African Art & Wonders: A Collection of Cultural Treasures. In partnership with BAIAS Arte.

A fine and large African Kponyugu mask
Ivory Coast - Senufo people
Carved wood with black patina.
The massive and powerful shape of this heavy mask combines several zoomorphic elements that contribute to create a sense of dynamism and strength. The Kponyugu mask, also known as spitfire masks, is expressly intended for funeral rites of important members of the wealthy Poro society and certainly is among the most intriguing and imaginative creations of African Art.
L cm 76
H cm 34

A fine African Nwantantay mask
Burkina Faso - Bwa people
Carved wood painted with polychrome pigments.
Plank mask depicting a nature spirit with zoomorphic traits. These types of masks, often characterized by wide eyes and aggressive mouths, are used during the great masquerades on the occasion of propitiatory rites.
H cm 81.5

An African 'Janus' Byeri reliquary
Gabon - Fang people
Carved wood bark and woven raffia with thick encrusted patina.
The cylindrical box rests on four slightly bent legs while its cover is surmounted by a wooden carved group depicting two male figures back-to-back with wide-open eyes. The piece is probably a Byeri reliquary of uncommon shape with its Eyema, the 'Guardian Statue', conceived for the cult of ancestral worship.
H cm 58

An African caryatid head rest
Democratic Republic of Congo - Hemba people
A nicely carved anthropomorphic head rest depicting a seated woman with her arms bent to the shoulders.
Head rests like this were used by high-ranking members of the Hemba society to keep the head elevated while resting, protecting their elaborate and cumbersome hairstyles.
H cm 18.5

A fine African Kota reliquary guardian
Gabon - Kota people
Wood covered with copper wire and hammered sheets of metal.
Large reliquary figure Mbulu Ngulu. Figures like this, characterized by their severe appearance and magnetic gaze, were thought to be placed at the center of the family sacred reliquary inside which were kept the venerated skull bones of the ancestors. These bones were preserved in containers made of bark or basketry and the Mbulu Ngulu stood atop bound to it to protect the sacred bones and seal its contents to avoid potential dangerous spirit contamination from the world of the dead to that of the living.
H cm 77

An African mukudj mask
Gabon - Punu people
Light wood covered with white kaolin.
These iconic masks also known as 'White young lady' symbolize the afterlife and spirit of deceased girls of the village and are used in the complex rites of the Okuyi secret society.
H cm 30

A fine tumbaga jewel
Colombia - Tairona culture
Lost wax copper and gold alloy cast.
The pendant probably represents a priest connected with the cult of Heisei, the mighty god of death and rain, depicted with a bat-like aspect.
The alloy used for this type of artefact, called 'tumbaga' contains up to 75% of copper in it and consequently a small quantity of gold. To give a shiny appearance similar to pure gold was used the depletion gilding method: removing the copper from the surface with the aid of acids or salt and then burnishing the surface to make it smooth and shiny the craftsman produces a superficial nearly pure gold layer.
H cm 4.5

A fine bone Indonesian Yene altar
Indonesia, Leti Island
Carved and incised bone.
The extremely accurate carving with its shiny and smooth surface depicts a seated figure with legs drawn to the body in meditative attitude. The way to represent the position of the legs determines the gender of the Yene, the ancestor: male if the legs are drawn to the body, female if the legs are crossed.
This kind of elegant artifacts are small ancestor's altar for private devotional practice and are believed to contain and protect the soul of the deceased for the time necessary to the soul to the eternal departing to the land of deaths.
H cm 10

A magnificent Kayan wooden baby-carrier
Borneo - Kayan
Carved wood, raffia, shell inlay, glass beads.
Of semi-circular shape, this wonderful and complete example of 'ba' or 'hawat' (baby carrier) shows three frontal apotropaic figures that, according to some scholars, are always associated with high-ranking Kayan. The particular shape of the ba, with its shield-like quality, is widely used by the Dayak.
H cm 42

A large Indonesian carved horn
Indonesia - Batak people (?)
Carved water buffalo horn.
The natural shape of the large and slender horn of the water buffalo is enriched by a sober decoration with hot-bent elements to create an elegant container, probably a 'Naga Morsarang'.
This type of container used by the Datu, the Batak shaman, to preserve supernaturally powerful potions, was equipped with an elaborated hinged lid at the mouth and final stopper.
L cm 50

A large Thai Khik bhalad
Thailand, 19th century
Large painted wood ritual phallus. This type of artifacts are made in honor of the fertility goddess Chao Mae Tubtim.
In Bangkok, pregnant women traditionally seek protection from the goddess Chao Mae Tubtim. To gain the goddess's favor, worshippers offer wooden or stone phalluses and lotus flowers at the shrine dedicated to her.
H cm 88

A pair of Indian Naga earrings and headband
India, Nagaland, c. 1900
Ancient tribal Naga earrings made of engraved shells, semi-dried seeds, bamboo, metal beads, and plant fibers.
Slightly different in shape and design, the shells feature hand-engraved dot patterns arranged irregularly. The ornamentation is simple yet evocative, drawing inspiration from nature, specifically from the stars that form the celestial dome.
The tribal headband, rhomboid in shape and made of plant fibers and colored feathers, was the distinctive emblem of certain tribal leaders in the Nagaland territories.
Headband L cm 28
Earrings D cm 5.5

A pair of Indian Naga earrings
India, Nagaland, c. 1900
Ancient tribal Naga earrings made of engraved shells, semi-dried seeds, bamboo, bird feathers, and plant fibers.
Slightly different in shape and design, the shells feature hand-engraved scattered dot patterns.
Earrings D cm 5

A Mesoamerican jade carving
Central America - Mayan style
Light green jade sculpture depicting the crooked figure of a mother with her child.
H cm 10

A rare Tibetan ritual trumpet Kangling
Tibet, 19th century
An ancient wind instrument made from a femur adorned with hand-stitched leather and a brass terminal. The Kangling was used in Tibet during tantric rituals. According to tradition, the music of this instrument was believed to drive away evil spirits and demons. In Buddhist symbolism, the sound of the Kangling was likened to the recitation of mantras.
L cm 29

An African Byeri reliquary
Gabon - Fang people
Bark and carved patinated wood.
Large cylindrical bark box and lid. Four standing figures are fixed on the side wall while a seated figure placed to protect the contents of the box, is fixed to the lid.
H cm 89

A rare India pair of padukas sandals and a Hindu ascetic rosary
India, 19th century
Known as padukas, these sandals are associated with holiness in South and Southeast Asian countries. In Hindu and Jain traditions, they can be offered to temples as religious offerings and are considered true objects of devotion. The sandals are accompanied by a rosary, the mala, a necklace made of wooden beads, which is used in prayer and during religious rituals, spiritual practices, and as a support for meditation.
Sandals L cm 25.5

A fine Hindu temple finial
India, 17th century
Cast bronze cusp for a temple dome.
Made using lost-wax bronze casting, this dome finial from a mandir served as an identifying emblem of the traditional Hindu temple. The finial is the principal symbol of sacred architecture and embodies the aesthetic allure of the grandeur of Indian temples in the highest Hindu religious tradition.
H cm 34

A large Indian dancing mask
India, Early 20th century
Extensively polychromed carved wood mask depicting a female deity.
H cm 41