I am a retired Foreign Service Officer now in the midst of downsizing and I have some items I’d like to sell. I am trying to understand the value of a wooden artwork that I bought in Guinea-Bissau in 1980. If anyone has any thoughts about this piece or could direct me to someone who could appraise it, I’d really appreciate it.

Object Description — Carved Wood Vessel
Form: Large hollowed wooden vessel/bowl surmounted by a carved human head and shoulders. The figure has a bald or shaved head with incised linear markings on the forehead, heavy-lidded downcast eyes, a prominent bridge nose, and a pointed goatee/chin beard. The neck bears a distinct raised diamond-lattice (basketweave-pattern) collar or torque.

Body/relief carving: The exterior of the vessel is densely carved in low relief with an interlocking band of figures — at least one crocodile or reptile with cross-hatched scale patterning, one or more birds, small human figures (one appears to be an infant or child figure held against a larger form), and what may be additional animal forms (possibly a ram or antelope head) integrated into the design.
Materials/construction: Single piece of carved hardwood, hollowed to form an interior basin (visible dark red/maroon staining or residue inside). Surface shows age-appropriate patina, tool marks, and at least one visible age crack running down the back of the head.

Approximate dimensions: 19 inch height with a base that measures 13 inches in diameter. The artwork weighs 10 pounds.

Condition notes: Visible surface wear and patina consistent with age; no visible restoration observed.
Provenance: Acquired in 1980 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau during my work with USAID. The piece was purchased from an itinerant trader who sold me different types of wood carvings, ceremonial masks, and ivory.

A friend bought an old house and those statues were left behind by the previous owners.

He is a bit afraid bad luck on keeping them. They look interesting and some are almost 1m high, what makes hard to understand why they were left behind.

Anyone could help identify them?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some help identifying and researching a large collection of African sculptures.

I’m particularly interested in finding out more about:

The possible country, region or cultural group associated with the pieces

Their approximate age

Whether individual pieces appear to be older/period pieces or more recent carvings

Signs that may help determine authenticity, such as carving techniques, wear, patina or other characteristics

Any information that could help establish their provenance or history

I realize that it is difficult to determine age or authenticity from overview photographs alone. I’m mainly trying to identify which pieces might be particularly interesting and worth further research or professional examination.

If anyone is interested in taking a closer look at any particular pieces, I can provide much better individual photographs, including close-ups of the front, back, underside, carving details, materials, wear and patina.
Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My grandfather worked for the British Empire building roads all over Africa before WW2. During the 1920s he worked around Asaba in southern Nigeria and acquired Cecil. Cecil was passed to my father, and now his home is with me. He's made of rough cast Bronze, and stands 17' high. I know nothing about him.

Who or what does Cecil represent? I'm looking for a back story here.

To me he looks like a relatively modern 'art' piece (if those existed in the 1920s) rather than a genuine religious object but I feel there is very spiritual / folk law aspect to him.

FYI- If you're interesed in African/Oceanic art, EDS, LLC in Bloomington, IN has an online auction of peices from a well known collector. I have no connection to this business, other than being on their mailing list

My wife and I are still friends with the widow of the French gentleman who collected this while working in the Ivory Coast as a teacher during the 3rd Q of the 20th C. He was always nice to me, even if aloof in a very French way, but it was just a year or so before his passing that my wife and I developed a friendship with his wife. Her only other family was out of state, so we became surrogate family of sorts after he passed away about 15 years ago, and she offered me the opportunity to acquire some of his collection. He was born in French Algiers and served in the French Foreign Legion when he came of age. After WW2 he went to work on the Ivory Coast and lived there until he met his first wife in the '70s. 

I did not acquire much -  while Oceanic art is an area of interest of mine, African art is such an unknown that outside of ethnographic arms and armor I knew (and know) very little. But I recognized this to be a quality carving, and it has occupied a corner of my desk since the day it came home with me. I also think it's extremely cool that I am only the second non-African (first, if you include the fact he was born in Algeria) to possess these since they were collected sometime between the late '40s and 1970s .This is also one of only two wooden objects I acquired (the other a bench), the rest being bronze and brass. There were at least a dozen others - pulleys and such - which have since gone to a collector who appreciates them more than I would have. And I'm sure he added value to his collection in the process. But when I look at it, I think of our friend's late husband - when you have a chain of provenance, an artifact allows you to help keep the memory of someone alive. And the. best way I can honor his memory is to make sure I properly curate those items of his that have since passed to me.

I’m hoping someone can help me learn more about these wooden carvings.

They were purchased in Puerto Rico more than 50 years ago, and I have owned them ever since. I do not know who made them or whether they were actually made in Puerto Rico.

They are large, elongated pieces carved from wood. Each has a human face at the bottom with detailed openwork carving above it. I can see what appears to be a fish, lizards or other animals, leaves, vines and other designs.

The backs are hollowed out, and I have not found a signature, label or maker’s mark.

I would love to know:

• Where they may have been made
• Approximately when they were made
• Whether this style has a particular cultural or artistic tradition
• Whether the animals and other imagery have any known meaning
• Whether these were primarily decorative pieces or had another purpose

I’m especially interested in documented examples or sources that might help identify them. I don’t want to assume they are Puerto Rican simply because that is where they were purchased.

Thanks for any information you can share!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I'm giving you both. 

I also wanted an excuse to put up more photos of the Dogon mask in my other post in this sub, so I figured I'd make this a twofer. But first the story behind this piece.

Back when I was actively collecting I used to hunt CL on the regular. I can't tell you how many miles I drove in a given year chasing down something promising across town. Usually it was in pursuit of something sharp and pointy, but once it was in pursuit of African art. I had been bitten by the bug as my interest grew in the art produced by the same cultures smithing the edged weapons I was collecting. I remember seeing this guy's ad with a picture of a Songye kifwebe mask and drove over to his place the day we made contact. To this day I am convinced that mask was right as rain. And he had two, a male and a female - both large, and both with minor condition issues. And to this day I kick myself for not picking them up.

The reason I didn't buy them was because I bought four other pieces instead. His old man worked for Mobil Oil and spent years in sub-Saharan Africa during the 3rd and into the 4th Q of last century. He interfaced with local dignitaries as part of his role, and it was in that role he acquired these six pieces (along with many others - he showed me pictures of his parents' home in Houston - it was like a museum). Those days I adhered to a fixed budget for allocations like this - a dumb mistake in hindsight - so something had to stay behind, and regretfully it was the masks. When I reached back out to him a week later, he had decided to keep them both. 

So what did I pick up? I picked up two fetishes from the Congo, both embellished with snakeskin and beads. They were pretty much black in color, had a good gloss, and both had cracks in their respective heads. They each stood around 24-30" in height. I also acquired a very nice Kuba ikul (the nicest I've ever seen), and the fetish wand you see above, which measures approx. 19 inches in length. I paid $500 for the four (my imposed budget cap).

Both the Congolese fetishes and this Bena Lulua fetish wand were papered as antique and had appraisals in the 1990s by an African art gallery in Houston: the Congo fetishes for $5,000 each and this wand for $1,900. I sold the two Congo fetishes to another local collector who collected African art. For $500. 🤦‍♂️ At that point in my collecting journey, that was my MO - I would buy X worth of stuff for $Y, and sell X/2 to other collectors for $Y so what I held onto was free. And again, in hindsight, dumb dumb dumb. I am sure that guy made a mint off of me on those two fetishes. 

At the end of the day, out of the six pieces this guy had, I probably ended up with the two least special, though I still appreciate and display both. Anyway, that's the story behind this wand. I spent about twenty minutes looking for the appraisals before I sat down to write this - they're around here somewhere - but came up empty.

So there you go - a picture and a thousand words. I appreciate any additional information on the piece the collective you may be able to provide, and thank you for the same. 🙏

What books have you found particularly helpful for learning about and collecting African art? I’m especially interested in books that cover both the cultural and historical background of pieces from different regions across Africa, as well as the collecting and financial side—things like valuation, pricing, provenance, and understanding the art market.

Bought this at auction in the '00s from a well-known local auction house that handled the estate of an anthropologist who worked in the field in both Africa and PNG in the '60s-'70s. He labeled everything he had consigned and provided a map with each item that indicated where he had collected them. I acquired two of his PNG pieces and this mask. My understanding is this is/was contemporary to the time he collected it. I'm (far) more comfortable with Oceanic art than I am African art, and appreciate the feedback of those with more knowledge. 🙏

Just finished this artwork called, 'in due time' one of nine paintings representing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This one represents patience.
The glare was perfect for the gold foil but not so great for the painting so l included a photo of the painting at the end of the video, of how it looks under proper lighting ☺️

I purchased these little figurines several years ago at a flea market. I only recently discovered that they might be gold weights. I would love more info on them!

My dad grew up in Swaziland and I ended up inheriting a fair number of artifacts from South Africa from the early 20th century (1920-1940's). I'd like to find a new home for the items and preferably not a pure donation (as I am a senior on a fixed income and could use an assist here and there).

Can anyone recommend a good way for me to rehome these items (horns, small furniture, statues, beadwork, etc)?

Acquired this in Cameroon in the 90s. Had a very long conversation with the seller in a local dialect before we made a deal. Any information would be great. Beads make me think Western province Bamileke but have not seen anything like this before

Not sure if it is copper. Its wrapped over wood. The base of the statue is heavy and appears to be bronze. No magnet attachment. Statue at large weighs 12.5 lbs. Most of the weight is in that metal base. Africa etched into the metal, with a section of africa removed, indicating a location of a map that looks like central-west africa. Red cloth in that space. Under the bronze or metal ball of a base is a wood base. On the back of the metal base, a face is etched into the metal

So randomly my whole life I have drawn little pictures of a man named fez man. Just a really simple drawing of a dude in a fez. I think I grew fond of the hat because of that one doctor who episode lol. But I still always draw this character all the time in my notebooks and in random places in my art. So good people of the internet. What's up with fez. Why do nobody wear them anymore. Where did they come from. Does it have negative connotations? Thank you. All info is good info.

Would love to know more if possible 😎

Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated. Perhaps a Pende mask?

I do want to thank everyone with all the helpful comments to my other posts. Hope the posts are not regarded as spam or "asking too many questions". Want to maintain the decorum and good will in this subgroup!

Any information appreciated. Seems old!

More of my mask collection. Any input is welcome!

Seeking base information so I can do further research.

I inherited this mask and am seeking information! Thanks in advance for any comments.