Discover African Art
9043 SE Jannsen Rd, Clackamas, Oregon 97015
503-305-7288
About Auction House
Discover African Art is a tribal art collection offering one-of-a-kind African masks, figures, furniture and textiles. Close to Portland, OR, our collection started from the private collection of avid tribal art collector, Dave Dahl, and was created to share his personal experience with the beauty of tribal artistry with the public.Auction Previews & News
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Auction PreviewCustom Mid-Century Nupe African Door, Baule Chair Featured in Tribal Art Auction
A Nigerian custom mid-century Nupe door and a handcrafted Baule chair from the Ivory Coast are among the notable sub-Saharan African works in the upcoming Discover African Art auction. The African Nupe people have resided along the banks of the Niger River since the 15th century CE. Many of their traditions have changed or faded out after being overpowered by Fulani Muslims in the early 1800s, though Nupe culture still exists in Nigeria today. Many Nupe tribal homes feature handcrafted doors and posts carved with geometric designs. One such door is featured in this Discover African Art auction. The hand-carved wooden door stands 46.5 inches tall and weighs 31.5 pounds with its custom base. A dispute around 300 years ago between Baule’s queen and the Asante king caused many of the Baule people to follow their leader from Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, or Ivory Coast. Even after this migration, the Baule people have continued to thrive. This is partially due to the Baule’s significant contributions to African art traditions. Representing this tradition in the auction is a handcrafted Baule chair weighing approximately 30 pounds. View these items and more and register to bid by visiting Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewAfrican Tribal Art
This February, Discover African Art will present a selection of tribal art at auction. The collection includes African masks, figures, furniture, and textiles from various ethnic groups. One of the standout items is a detailed female caryatid stool. The stool belongs to the Luba people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The piece would be used infrequently as a sign of power, wealth, and respect. One ethnic group featured in the auction is the Yoruba, who are native to Nigeria. The collection showcases various artifacts from the Yoruba people, including a zoomorphic shrine figure and several offering bowls. The shrine figure is shaped like an antelope with curved horns. It is made of wood with added pigments. View the complete catalog and register to bid for these items on bidsquare.
Auction PreviewSub-Saharan African Tribal Art
The Sub-Saharan African Tribal Art auction, presented by Discover African Art, offers ethnographic lots such as drums, plaques, and masks from across the region. Among the most notable lots are two guere masks. The people of modern-day Liberia and the Ivory Coast purposefully made the guere masks look intimidating. This allowed the wearer to scare enemies or maintain social order. Despite their reputation as "war masks", Discover African Art notes that both of these lots come to auction with only minor imperfections. Meanwhile, the lot with the highest estimated value in this auction is a Hemba drum from Nigeria. The Hemba people predominantly live as subsistence farmers. Wooden sculptures, such as the one available in this auction, are among the most popular art forms in their culture. Those interested in any of these lots can register to bid on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewAuthentic African Tribal Doors & Locks
African tribes and ethnic groups carry their history and ancient artistry. The Dogon, among many, is an ethnic group which holds unique beliefs and craftsmanship. Living in the regions of Mali, West Africa, the group is well known for the architecture of carved doors, doorways and locks. This September, dominated by the best of the Dogon creativity is the Authentic African Tribal Doors & Locks Auction by Discover African Art. In Dogon culture, the representational carvings of ancestors in the doors and locks are assumed to keep spirits, or any other kind of harms away. To illustrate an authentic door lock, is a large 24 inches long, hand-carved wooden cross-bolt with a highly detailed three seated Dogon figures. It features carved animal embellishments and a horse figure with a human head, on one end. Likely to receive applause from the buyers are two items representing the Igbo people of Nigeria with the highest estimation at $2,500 each. The items have beautifully carved abstract circular and V-shaped patterns, used in the entryway of male Obi meeting house. These lots symbolize the strength of men as the doors are made out of Iroko wood (a wood which is very dense and difficult to work with). The 108 curated items are significant to the tribe they represent and to any collector acquiring them. To bid for the items above and more visit Bidsquare and find more information.
Auction PreviewSub-Saharan African Tribal Art
Most observers will primarily appreciate lots in the Sub-Saharan African Tribal Art auction offered by Discover African Art as pieces of art. However, it is important to remember that artwork from this part of the world, in particular pieces from the Kingdom of Benin and the Edo Empire, usually served functional tasks such as documentation of a historic event or a ritual object. For some pieces, it is clear what purpose they once served, while others are shrouded in mystery. Now, lots in the Sub-Saharan African Tribal Art auction serve modern clients as pieces of decorative art. One noteworthy lot is a bronze bust from the Kingdom of Benin. The bust is a detailed depiction of a woman’s face, hair, upper arms, and chest. Bronze heads are among the most iconic forms of art from the Kingdom of Benin (part of modern-day Nigeria). Other pieces in this auction with high estimated values are cast in bronze, including a Nigerian giraffe and a Benin aquamanile. An aquamanile is a jug used for storing water, typically shaped in the form of a human or animal. This particular aquamanile depicts three leopards, two soldiers, and has flower designs throughout. Other pieces have a less obvious functional purpose such as the unusual Pende Mbangu figure, a featured lot in this auction. The Pende are an ethnic group in the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo. The figure is hand-carved with a unique two-toned sculpture technique. Potential buyers of this piece should take into consideration, though, the cracking on the head and body. View and register to bid for any of the pieces online on Bidsquare.
