Terracotta & Miscellaneous

« Inquire About This Item » This is a bit of an oddity. I know only that this piece came from Nigeria, presumably the northeast. The half-moon decorations on the body are similar to details on Sao terracottas, but the clay is dissimilar. Although I have seen many Sao figurines of cattle, they have been uniformly plain with a hump, horns, and a sense of movement, but otherwise lacking detail. Here, the decorations are not only numerous, but deeply imprinted even though they have since filled up with fine, impacted earth, indicating that the piece was buried for a considerable period. The body is hollow and there is a hole in the belly. The end of the tail is missing and one foot has been restored so that the figurine stands on its own. The head tilts deliberately to one side, evoking a large healthy animal at pasture. The clay is very solid and, at the break, reveals itself to be similar to Nok pieces in that it is heavily grogged with a fine, burnished slip coat surface. 9" long and 4" high. Price on request.	« Inquire About This Item » These highly refined and burnished pots come from Uganda. They are said to be Basoga, an agrarian people living on a broad peninsula in the northeast corner of Lake Victoria. The pots are not common, but those I have seen are fairly consistent in style and scale, here about 8" tall. The one variable seems to be the flare at the top of the vessel, which can be either extreme or modest. The pots are thin-walled and have a concave base that allows them to sit flat, even on soft or warped surfaces. They are smooth to the touch. Traces of white residue and an absence of odor in the interior suggest they were used for the serving of palm wine. They are formed from a dark grey to black gray with ruddy highlights and incised designs on their shoulders. Price upon request.	« Inquire About This Item » Description coming soon.	« Inquire About This Item » The Yoruba must have a name for this rare object, but my research has yet to uncover it. While some examples of these have figurative iron elements around the rim evoking the divining and healing powers of the goddess Osanyin, this bowl employs only staples pinning seeds of a variety of black cardamon. A fifteenth staple, driven into the center of the bowl, pins a neolithic celt symbol of the Yoruba god Shango. 12" diameter. 19th/early 20th century. $500 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » Abusua kuruwa are funerary vessels with projecting figures or heads representing matrilineal characters or retainers of the notable being honored. This head is one of three surviving from a vessel of ancient origin, now lost. Gold dust mixed in with the clay still shimmers on the surface and indicates the wealth and status of the honoree. Abusa Kuruwa are distinguished from day-to-day Akan pottery by the inclusion of figural elements; their forms are traditional and utilitarian. This beautiful head with its serene expression is more than 150 years old. About 3.5" tall. $950 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4
« Inquire About This Item » Abusua kuruwa are funerary vessels with projecting figures or heads representing matrilineal characters or retainers of the notable being honored. This head is one of three surviving from a vessel of ancient origin, now lost. Gold dust mixed in with the clay still shimmers on the surface and indicates the wealth and status of the honoree. Abusa Kuruwa are distinguished from day-to-day Akan pottery by the inclusion of figural elements; their forms are traditional and utilitarian. This beautiful head with its serene expression is more than 150 years old. About 3.5" tall. $950 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » Abusua kuruwa are funerary vessels with projecting figures or heads representing matrilineal characters or retainers of the notable being honored. This fragmentary head is one of three surviving from a vessel of ancient origin, now lost. Gold dust mixed in with the clay still shimmers on the surface and indicates the wealth and status of the honoree. Abusa Kuruwa are distinguished from day-to-day Akan pottery by the inclusion of figural elements; their forms are traditional and utilitarian. This beautiful head with its serene expression is more than 150 years old. About 3.5" tall. Loss to chin and jaw area as illustrated. $500 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » The Dakari are a small ethnic group farming the hills of northeast Nigeria. They are known almost exclusively for outdoor memorial pottery in the form of people, animals, equestrian figures, highly stylized elephants and non-figurative pseudo-vessels. Their creation is solely the domain of women who also make utilitarian crockery. This striking female figure combines human and animal elements. Known locally as a "son" or "servant of the dead" it formerly stood atop a spherical or hemispherical vessel reminiscent the domed and pot-like bases of ancient Bura, Katsina and Sokoto terra-cotta. The upturned striated face, open mouth and abreviated flipper-like arms are classic Dakakari. Based on the age of field photographs and the evaporation of Dakakari material from the import market it appears the tradition of memorial pottery is now extinct. 11" tall, 14" including the custom hardwood mount. $2400 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » The Cham and the Mwana are tribes speaking the same language, living to the north of the Benue River in northern Nigeria. In common with their neighbors the Waja and Longuda, they traditionally fabricated figurative terra cotta vessels for the specific purposes of divining, protection of children (born and unborn) and the treatment of diseases in people and livestock. These vessels, known as itinate, were made exclusively by men (in contrast with household pottery which was the singular domain of women.) Deciphering the precise purpose of a itinate without the aid of a Cham-Mwana initiate is difficult if not impossible. However, this large and beautifully detailed specimen appears to be a chandu- a female pot used by a diviner as an oracle and household guardian. The figure wears prominent ear plugs in each ear, one in her upper lip and another (missing) in her lower lip. A large flute (?) is strapped to her right shoulder. I consider this vessel among the finest Cham-Mwana vessels I have seen. 19". Provided with a ring stand. $1800 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » The Cham-Mwana of Nigeria's upper Benue valley are best known for their figurative medicine vessels. Not all such vessels, or itinate as they are locally known, are figurative. This extraordinary vessel is neither figurative nor obviously utilitarian. The sole opening, beside a (perhaps ritual) break in the bottom of the pot is a small hole at the center of the four pairs of looping arms. Filling such a vessel would require its immersion; drinking from it would require a straw. Whatever its purpose, this vessel was clearly discarded after use. It's cavity is filled with compacted earth and roots indicating it spent some time at least partially underground. 9.5" tall. Provided with a ring base. $700 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3
« Inquire About This Item » The Cham and the Mwana are tribes speaking the same language, living to the north of the Benue River in northern Nigeria. They traditionally fabricated figurative terra cotta vessels for the specific purposes of divining, protection of children (born and unborn) and the treatment of diseases in people and livestock. These vessels, known as itinate, were made exclusively by men (in contrast with household pottery which was the singular domain of women.) This beautifully crafted vessel depicts an individual of uncertain sex. It's spine and ribs are protuberant. It's shoulder blades jut out. It's right hand hovers over its left, an object (a new born child?) balanced on its right wrist. Although emaciated, the figure does not reveal any suffering in either its expression or pose; rather he or she is focussed on its hands and the task or curative process with which it is is preoccupied. 12.5" tall, provided with a metal ring base (not the grassfields head-ring shown). $700 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » Male craftsmen of the Cham-Mwana of Nigeria's upper Benue valley fabricated figurative clay vessels in a variety of forms for the treatment of ailments and protective purposes. Once their need was determined villagers would consult a diviner who would then prescribe that a certain vessel be built for them. Only then was the potter commissioned. This pot, with it's curled body and hollowed abdomen, may be a type of vessel known locally as gando, used to cure stomach aches. Unlike most gando however, this vessel has an opening which would have allowed it to be filled with liquid. Although lacking a mouth, the figure manages to express great feeling through its bowed head and open hands. Once cured patients discarded such pots away from the village. 12.5". Provided with a metal ring base (not shown). $1200 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » Traditional homes of the northeastern Ibo often had one or more shrines featuring ceramic works. Through the aid of a diviner, a family's deity would reveal its needs and the required pots and figures would be acquired. This striking male figure wears only a hat, slippers, a necklace and a heavy bracelet. On his left shoulder he supports a colonial era rifle. These details suggest that he was a commissioned work representing a specific individual, perhaps a deceased family member who had served in the colonial army. At the same time, he is a ntekpe or a 'child of the shrine' whose task is to aid and protect the honored deity. He still bears much of his original pigmentation along with years of wind blown earth and, on his front, splashes of sacrificial offerings. His backside, which would have been close to the shrine's rear wall, is devoid of encrustation. At 18" in height he is an impressive example of Ibo terra cotta sculpture from the first quarter of the 20th century by a skilled female artist. $3500 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » The Qua culture was centered in the region of modern day Calabar, Nigeria. It is known largely through unearthed figurative and non figurative ceramic vessels dating from the 10th to 11th centuries. A similar headrest, tested for age using thermo-luminescent technology, provided a result of approximately 1,000 years. Although the Qua no doubt used headrests in their daily lives the fine condition frequently encountered with Qua headrests suggest a funereal function. The pale surface color, grey interior clay and remarkably thin walls of this headrest are hallmarks of Qua ceramics. The striated surface, circular opening and paired string holes are classic as well. On the opposite side, the intricate and finely incised design is exceptional for its level of detail and expansive tableau while falling well within known Qua motifs. An extraordinary find. Near flawless condition. 16cm across (6.5") $2400 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » It is a common practice in West Africa to splash the first drops of home brew onto the ground "for the ancestors" before taking a sip yourself. It's such a strong tradition that it survived the cruelties of the middle passage and slavery to live on firmly in the diaspora cultures of the Americas and Caribbean. The association between libation and honoring the dead is not limited to toasts. The internment of the deceased was until recently often accompanied with the burial of terra cotta vessels both used ones and others made specifically for such a purpose. Not infrequently archeological pots are found with their openings capped suggesting they were not buried empty. This beautiful pot is in flawless condition. It may be anywhere from one to several centuries old. White decoration over red glaze. No repairs. Unmounted 15" high, 10" diameter. Price on request « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2
« Inquire About This Item » Although only 7" tall this expressive ntekpe (child of the shrine) is exquisitely detailed. Traditional homes of the northeastern Ibo often had at least one shrine incorporating ceramic works. The contents of such altars were prescribed by the family's deity through the ministrations of a diviner. These works could be purchased ready-made in local markets or commissioned from local artisans. Here, the ancestral figurine is a naked male confidently astride a stool and wearing only a bracelet hat and neck rings. A staff of some sort rests in his left hand. Traces of kaolin and red ochre highlight the face and body. Price on request. « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » The use of fired ceramic in funerary customs, ancestral worship and the memorialization of the deceased is both ancient and widespread in Africa south of the Sahara. The Ashante have utilized ceramics in these practices for centuries, but their customs are hardly static. The placing of terra cotta memorial heads in sacred places (asensie) evolved out of earlier traditions. In the 19th and 20th centuries- the approximate date of this head- symbolic portrait heads were created with glossy, black, painted surfaces. Presumably these were intended to memorialize from within the descendants' homes. The great majority of such heads are large- about a 12" in diameter or more. While unusually small, this example is classic nonetheless. It is deftly and minimally detailed with typical tribal marks on its upturned disc-shaped face. Although there is some minor characteristic loss to a section of its base the sculpture is largely whole and in excellent condition. Although probably never steady on its integral base it was made to be a free standing object. A custom steel mount now holds its upright and protects it. 7" inches tall. Price on request « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » The Mama of Nigeria's culturally rich Benue valley are best known for their abstractly rendered buffalo masks. The Mama also carve figures with bulbous heads, inflated torsos and bulky arms posed like rugby players preparing to join the scrum. This Mama figure may be related to the female figure in the Yale archive (0079241). He is also listed in the archive (0113477~01). His genitals have been knocked off- probably deliberately-, an arm has been reattached and a foot was lost long ago. He is old and as evidenced from the sole of his remaining foot and the contrasting patination of his front and back sides it appears he was situated for a considerable period on an altar or reserved area on the floor of a hut with earth underfoot, leaning back against a mud wall. The use of figures among the Mama is not well known. It is likely however that this figure served as some sort of ancestral idol. It is possible that clay figures are more common than the two known examples suggest as African traders would certainly prefer to ferry lighter and less fragile wooden sculptures whenever possible. 19.5" tall. Some traces of red ochre. Price on request « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » The Azande were prolific potters for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in the 19th century. Their lands in the transition zone between the Congo basin and the upper Nile made them middle men between Arab traders from the north with their beads and metal trade goods and forest dwellers to the south and east with their ivory and other raw materials. With the arrival of Europeans and new outposts of trade the Azande became quick studies in creating goods to cater to their new neighbors and structure their relations to the new regional brokers of power and wealth. By the 1930s handicrafts in wood and ceramics were being produced for this small but active market in outposts throughout the region among them Lirangu in southern Sudan. It was there that the Azande potter Mbitim established a workshop producing distinctive, largely figurative ceramics in a variety of forms not limited to vessels. Many of his works would eventually find their way to England and the United States- including vases and bookends donated to the American Museum of Natural History and published in Schildkraut and Keim's excellent book "African Reflections, Art from Northeastern Zaire." In this lovely 6.5" tall paperweight, a child wearing shorts and holding a box sits with a small dog. The fine features, delicate modeling and meticulous detail are classic Mbitim. The dog has lost its right paw, but otherwise in remarkable condition. Price on request. « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3	« Inquire About This Item » This paperweight by the Azande potter Mbitim was clearly made for Europeans. However, the coiffures and faces have distinctly tribal origins. The Azande were prolific potters for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in the 19th century. Their lands in the transition zone between the Congo basin and the upper Nile made them middle men between Arab traders from the north with their beads and metal trade goods and forest dwellers to the south and east with their ivory and other raw materials. With the arrival of Europeans and new outposts of trade the Azande became quick studies in creating goods to cater to their new neighbors and structure their relations to the new regional brokers of power and wealth. By the 1930s handicrafts in wood and ceramics were being produced for this small but active market in outposts throughout the region among them Lirangu in southern Sudan. It was there that the Azande potter Mbitim established a workshop producing distinctive, largely figurative ceramics in a variety of forms not limited to vessels. Many of his works would eventually find their way to England and the United States- including vases and bookends donated to the American Museum of Natural History and published in Schildkraut and Keim's excellent book "African Reflections, Art from Northeastern Zaire." 8" wide. Price on request. « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2
« Inquire About This Item » Akan memorial heads have a history dating to before the 16th century. They are are generalized portraits of an deceased notable, here a woman with a partially shaven head and elaborate asymmetrical coiffure. Such heads were placed in variety of locations although never at the grave site: in sacred groves or indoor shrines where they were the focus of libations and ritual sacrifice. This beautiful example (Yale #114700) is likely by the same hand as one published in Arts d'Afrique Noire, no.83, 1992. A similar example is published in"African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection", by William Fagg The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968: #96; an example identified by the late Roy Sieber as coming from the Adansi-Fomena area of (Ghana) around the year 1850. The snail shaped knobs on the head represent gold hair ornaments worn by royalty. 9.5". Custom base. Price on request « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 4	« Inquire About This Item » The Azande of northeastern Congo and southwestern Sudan are renowned for their compact, magnificently crafted ceramics. Formed from a light colored clay with deeply incised abrstract designs Azande pottery come in a wide variety of forms. Three lobed pots with a single cylindrical or tapered neck are well known tours de force in the Azande repertory. Following the collapse of the invasion of eastern Congo by Laurent Kabila and his Ugandan and Rwandan military backers in the late 90s, and a subsequent shift in security conditions in neighboring regions of Sudan, substantial quantities of antique ethnographic material began making its way to art traders in Kampala, Nairobi and Dar Es Salam. Within a few years authentic material was becoming scarce and new, poorly executed reproduction began to take their place. This rare and beautiful example has a small essentially invisible repair on the rim but it otherwise intact. It was purchased in 2002. 10" tall. Price on request. « Inquire About This Item » View Number 2 « Inquire About This Item » View Number 3