Oval ancestoral or spirit board with abstract designs. Ancestor boards are kept in men's ceremonial houses and can represent personal spirits or simply be used for decoration. Origin Papua New Guinea.
Carte de visite of Charles Sumner sitting with a cane in hand. On the back is written 'Gift From J.A. Baker'. An original envelope accompanies the photo.
Processional cross designed to be worn on a staff. One side depicts a figure holding a Bible, and the other depicts the the Virgin and Child. Origin Ethiopia.
N'domo mask used in the second of seven initiation rituals for boys of the Bambara people of Mali. The decorated vertical wooden posts represent the wisdom of the cosmos and the long nose symbolizes vitality.
A funerary statuette common among the Hongwe (Mahongwe), Kota (Bakota), and Fang people of Gabon. The statue is placed upon a box containing the remains of an ancestor and acts as the guardian of the reliquaries.
Front and profile views of a female wooden figure carrying a vessel in each hand. Origin Bena Lulua people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Wooden ceremonial mask made for the Bwadi ya Kifwebe association, a group that polices social behavior and neutralizes disruptive elements within the Luba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The masks are worn in a variety of ceremonies.
Carte de visitephoto of an African American woman standing in front of a window wearing a skirt suit. 'Rensler's 527 Central Ave. Cin' is printed on the bottom of the photo. A poem is written on the back of the photo with the name Mable Montgomery.
Front and profile views of a male wooden figure carrying a vessel in left hand and a dagger in right. Origin Bena Lulua people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).