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african tribal art

Another from my collection of African tribal art

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A Kuba Bwoom helmet mask from Democratic Republic of Congo. Thanks To Tim Sugden for the photography.

Some people love the colorful, “evergreen”, types like these. I prefer those that have lost their color. Color in the old days wasn’t paint but rather some natural pigment, and the result is that by now, that pigment is mostly gone.

“Kuba mythology revolves around three figures, each represented by a masquerade character: Woot, the creator and founder of the ruling dynasty; Woot’s spouse; and Bwoom. Bwoom’s specific identity varies according to different versions of the myth. He may represent the king’s younger brother, a person of Twa descent, or a commoner. Embodying a subversive force within the royal court, the Bwoom masquerade is often performed in conflict with the masked figure representing Woot.”

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Another fave from my collection, a superb antique ceremonial mask from the Krahn people of Ivory Coast.

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“The Krahn are an ethnic group of Liberia and Ivory Coast. This group belongs to the Kru language family and its people are sometimes referred to as the Wee, Guéré, Sapo, or Wobe. It is likely that Western contact with the Kru language is the primary reason for the development of these different names.”*Wikipedia

Another piece of my absurdly large collection of African art.

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This one is a Senufo Kpeli made of copper alloy, which is far less common than those carved in wood.

“The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the western Burkina Faso.”

Here is another favorite from my collection of African art

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a Kuba Bwoom mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have many of these that aren’t as old as this one. It was collected in 1970 and was already old at that time. Here’s a bit of the story of this work of art:

“Kuba mythology revolves around three figures, each represented by a masquerade character: Woot, the creator and founder of the ruling dynasty; Woot’s spouse; and Bwoom. Bwoom’s specific identity varies according to different versions of the myth. He may represent the king’s younger brother, a person of Twa descent, or a commoner. Embodying a subversive force within the royal court, the Bwoom masquerade is often performed in conflict with the masked figure representing Woot.”

To see a lot more of my collection, visit “Dave Dahl Collection” on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/davedahlcollection

So today I’m going to start sharing pieces of my African tribal art collection

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I really don’t know where to begin, so I will just take a stab with this horse rider figure from the Bamana tribe of Mali. All of the items I’ll be sharing are antiques, which is what my personal collection is made up of. I don’t always know a lot about my pieces and why they exist. The general rule of thumb is that these items were made for tribal use by diviners and representative of revered ancestors. This figure is quite valuable due to its quality and rarity.

While pieces from my personal collection tend to be outside of most folks’ budget, I do have thousands of objects that are in the $30 to $300 range, and if you’re interested, visit the warehouse/show room in Barton/Eagle Creek.

www.discoverafricanart.com

Have I mentioned that I’m the proud owner

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Of the largest African tribal art collection in the United States? I call it Discover African Art We have thousands of masks, statues, bronzes, textiles, furniture pieces – you name it.

DAA is more about selling the decorative and fun pieces rather than the snobby collector pieces, which I also have many of. I am happy to discuss this dynamic if you’re curious. I’m also kinda proud of the fact that I have donated a large number of pieces to Central City Concern. Folks who visit their offices will see great examples (pics below). I feel strongly that it makes a difference in the community, particularly for the African-Americans they serve. Hardly anybody has seen this kind of material before.

But just because it’s African doesn’t mean a non-African can’t appreciate it. I was drawn to it originally back in 2015 when I discovered eBay. I didn’t even think about skin color or culture. I just liked the art—and still do.

Take a look here www.discoverafricanart.com

Want to check it out in person? We’re located out in Eagle Creek, Oregon – call to schedule an appointment (503) 637-3968. I promise you’ll be amazed.

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