Humanity is immensley 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 wear and entertain, 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
HEAD ADORNMENT SURMOUNTED BY A LEOPARD
Kaka/Bamileke Cultures, Cameroon Ex Andrzej von Staranburg Niedenthal Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 45cm
LINKED DOUBLE HEADREST WITH ANIMAL HEADS
Tsonga Culture, South Africa/Mozambique
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 73cm
FOOD BOWL IN THE FORM OF A WILD DUCK
Lozi Culture, Zambia
Ex Private Collection South Africa
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 48cm
ZOOMORPHIC HEADREST
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 31.5cm
HEADREST/STOOL RESEMBLING A TORTOISE
Bongo Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 29cm
CALABASH
MEDICINE
CONTAINERS
WITH SNAKE HEADS
Zigua Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century H: 24cm & 27.5cm
PRESTIGE STAFF WITH GAZELLE HEAD
Hehe Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
H: 63cm
BRONZE CONTAINER DEPICTING A MUD FISH
Benin Culture, Nigeria
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period: 19th Century
D: 22cm
HEAD ADORNMENT WITH WARTHOG TEETH
Gurunsi/Mossi or Related Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
W: 54cm
ELPHANT MASK
Sagara Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century
H: 50.5cm
LARGE TITLE STOOL OF AN ELEPHANT
Ashanti Culture, Ghana
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century L: 59cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
CROCODILE HIDE SHIELD
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century H: 107cm
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
HEAD ADORNMENT WITH BIRD FEATHERS
Mancbetu Culture, DRC
Ex Emmanuel Ameloot, Belgium
Circa 1930’s
H: 23cm
GRANARY DOOR LOCK IN THE FORM OF A
CROCODILE
Bamabara Culture, Mali
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century or Before H: 55cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
MASK ‘NYENNE’ SYMBOLISING
THE FOREST SPIRIT
Poro Society, Kuranko Culture, Guinea
Ex Private Collection, France
Estimated Period:
1st Half 20th Century
H: 80cm
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
MASK DEPICTING A WILD CAT
Makua Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, Germany
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
H: 30cm
ZOOMORPHIC STOOL
Lobi/Gurunsi Cultures, Burkina Faso
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century L: 34cm
PRESTIGE BLADE WITH CROCODILE AND BOAR TUSKS
Mahdi Culture, Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 49cm
GRAIN STORAGE BASKET WITH
ANIMAL DECORATIONS
Wagogo Culture, Tanzania
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
D: 37cm
ANTHROPOMORPHIC MASK ‘KIPOKO’
Eastern Pende Culture, DRC Ex Private Collection, UK Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century H: 45cm
MASK WITH LONG HORNS ‘GIPHOGO’
Eastern Pende Culture, DRC
Ex Private Collection, Belgium
Estimated Period: Mid 20th
Century or Before
H: 58cm
WILD - The Animal in African Art
PRESTIGE BLADE WITH SNAKE HEADS
Ingessana Culture, Sudan
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 60cm
IRON SHRINE PIECES DEPICTING THREE SNAKES
Gan or Related Culture, Burkina Faso
Ex Romy Rey Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
L: 7 - 12cm
BRONZE ‘NYI-KAR-YI’ RING (RING OF SILENCE)
Senufo Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century or Before
H: 12cm
BUSH COW MASK
Bameleke Culture, Cameroon
Ex Christies London,
lot 151 July 1981
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Early 20th Century
H: 64cm
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
MASK DEPICTING A BIRD WITH LONG BEAK
Chewa Culture, Malawi
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 38cm
MASK DEPICTING A RAM
Baule Culture, Ivory Coast
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
L: 34cm
HEADREST IN ZOOMORPHIC FORM
Dinka Culture, Southern Sudan
Ex Private Collection, London
Estimated Period: Mid 20th Century
L: 80cm
COLLECTION OF ABBIA GAME TOKENS
Beti Culture, Cameroon
Ex Private Collection, UK
Estimated Period: 1st Half 20th Century
H: 3 - 5cm
PRESTIGE STAFF WITH A SNAKE
Chowke Culture, Angola
Ex Private Collection, South Africa
Estimated Period: 1st Half of 20th Century
H: 44cm
BUFFALO MASK
Bamara Culture, Mali
Ex Private Collection, France
Ex Rob Temble, Gent
Estimated Period: 1st Half
20th Century
H: 65cm
BRONZE
RING OF AN EQUESTRIAN FIGURE
Dogon or Related Culture, Mali Ex Private Collection, France
