Michael Backman Ltd
Tribal Art of Africa
Wooden Door Lock (Konbalabala)
Bamana people, Mali
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 846
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Peace Knife (Ikul)
Bushoong Clan, Kuba People
Kasai Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
early 20th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 890
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War Sword (Ilwoon)
Bushoong Clan, Kuba People
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
early 20th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 893
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Yoruba Gelede Dance Headdress
Yoruba People, Nigeria
circa 1940
Inventory no.: 944
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-  Or click here to see Oceanic Tribal Art Items & here to see Asian Tribal items
or here to see all the items in the Michael Backman Ltd catalogue  -
These Items are available - Ask about an item
Batonka Stool
Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe
19th century
Inventory no.: 957
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Skin-Covered Headdress
Efik/Ejagham peoples, Upper Cross River Basin, Nigeria/Cameroon
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 1001
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Knobkierrie Club
Zulu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
19th century
Inventory no.: 1019
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Two Polyhedral Garnet Counters or Weights
West Africa
19th century
Inventory no.: 1081
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Incised Wooden Platform Bowl
Kuba People, Democratic Congo Republic
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1065
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Carved Bowl attributed to the Carver Muhlati
Tsonga, Mozambique
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1108
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Massive Iron Currency Blade
Nkutshu, Topoke & Songo Meno Peoples, Democratic Republic of Congo & Zaire
late 19th century
height: 167cm
Inventory no.: 1093
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Wooden Stool with Applied Gilded Copper Decoration
Ashanti/Asante, Ghana
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1154
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Bedu Plank Mask
Nafana people, Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire
early 20th century
height: 168cm
Inventory no.: 1172
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Cast Brass Gold Dust Box
Akan People, Ghana
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1403
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Nine Cast Brass Gold Dust Weights
Akan People, Ghana
16th-18th centuries
Inventory no.: 1402
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Brass Bird-shaped Pipe
Baule People, Côte d’Ivoire
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1481
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Standing Female Figure
Akan, Ghana
19th century
Inventory no.: 1583
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From where do we source our items? We do not go on buying trips to Asia. Nor do we actively buy from dealers or suppliers based in Asia. We do not source items
from Africa itself for example. Almost all the items stocked by Michael Backman Ltd have been sourced from the UK - from old collections. Countless items were brought to
the UK during the colonial era by colonial administrators and the like. Other items were made in Asia for export to the UK – the UK was wealthy early: it has been a major
destination for the world’s exports for hundreds of years.  This means that most of our items have been in the UK for at least sixty to two hundred years.

The conditions in which they have been kept often has been very good – the climate is kind, and there are relatively few pests. Many items were acquired as keepsakes
and curios, meaning that they stopped being used once they came to the UK. This too has helped to preserve them and their conditions often are far better than had they
remained in their home countries. Buying from old UK sources means that the items have good provenance; it helps to avoid fakes, and items that have been amended or
embellished. It also means that our items are obtained legally – today, most countries in Asia prohibit the export of their antiques. So, because of its colonial past, the UK is
perhaps the world’s biggest source of genuine antiques from Asia, perhaps more so than Asia itself, and that is the source into which we tap.

All the items on this page are available for sale. We are based in central London, but sell to clients around the world.  Want to enquire about an item on this page?
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Wooden, Enthroned Chief Figure
Akan, Ghana
circa 1930
Inventory no.: 1596
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Fine Ifa Divination Bowl
Yoruba People, Nigeria
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 1865
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Three Colonial Wood Figures Carved by Thomas Ona Odulate
Yoruba, Nigeria
circa 1940
Inventory no.: 1894
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Carved Wooden ‘Basket’ Camwood Powder Bowl & Cover
Kuba People, Congo
19th century
Inventory no.: 1897
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Carved Wooden Camwood Powder Box
Kuba People, Congo
19th century
Provenance: Sotheby's, 1984.
Inventory no.: 1898
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Chief's Gold Scorpion Ring
Baule People, Ivory Coast
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1868
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Brass Equestrian Ring Cast with Warrior on a Horse
Dogon People, Mali
17th-18th century
Inventory no.: 1866
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Cast Brass Fertility Ring
Dogon People, Mali
19th century
Inventory no.: 1869
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Rare Cast Brass ‘Trophy Heads’ Ring
Akan, Ghana/Ivory Coast
18th century
Inventory no.: 1883
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Rare Cast Brass Crouching Figure Binu Ring
Dogon, Mali
18th-19th centuries
Inventory no.: 1875
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Cast Brass ‘Chief’s Stool’ Ring with Traces of Gilding
Akan People, Ghana/Ivory Coast
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1880
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Wooden Divination Board (Opon Ifa)
Yoruba People, Nigeria
19th century
Inventory no.: 1915
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Polychrome Wooden Catapult
Dogon People, Mali
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1973
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Wooden Knobkerrie Club Carved with Honeycomb Head
Zulu, South Africa
19th century
Inventory no.: 1934
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Calligraphic Wooden Door Lintel
Stone Town, Zanzibar
19th century
Inventory no.: 1488
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Loango Ivory Elephant's Tusk carved with Scenes of Indentured African Porters
Congo or Angola
1830-1890
Inventory no.: 1983
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Superb & Rare Carved Wooden Privilege Sceptre
Ovimbundu People, Angola
19th century
Inventory no.: 2004
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Rare Carved Wooden Bowl With Maternity Figure (Olumeye)
Yoruba People, Oyo tribe, Erin, Nigeria
before 1922
Inventory no.: 2005
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Carved Wooden Gelede Headdress
Yoruba People, Nigeria
circa 1930
Inventory no.: 2006
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Cast Brass ‘African Cobra’ Ring
Akan, Ghana/Ivory Coast
19th century
Inventory no.: 1885
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Cast Brass ‘Seed Pod Cluster’ Ring with Traces of Gilding
Akan, Ghana/Ivory Coast
18th-19th centuries
Inventory no.: 1874
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Rare Ivory Tusk with the Oba of Benin’s Mark
Royal House of the Oba of Benin, Benin Kingdom
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 2011
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Cast Bronze 'Dagger' Ring
Lobi People, Burkina Faso; or Dogon People, Mali
18th century
Inventory no.: 1870
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Cast Bronze ‘Double Chameleon’ Ring
Lobi People, Burkina Faso; or Senufo People, Ivory Coast
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1877
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Carved Wooden Chair
Ethiopia
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 2071
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Carved Wooden Maternity Figure & Bowl
Yoruba People, Nigeria, (possibly by the carver Agbonbiofe)
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 2032
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Cast Brass ‘Double Crocodile’ Ring
Ashanti, Ghana
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1879
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Processional Brass Cross
Christian Community, Ethiopia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1923
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Carved Wooden Divination Container by Eobadia Wopund
Benin, Nigeria
first half of the 20th century
Inventory no.: 1935
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Cast Bronze Spiral Ring
Dogon People, Mali
18th-19th century
Inventory no..: 1867
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