Tribalartcollector forums

Hello everybody,
I hope you can help me with the following:
My boyfriend just lost his father recently. His father had collected African art (specifically dolls and smaller figures) but didn't leave any information of what these dolls and figures mean or what tribe they are from.

I helped take photos of all objects and hope you could help me identify what we are looking at here. I searched Google for African Art, tribal art, African tribes and such but for someone who doesn't even have the slightest clue it's hard to even find a starting point. I numbered all the pieces to make it easier.

I don't know how I could thank you for helping my boyfriend and I. We plan to keep them and display them along some information about them.

Thanks in advance,
Leena (& Tom)

Hi Leena and Tom,

It took a little bit, and it was a lot....

I have labeled the items that can possibly (or are likely to) be real with a green star. The rest of the items are unfortunately mostly fake or made for market or (impossible for me to tell, I did show an expert your pictures, and he agreed)

The likely real items are not the very high value types, but are genuine art and do make a nice collection. (and who knows what the future brings! )

Hope it helps,

Julien

Hello Julien,
thank you so much for looking at the figures! Since they are of sentimental than material value, it's OK that a lot of them are fake. Where are the real ones made? What tribes are they from? I tried reading into some tribes, but there are sooooooo many and as an absolute noob I have no idea what tribe makes what kind of figures. Could you give me a lead?

Again I have no idea how to thank you for doing this. Just know that you make my boyfriend and me really happy by giving us an insight into my father in laws passion.

All the best,
Leena (and Tom)

Hi Leena,

the likely real ones are mostly from the Lobi and Ewe tribes. There are some other ones but they require a closer study.

Hope it helps,

Cheers

Hey julien,
thanks for the lead. We'll read into those tribes now. Can't wait what we'll find out.

Thanks so much again

You are welcome, I recommend joining the Facebook group: Great or Fake? Discovering African Art , you will learn a lot!