, Derain, Modigliani and Pablo Picasso get inspired by African art, in their obsession with surrealism.

285.00 – OLD DOGON FIGURAL IRON SMITH'S FIRE BELLOWS – AFRICA

Old DOGON Figural Iron Smith’s Fire Bellows – AFRICA – Current Price 285.00 Click Here To Discover More!

Old DOGON Figural Iron Smith’s Fire Bellows – AFRICA – OLD DOGON FIGURAL IRON SMITH’S FIGURAL FIRE BELLOWS MALI Origin: Dogon People – MALI Age: Early to midst 20th century Materials: Wood as good as iron Condition: Chips as good as absences, tanned hide as good as siren blank Dimensions : 44,5×9 x8 cm (17 1/2″x 9″x 3 1/4″) Weight: 1,56 kg (3lbs 6 oz) ETHNOGRAPHIC CONTEXT The Dogon live a Bandiagara cliffs, an intensely commanding sourroundings in a really unclothed as good as stern environment. They have been a single of a really couple of existent racial groups to have remained a closest to their genealogical traditions both in inventive countenance as good as in rite practice. Iron smiths form an disdainful standing as good as have been set detached for their special skills. Forged iron total vaunt a technical ability as good as dexterity of a Dogon iron smiths. Iron would be performed from from iron ore by smelting, afterwards by heating a intent would be beaten out in sequence to acquire a preferred shape. The iron smith would emanate a collection as good as weapons used as good as critical protocol as good as rite objects. There exists a far-reaching operation of intent sorts as good as styles, as good as a vast repertoire of gestures as good as poses. Objects of every day as good as protocol operate have been richly flashy with most courtesy paid to detail. ITEM DESCRIPTION An aged as good as used Dogon iron smith’s figural glow bellows from Mali. The physique is fake out of a complicated timber as good as is finely minute with a stylized Dogon face during a center. Elegantly shaped, this aged span of bellows would have been propitious with a vast skin tote which would be mechanically swelled up with air as good as afterwards pressed, so as to recover a air onto a live coals in sequence to keep them comfortable by reviving them. This elementary apparatus would concede a iron smith to try by artful equates to to get a comfortable iron or alternative steel to a really tall heat in sequence to be fake as good as hammered. Iron-smiting is an intensely learned qualification as good as is carried out by specialized craftsmen or “forgeron”, who was mostly a carver of protocol masks, as good as for this reason, have been rarely reputable in African society. One of a iron pipes has been mislaid with time, teh tanned hide bellows have been blank as well, chips as good as absences to a grooved extensions where a skins were once fitted. Nice patina of age as good as use – Collected in Mali. Please feel giveaway to residence any inquiries which we might have. Buy with confidence! Visit My eBay Store: KAZAART to see identical equipment SHIPPING AND CONDITIONS OF SALE We boat Domestic, USA as good as Worldwide. We entice we to delicately review a “SHIPPING AND CONDITIONS OF SALE” Buying an object from us equates to which we accept these conditions, as good as admit a actuality which we have review them prior to committing to buy.

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Kuba