Humanity is immensely fortunate to bear witness to the vitality and ingeniousness in the way the African artist has over time captured the character and presence of the wild animal, and importantly, how this piece is then used in a traditional context: to give protection, for personal adornment, to dance with, or to sit and sleep on. It is a spiritual connection.
I have cast a wide net and captured only a tiny fraction of the vast variety of representations of the animal in African traditional art. Indeed the pool and scope is virtually endless. Saying that, it has been a challenging project to know when and where to draw the line. African art would not be the same without the animal in it’s midst.
Enjoy, Bryan Reeves
1. HEAD CREST MASK IN THE
FORM OF A CHAMELEON AND BICYCLE
Igbo Culture, Nigeria
Ex Romy Rey Collection, London
Ex Monika Wengraf, London
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 51cm
2.
HEAD ADORNMENT SURMOUNTED BY A LEOPARD Kaka/Bamileke Cultures, Cameroon Ex Andrzej von Staranburg Niedenthal Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 45cm
3. LINKED DOUBLE HEADREST WITH DOG HEADS - CROSS CULTURE PIECE
Zulu Culture, South Africa
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1920’s - 1930’s
L: 73cm
4. FOOD BOWL IN THE FORM OF A WILD DUCK
Lozi Culture, Zambia
Ex Private Collection, South Africa
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 48cm
5. HEAD CREST MASK ‘EGBUKELE’ IN
Ekpeye Culture, Nigeria
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 102cm
THE FORM OF A PANGOLIN
6. ZOOMORPHIC HEADREST
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 31.5cm
7. HEADREST/STOOL RESEMBLING A TORTOISE
Bongo Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 29cm
8. MEDICINE CONTAINER WITH OWL STOPPER
Zigua Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 24cm
9. CALABASH MEDICINE CONTAINERS WITH
SNAKE HEADS
Zigua Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 24cm & 27.5cm
10. MASK DEPICTING A HYENA
Bambara Culture, Mali
Ex Private Collection Josef Herman, London
(Studio photo of the mask hanging on the wall above Josef Herman)
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H: 45cm
11. ANCESTOR RIDING A LEOPARD
Yoruba Culture, Nigeria
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
H: 47cm
12. PRESTIGE STAFF WITH GAZELLE HEAD
Hehe Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
H: 63cm
13. HEAD ADORNMENT WITH WARTHOG TEETH
Gurunsi/Mossi or Related Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
W: 54cm
Sagara Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 50.5cm
14. ELEPHANT MASK
15. EARLY STOOL DEPICTING A LEOPARD
Bamileke Culture, Cameroon
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 41cm
16. BRONZE ‘NYI-KAR-YI’ RING (RING OF SILENCE)
Senufo Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century or Before
H: 5.5cm
17. LARGE TITLE STOOL OF AN ELEPHANT
Ashanti Culture, Ghana
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 59cm
18. HEAD ADORNMENT WITH BIRD FEATHERS
Mangbetu Culture, DRC
Ex Emmanuel Ameloot, Belgium
Circa 1930’s
H: 23cm
19. GRANARY DOOR LOCK IN THE
FORM OF A CROCODILE
Bambara Culture, Mali
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century or Before H: 55cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
20. CROCODILE HIDE SHIELD
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century H: 107cm
21. MEDICINE CONTAINER WITH MONKEYS
Makonde Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, The Netherlands
Estimated Period:
1st Half 20th Century
H: 57cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
22. MASK ‘NYENNE’ SYMBOLISING THE FOREST SPIRIT
Poro Society, Kuranko Culture, Guinea
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period:
1st Half 20th Century
H: 80cm
23. MASK ‘NYENNE’
Poro Society, Kuranko Culture, Guinea
Ex Romy Rey Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half
20th Century
H: 63.5cm
24. PRESTIGE ‘LAKET’ WITH OWL FEATHERS ‘LASHAL’
Kuba Culture, DRC
Ex Private Collection, Belgium
Circa 1930’s
H: 23cm
25. MASK DEPICTING A WILD CAT
Makua Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, Germany
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
H: 30cm
26. PRESTIGE BELT WITH BIRDS IN GOLD FOIL
Akan Culture, Ghana/Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 64cm
27. PRESTIGE BLADE WITH CROCODILE AND BOAR TUSKS
Mahdi Culture, Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 49cm
28. GROUP OF ANIMAL GOLD WEIGHTS
Akan Culture, Ghana
Various Private Collections
Estimated Period: 19th Century
L: 3cm - 6cm
Eastern Pende Culture, DRC Ex Private Collection, UK Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century H: 45cm
30. MASK WITH LONG HORNS ‘GIPHOGO’
Eastern Pende Culture, DRC
Ex Private Collection, Belgium
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century or Before
H: 58cm
31. PRESTIGE STOOL WITH FINE ANIMAL MOTIFS
Duala Culture, Cameroon Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Quarter 20th Century L: 55cm
32. PRESTIGE BLADE WITH SNAKE HEADS
Ingessana Culture, Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 60cm
33. IRON SHRINE PIECES DEPICTING THREE SNAKES
Gan or Related Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Romy Rey Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
L: 7cm - 12cm
34. GRAIN STORAGE BASKET WITH
ANIMAL DECORATIONS
Wagogo Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
D: 37cm
35. ZOOMORPHIC STOOL
Lobi/Gurunsi Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century L: 34cm
36. COLLECTION OF GOLD WEIGHTS REPRESENTING AQUATIC ANIMALS
Akan Culture, Ghana
Various Private Collections, UK & Europe
Estimated Period: 19th Century
L: 3cm - 8cm
37. ZOOMORPHIC HEADREST
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 80cm
38. LARGE HEAD ADORNMENT
‘IPIEDZA’
Konkomba Culture, Ghana
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century or Before
H: 81cm
39. UPPER ARM ADORNMENTS
IN THE FORM OF CATTLE HORNS
Kenga Culture, Chad
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 18cm
40. PORTAL DOOR WITH FINE ANIMAL DECORATIONS
Nupe Culture, Nigeria
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 140cm
41. MASK DEPICTING A BIRD WITH LONG BEAK
Chewa Culture, Malawi
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 38cm
42. MASK DEPICTING A RAM
Baule Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 34cm
43. GONG BEATER WITH CHAMELEON AND TURTLE
Baule Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, Chris Lewis, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century or Before
L: 26cm
44. BUSH COW MASK
Bamileke Culture, Cameroon
Ex Christies London,
lot 151 July 1981
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period:
Early 20th Century
H: 64cm
45. PRESTIGE STAFF WITH A SNAKE
Chokwe Culture, Angola
Ex Private Collection, South Africa
Estimated Period:
1st Half 20th Century
H: 44cm
46. SET OF DOOR PANELS WITH ANIMAL MOTIFS
Nupe Culture, Nigeria
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H: 165cm
47. COLLECTION OF ABBIA GAME TOKENS
Beti Culture, Cameroon
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H: 3cm - 5cm
48. IRON HORSE AND RIDER
Bambara Culture, Mali
Ex Emmanuel Ameloot, Belgium
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 21cm
49. IRON ANIMAL
Bambara Culture, Mali
Ex Pascal Vernimmen, Belgium
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century or Before
L: 28cm
50. RARE MINATURE BRONZE ANIMAL
Lere Culture, Mali
Ex Emmanuel Ameloot, Belgium
Estimated Period 12th - 16th Century
L: 9.5cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
51. BUFFALO MASK
Bambara Culture, Mali
Ex Private Collection, France
Ex Rob Temple, Ghent
Estimated Period: 1st Half
20th Century
H: 65cm
52. MINATURE BRONZE DOUBLE BIRD AMULET
Sao Culture, Chad Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: 12th - 16th Century H: 3cm
Mossi Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex: Anthony Powell (Costume Designer) London
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H:125 cm
53. MASK ‘KARAN – WEMBA’
54.
TITLE
STAFF DEPICTING
A LEOPARD CATCHING A COBRA
Unknown Culture, Cameroon?
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 89 cm
55. FINE SPOON WITH ANIMAL HEAD
Baule Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Ian Auld Collection, London
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 28cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
56. HORN SNUFF CONTAINER DEPICTING A FISH
Unknown Culture, South Africa?
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
L: 16 cm
57. BRONZE BUSH COW PENDANT
Bobo Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Private Collection, Switzerland
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H: 5 cm
58. BRONZE PENDANT DEPICTING A
LEOPARD
Senufo Culture, Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso
Ex Seward Kennedy Collection, London
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 8 cm
59. FINELY CAST BRONZE PENDANT OF A CROCODILE WITH GOLD WASH
