Kongo — Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, fiber
Height: 6 in (15.2 cm)
Provenance: Marc and Denyse Ginzberg Collection, New York; Dimondstein Tribal Art, Los Angeles; Sheik Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani
Published: Marc Ginzberg, African Forms, Skira, Milan, 2000, p. 132
This bell is carved in an oval form with projecting wooden clappers and a fiber suspension cord, the surface worked with tightly incised geometric patterns arranged in opposing panels across the front. The form connects sound, movement, and carved ornament within Central African object traditions, where bells served communicative, ceremonial, and signaling functions across a range of contexts. The compact scale and precision of the surface decoration give the object a strong presence relative to its size.
The piece carries an unusually well-documented collection history, passing through the Marc and Denyse Ginzberg Collection, Dimondstein Tribal Art, and the collection of Sheik Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani before its current offering. Its publication in Marc Ginzberg's African Forms provides an additional point of reference within the scholarly literature on African sculptural design.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Kongo — Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, fiber
Height: 6 in (15.2 cm)
Provenance: Marc and Denyse Ginzberg Collection, New York; Dimondstein Tribal Art, Los Angeles; Sheik Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani
Published: Marc Ginzberg, African Forms, Skira, Milan, 2000, p. 132
This bell is carved in an oval form with projecting wooden clappers and a fiber suspension cord, the surface worked with tightly incised geometric patterns arranged in opposing panels across the front. The form connects sound, movement, and carved ornament within Central African object traditions, where bells served communicative, ceremonial, and signaling functions across a range of contexts. The compact scale and precision of the surface decoration give the object a strong presence relative to its size.
The piece carries an unusually well-documented collection history, passing through the Marc and Denyse Ginzberg Collection, Dimondstein Tribal Art, and the collection of Sheik Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani before its current offering. Its publication in Marc Ginzberg's African Forms provides an additional point of reference within the scholarly literature on African sculptural design.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
