Wooden Motherhood Yoruba Art - African sculpture

Yoruba Art (Nigeria)

Altars dedicated to Shango, god of thunder, were used in temples to place the gourd or wooden bowl containing sacred stones collected by priests after a lightning strike. The base is concave because they are shaped like an inverted mortar, because just as the woman pulverizes yam in the mortar, so Shango punishes his enemies by incinerating them with lightning. The altar is inverted because an empty mortar has the power to attract lightning, while an upside-down one evokes the idea of ​​containing destructive force. This example of "Odo Shango" is notable for its large size, rich decoration, beautiful carving, and the precious patina of use, particularly evident at the top. The dominant figure is the priestess of the cult, displaying the emblems of Shango: the rattle and the double-headed axe that the deity hurls to earth during storms, producing thunder. At the back of the altar, a drummer appears, balancing on the glowing stones of the thunder god's axe. His figure is surrounded by numerous figures and ritual objects that recall Shango and his cult, including: the face of a priest, Shango's dog, a rattle, a hunter with a rifle, a leopard, a turtle, lizards, and a snake whose zigzag line alludes to the flash of lightning. Traces of red, blue, and white have symbolic meaning.

Beté Art (Ivory Coast)

This statue for ancestor worship features extraordinarily compact and elegant forms, the result of a careful composition of volumes. The thoughtful face, with exposed teeth (a sign of beauty), has an intense expression. The hair is tied in braids. The element that more than any other makes the Bété style instantly recognizable is the massive neck decorated with ethnic scarifications. These incisions are also found around the prominent navel, a sign of fertility and abundance, and on the figure's back. The boldly shaped breasts follow the curve of the swollen belly, creating a sort of counterweight to the protruding buttocks, lending balance and harmony to the figure. The arms are stretched out at the sides with the palms facing upward, a gesture of availability and generosity.

Sukuma Art (Tanzania)

This ancient ancestor mask from the Sukuma ethnic group exhibits a remarkable patina and a level of craftsmanship well above the norm, making it a rarity. The face is harmonious and balanced, with almond-shaped eyes framed in relief, a rounded forehead, and a slightly open mouth that heightens the expression. The beard is typically associated with the wisdom of the elder, who in African culture enjoys great respect and is consulted on many matters. The mask's surface is smooth and bears traces of white kaolin used for ritual purposes. White is the color associated with the spirit world and symbolizes the ancestor's beauty and purity.

XVI Century ca.

Antique marble portal. Composed of a pair of vertical load-bearing elements on which the entablature rests.

Paris, c. 1910

Louis Vuitton trunk dating from 1899 to 1904, covered in monogrammed jacquard weave. Corner fittings, locks, and studs are brass. Reinforcing leather trim. This is a malle cabine, a small, compact trunk used to store clothing and everyday items, designed to be stored under the bed in ocean liner cabins. The interior is lined with fabric, while the satin lid is trimmed with ecru ribbons in diamond shapes. The bottom is finished with the original orange canvas.

Piedmont, XIX Century

A two-piece piece of furniture completely veneered in mahogany feather; it features two doors, both in the narrower upper part and in the lower part, surmounted by a drawer and framed by a pair of octagonal uprights. The doors of the shelf contain twenty-two maple drawers with coin slots.

Cupboard Writing Desk

Center unit finished on all four sides. Made of oak, it is completely veneered in mahogany feather and decorated with carved mahogany moldings and pilasters. Consisting of two doors superimposed by a drawer under the top with an internal lectern. On the sliding surface there is a riser with a retractable door concealing internal drawers veneered in maple; wooden railing on the raised surface.

Table designed and made in the 1970s with brushed steel legs and a cut glass top. It is partly painted in black on the back. Very good condition

Italy, Late XVIII Century

Neoclassical chest of drawers, late 18th century. Made of walnut, it features three drawers on the front, one lower under the top and two adjacent ones with a concealed chain that allows for the continuity of the inlaid scene; truncated pyramid feet. The entire surface is veneered in quadripartite bois de rose with inlaid candelabras on the uprights, a band under the top with inlaid reserves with facing putti riding dolphins with tails that develop into leafy scrolls. The central reserve on the front depicts the scene of Hercules killing the lion, with his club resting at his feet. On the sides are two allegorical figures: a vestal virgin with a lamb and an old man with a staff and a sword girded at his side. Walnut interior, marble top replaced. This piece is part of the corpus of furnishings identified as the "dei fondi verdi" workshop. The two figures on the sides correspond to the secretaire published in the book "Maggiolini & co." and similar correspondences on the production's furnishings can be found in the architectural composition of the chest of drawers and in the repeated frames.