#ngombe

The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.

Central Africa is an African region that spans the central part of the continent.

AMBUNDU ─ “The Ambundu, or Mbundu, people are an African people. They are native to northwest Angola.” ─ Mbundu Information ─ Angolan Culture ─ Kimbundu Language (in Portuguese)

ANGOLA ─ “The Angolan people are an African people that share the Angolan culture. They are native to Angola.” ─ Angolan Information ─ Angolan History ─ Angolan Rulers

BAMBUTI ─ “The Bambuti, or Mbuti, people are an African people. They are native to Congo.” ─ Mbuti Culture

BUSHONGO ─ “Bushongo, or the Kingdom of Kuba, was an African civilization that lived from 1625 C.E. to 1884 C.E. They lived in Central Africa.” ─ Kuba Art ─ Bushongo Creation Myth ─ Bumba in Bushongo Myth

CAMEROON ─ “The Cameroonian people are an African people. They share the Cameroonian culture.” ─ Cameroonian Information ─ Cameroonian Culture ─ Cameroonian History

EFIK ─ “The Efik people are an African people. They are native to southern Nigeria and western Cameroon.” ─ Efik Language

NGOMBE ─ “The Ngombe are a Bantu linguistic group. They are native to the Democratic Republic of Congo.” ─ Akongo in Ngombe Mythology

Southern Africa is an African region that spans the southern part of the continent.

HIMBA ─ “The Himba people are an African people. They are native to northern Namibia.” ─ Himba Information

KHOEKHOE ─ “The Khoekhoe, or Khoikhoi, people are an African people. They are nomadic and native to southwestern Africa.” ─ Early Khoekhoe Society ─ Khoekhoe Religion ─ Khoekhoe Language

KHOISAN ─ “The Khoisan people are an African people. The term refers to anyone in South Africa that does not speak a Bantu language.” ─ San Culture ─ Khoisan Culture ─ Khoisan Dictionary

PEDI ─ “The Pedi, or Bapedi, people are an African people. They are native to northeastern South Africa.” ─ Pedi Culture ─ Pedi History ─ Pedi History

SOTHO ─ “The Sotho, or Basotho, people are an African people. They are native to southern Africa.” ─ Basotho Clothing ─ Sesotho Language

Reclined-Back Chair, Ngombe, 1875, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of Africa

Carved from a single block of wood, this seat combines the European backrest chair with the traditional African stool and is as striking for its sculptural qualities as it is for its functional features. The edge of the seat aligns with the front legs, while the backrest cantilevers out from the back legs. Instead of four legs—found in most European examples—this chair has six, adding both stability and structural support. The horizontal bar that runs between the legs on the sides provides additional reinforcement. The seat and back form an integrated and subtle curve onto which the user would have been able to recline. The creator paid special attention to the surface treatment, using imported brass tacks to embellish the seat through zigzagging patterns. The use of expensive European brass tacks for ornamentation suggests that this chair belonged to a wealthy chief who would have been able to afford such imports. In addition to the tacks, adz tool marks (in the form of concave depressions) from the fabrication of the chair are visible on the surface.Chairs like this one are illustrated in European travelers’ accounts of their visits to Central Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ngombe chairs were one type of traditional African form that influenced the French bookbinder and furniture designer Pierre Legrain, who drafted African art forms into the formation of French Art Deco design during the 1920s. During this time it was common for collectors to display their African art next to modern works.—Permanent Collection Object Description African Art and Indian Art of the Americas Art Purchase Fund; O. Renard Goltra, Holly and David Ross, and the African Art and Indian Art of the Americas Acquisitions endowments; through prior acquisitions of the Britt Family Collection and Harold W. Geisel Size: 63.5 × 48.2 × 30.4 cm (25 × 19 × 12 in.) Medium: Wood and brass tacks

Ngombe Executioner's Sword

The Tribal Art section features a number of diverse and unusual works selected from many individual collectors as well as two small collections from African Kingdoms in the Cameroon Grasslands and the Kasai Area of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The selection of authentic individual pieces has been made to show the diversity of art from Central and West Africa, South America and Alaska at different levels of the market.  The highlights are two Magnificent Mother and Child sculptures; one by the Mabea people with Ratton provenance and one by the Kongo people with Pareyn provenance.  In addition, a number of superb classic works of Primitive Art by the Dan, Lovale, Bamana, Ejagham, Teke,and Yoruba people will be offered for sale. High quality Ethnographical objects by the Yaka, Ngombe, Yakoma, Konda, Yombe, Ashanti and Eskimo people are being auctioned.  A rare Salampasu Puppet and Mask and a variety of colorful objects by the Baule,Baga and Rikbaktsa people emphasize the powerful decorative presence of these unusual pieces of Art.

The sale includes two small “Kingdom “collections.  The Royal Beaded Regalia from the Cameroon Grasslands people (Bamileke,Bamoum,Bangwa and Tikar) were made with Colorful Venetian Trade Glass Beads and had no limits when it came to Creativity and Colors. Even today the Fon (King-Chief) of most of the 100 Kingdoms maintain this ancient culture intact with annual Dancing Festivals. The Kuba Kingdom in the Kasai Area of DRC reached its apex during the mid-19th century.  Europeans first reached the area relatively late because of the kingdom's relative isolation; therefor it was not as affected by the slave trade as was the Coastal area.  Up to today the reigning monarchs continued the annual festivals and special occasion events to keep their ancient culture intact.