Sub-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.