Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures
African Sculpture from the Gary Schulze Collection

From the exhibition originally held at the QCC Art Gallery in 2005
Queensborough Community College, New York
Photograph of the entrance to the exhibition
There were a lot of objects displayed in the exhibition, this page contains photos of a few of the individual objects in the exhibition.
The images of the exhibition installation will give a better idea of the objects that were represented in the exhibition.
Figure C: Sande mask shown dancing in the Bumpe Chiefdom in Sierra Leone around 1976 which was originally published in the book
"African Art in the Cycle of Life", by Roy Sieber and Roslyn A. Walker
The mask is now in the Gary Schulze Collection and is shown below
Sande Society Mask, 16" Mende, Sierra Leone
Metal-banded horns adorn this mask shown in 1976 at the Sande masquerade in a village in the Bumpe Chiefdom, Sierra Leone.
In figure C we see the costumed dancer in motion during a Sande festival. Some years after that photo was taken, the mask was
brought out of its culture of origin into the western art market. As comparison reveals, the Koranic amulet that originally topped
the carving is no longer there. Subsequent to the photo, the amulet broke off at the narrowest point in the carving. It is possible
that the decision to sell the mask was prompted by this break.
Gonde Mask, 15" Mende, Sierra Leone
When a Sande mask became old and eroded, it was
sometimes reinvented as Gonde, a character in the coterie of
festival dances. Where Sande is sedate and correct, Gonde is
the reverse, irreverent and irrascible. The mask is often
spotted or painted, contrasting it with the sleek black of the
Sande mask.
Mask with multiple materials, 18" Ngere (We), Liberia/Ivory Coast
Such masks are worn as part of a costume that includes a body cover of raffia strips. Gela masqueraders are
male members of lineages who support and sponsor masquerade festivals for funerals and harvest
celebrations. Lineage elders commissioned and owned regalia, including masks. This mask has been carved
with tubular eyes, then pierced with viewing holes on either side of the nose to allow the dancer to see. Added
materials include fur, raffia and upholstery tacks.
Chief's Mask, brass, 13" Temne, Sierra Leone
This mask has been formed using repousse, the technique of hammering metal from the
reverse side to push it into the desired configuration. It was made out of a patterned brass tray
imported from India. Clearly visible on the inside, the pattern also appears on the face of the
mask as a ghostly star radiating from the center of the face. Cowries and beads surround the
mask along with an attached cloth.
(on the right) Female Prestige Figure, 21" Dan, Liberia
Carved at the request of a ruler to honor a favorite wife or daughter, this sculpture illustrates
the presence of a classical figurative canon in Dan carving. The wood has been oiled to
produce a fine, dark surface. A coiffure of fiber is attached over the carved one. Other
adornments include a beaded necklace and metal earrings.
The 2 images above are Ijo / Niger Delta People "Water-spirit" headdresses from Nigeria
Seated Hogon Figure, 34" Dogon, Mali
This diviner priest is seated on a stool composed of circular disks connected by upright supports, alternately carved to include images of turtles
and crocodiles, liminal creatures that inhabit two worlds, as does the diviner. Incised zig-zag patterning on the top ring of the stool refers to the
serpentine path of Lebe, primordial ancestor and protector of the Hogon. (Griaule: Conversations with Ogotemmeli) The object across the lap of
the figure may be a musical instrument, a metaphor for harmony. This seated figure is comparable to a smaller example in the Rockefeller
Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York which holds a calabash and striking stick.
Artists and Patrons
in Traditional African Culture
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