Large Antique Figurative African Mangbetu Peoples Anthropomorphic Vessel

A 19th Century hand hewn tree trunk storage barrel with lid. This large lidded barrel has oodles of character. The organic shape of the barrel retains the shape of the tree from whic...

Mid/Late 20th c., Japan, blue glazed water basin/ikebana vessel, stamped on underside. The ceramic has an angular, L-shaped form. The outer part is covered with a deep blue glaze, a...

Late 19th/Early 20th c., large Japanese Meiji bronze floor urn. The principal decoration on both sides of the vase is rendered in beautiful and strong relief. One side depicts birds, possibly skylarks, in flight and on flowering cherry blossom branches. The opposite side depicts herons wading and alighting on a flowering tree. the upper and lower portions of urn are decorated with repeating arched lozenges detailed with scrolls and flora. The urn is adorned with foo dog handles, unmarked. This is an impressive and beautiful bronze urn. In bronze-working, Meiji period craftsmen were newly empowered to attempt distinctive, innovative, and complex pieces. Makers were influenced less by the West than by China, which had had a relationship with Japan stretching back thousands of years, far further than Japan’s recent association with Western powers. Artistry in bronze-work reached new heights in the Meiji period, as a number of metalworking schools developed, creating intricate pieces including vases, sculptures...

Bura fired clay heads, possibly 3rd-10th c. CE, Niger, Bura peoples. These are very expressive examples on custom mounts, the larger with manganese deposits. Between the 3rd and 10th centuries, the dead were laid to rest at a site in present-day Niger downstream from the Inland Niger delta. The burial ground’s density and expanse suggest a veritable city of the departed. Several hundred individual graves were marked by upturned pottery urns, some of which were cylinders topped by figurative imagery. The most elaborate of these were full-bodied equestrians, while the most basic were highly abstract, independent heads. Note: These figures will be professionally packed by a specialist shipper at the sellers expense. Dimensions: 11.25"h x 6.75"w x 3"d and 8"h x 3.75"w (incl. stands) Condition: Good, wear consistent with age and materials Provenance: Acquired by the present owner from Dr. David Rilling, 1990s. About Dr. David Rilling. A Pennsylvania based medical doctor, Dr Rilling began collecting African and Oceanic antiques...

This is a wonderful piece likely made by the Mangetu tribe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is finely detailed and quite large and hefty. These pieces were originally made...

Mid-20th Century Globular Vessel, Mangbetu People, D. R. Congo An unusually large and striking non-figurative vessel from the Mangbetu people, comprised of six lobes joined to a c...

The Mangbetu people focused on highly realistic art forms. From the spout formed to look like hair, through the face, and down to the gourd shaped base, this jug seamlessly transitio...

The Mangbetu people focused on highly realistic art forms. This ceremonial jug seamlessly transitions between figurative and abstract forms, from the spout formed to look like hair, ...