Wooden dance mask - Sukuma Art (Tanzania)

Democratic Republic Congo

A true sculptural masterpiece, this chieftain's seat perfectly expresses the mastery achieved over the centuries by the sculptors of the Luba ethnic group of eastern Congo. The two ancestors, whose images are almost mirrored but sexually differentiated, gracefully support the circular seat on their fingertips. Their faces are hieratic and absorbed, with eyes half-closed in their wide sockets and a vague smile that conveys a composed serenity. The hair is styled backwards, and the smooth surfaces of the bodies bear the scarifications that identify the ethnic group. The patina is exquisite. Overall, the sculpture conveys a profound sense of balance and harmony.

Bamana Art, Mali

A figure of remarkable harmony and formal compactness, with large, rounded breasts that allude to fertility and the ability to nourish, but also to the girl's beauty, which facilitates mating and procreation. The hair is styled in a crest, the eyes are created with two studs, and ethnic scarifications are found on various parts of the body. This statue was adorned with jewelry, as evidenced by the necklace and the holes in the ears used to hang beads. The exquisite patina allows the original color of the wood to shine through, particularly on the breasts and face.

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.

African sculpture

This choral representation of motherhood is notable for its high aesthetic value and exquisite patina. It is hierarchically arranged, centered on the figure of the mother goddess breastfeeding her child, a clear sign of her ability to procreate and ensure the community's prosperity and continuation of life. The face expresses the beauty and harmony befitting a female deity, with an elaborate and elegant hairstyle and ethnic scarifications on the cheeks. The deified ancestor is seated on a chair, a posture denoting authority and prestige. She is surrounded by three figures whose smaller size indicates their hierarchically inferior role. The female figure on the right holds the kola nuts that priestesses offer to the deity during propitiatory rites. On the right is a chieftain with a flyswatter, an emblem of power. On the back, another child swaddled in her skirt, reiterating the fertility theme.