Antique African sculpture and statues

 

The visual power of African sculpture is appreciated by collectors all over the world. From the serene statues of the Baule to the raw and disturbing nail fetishes made by the Congo peoples, it's a variety that never fails to capture the attention of whomever looks at them. Like all African art, antique African statues and sculptures are always made from a religious and/or spiritual background. There is no traditional African art without a traditional African function.

 

This means that, if you are serious about collecting traditional African sculpture, you should stay away from totally commercial "airport art" as depicted to the right. I'm not saying that it's not made by a good craftsman, but I certainly am saying that it's got nothing to do with the original culture that craftsman came from.

 

On account of Africa being such an enormous continent with so many cultures that made beautiful pieces of sculpture to function in the spiritual and traditional lives, there is a true plethora of orignal antique art still available - and eBay isn't a bad place at all to find them! The navigation links to the left offer you an entrance into the enchanted and enchanting world of antique, traditional African sculpture.