Objects

Highly decorated mortar. Bowl is carved with figures of two spiders, handles comprised of two small children, and geometric/rectangular shapes around the edges. One child has a closed mouth, hands folded together. The other child has an open mouth, hands apart one above the other, with an X on its belly. Stands on a base with four spiders holding the bowl, and standing on a rectangular open pedestal carved with diamond shaped decorations

Horizontal zoomorphic mask, with long curved horns that meet on top of the snout, a crocodile tail like carving from tip of nose across the snout and forehead, and large teeth in an open mouth.

Long open tube carved with vertical slit about 1 m wide down its length, and horizontally carved gouges about 1 cm apart for creating the percussive effect. A stick is scraped against the ridges in rhythmic patterns.

"A" has a bowl in the form of an ordinary man's head. The stem is ornately carved with double gongs all around it separated by rings and areas of geometric shapes. "B" has a bowl in the form of a title-holder's head with full cheeks wearing a cap decorated with star-like forms. The stem is carved with lizards and spiders separated by rings.

Long stemmed pipe with a bowl in the form of an elderly man's head

Round bowl with decorated edge, a handle on one side and knob/protrusion opposite.

A round, round bottomed clay pot with smooth curved rim, outside textured with textile pressed into wet clay and linked triangle patterns in a band towards the top. Bottom shows signs of having been set onto a fire.\nRound raffia cover, with some strands dyed pink and green, mostly natural tan color.\nContains seeds and organic matter\n

Round bellied dry calabash with a long stem with a hole at the end, filled with dried seeds that rattle when shaken.

Round-bellied dry calabash covered with a loose woven mesh threaded with seed beads that rattle against the body of the calabash when shaken.

Basket-woven rattle containing seeds, with solid, wrapped handle.

Flat scabbard woven of raffia fiber with handles on either side.

Two woven bamboo scabbards with pairs of round handles on the sides. One contains an iron cutlass

Scoop made of calabash, back is carved and burned with an image of a smiling face. It has holes carved for inserting a piece of cloth by which to hang it for storage.

Zoomorphic sculpture of a leopard standing, facing to right, decorated with lozenge shaped spots

Zoomorphic statue representing a male laopard, head turned toward the left, mouth open showing teeth and tongue. Surface covered with geometric designs

Zoomorphic sculpture of a leopard lying down with its head turned towards right with an open mouth. Surface is painted red, black and white, with carved spots

Zoomorphic sculpture representing a male lion, lying down, head turned towards the left, colored red inside the mouth and ears

Zoomorphic sculpture representing a male lion, lying down, head turned towards the left, colored red inside the mouth and eyes, black and white paint on forehead and on body, green on ?? pasture ??

Zoomorphic sculpture representing a lion.

Zoomorphic sculpture of a male lion lying down, facing front, mouth wide open with red paint inside the mouth, teeth painted white

Sculpture of a masquerade carrying a bamboo shield, whitewashed with carved and red-dyed spots on its body, red inside the mouth, hair made of fiber and feather, fiber around its neck.

Iron smelted bell with wooden handle carved with horizontal bands

Round, hollow slit drum with plain handles, no decoration. Opening a narrow slit on top opening up to rectangular holes at either end.

Elaborately carved, horizonal cylindrical drum. Handles are two smiling human faces. Surface carved with 12 lizards facing in alternate directions. Also two spider shapes and a plant form. In between the lizards are carved variously sized rectangular shapes, and around the edges a border of alternating vertical and horizontal lines. Ends and bottom of drum are plain. Opening is a vertical slit with larger rectangular openings at each end. Beaters are smooth rods made of bamboo.

Natural land snail shells

Long wooden shaft with iron tip, attachment point has been decorated with texture on the surface

Long shaft with iron spear head. Fiber cord attached to the head.

Six spears with long wooden shafts and iron tips attached to the shaft with brass tacks and copper wire wound around the base. Also wound with a piece of animal pelt.

Long wooden spear with a sharp, forged iron tip.

Spoon made from a halved long-necked calabash. Back decorated with geometric and plant forms by carving and burning.

Staff with diamond shaped handle. Elaborately carved overall with spider patterns

Long staff with knob handle. Decorated with cowrie shells, brass tacks, wire, and pigment

Staff with ovoid open carved handle wrapped in woven copper wire. Below the handle two elephant heads decorated with brass tacks, carving and a painted star. Below the elephant heads shaft is wrapped in wire and carved with schematic spder and spiral shapes.

Handle ovoid open in the form of a leopard. Below the handle Janus head--opposing faces, full figure below carrying a double gong, wearing a loin cloth

Curved cane like staff covered in red, white, yellow, black and blue glass beads on fabric covering the wood base. Metal tip

Staff with a round, open handle studded with brass tacks. Below the handle carved rings above a long open oval shape. Below the long oval, deeply carved diamond patterns along the length. Tipped with iron.

Cane-shaped staff of wood covered with red cloth and decorated with cowrie shells on the handle and in two bands around the shaft and near the tip, with small black and white beads filling in the gaps. metal tip.

Three staffs with handles in the form of a man's head. All are wearing traditional caps. One is the full figure and has a dog like animal riding on his head.

Staff with an open round handle sitting on the head of a full figure of a man wearing a traditional cap, loin cloth, smoking a pipe.

Staff with a handle in the form of an elephant that is standing on the head of a male figure wearing a traditional cap and small loin cloth. He is holding the horns of an antelope head whose nose rests on his feet. He is standing on three crocodiles noses, their bodies extend down the stick. Last section is uncarved.

Staff with a handle in the form of a crouching spotted leopard standing on a plain foot rest under which are two men's heads wearing traditional caps and large beaded necklaces. They are connected at the base of their necks. Under them is a full figure of a man sitting on a stool carved with cowrie shapes around its edges and standing on four legs. He is holding a palm cup in his right hand and a small calabash in his left. He also wears a cap, beads and loin cloth. The stick extends to four horizontally carved shapes and ends in a metal spike with a sharply pointed end.

Open work metal handle on a wooden shaft with a metal tip at the bottom

Black staff with knobbed handle decorated with carving and lozenge shaped buttons. Handle connected to shaft with copper wire. Shaft formed with two open worked areas ending in a blade shaped point.

Anthropo-zoomorphic staff. Elaborately carved with three lizards, the head of an elephant, a buffalo,and three human heads. Full figure of a man holding the head of an elephant

Cane-like staff of wood covered in geometric patterned black, white, blue, yellow and red bead work with a metal tip

Elaborately carved wooden staff in the form of a snake with a human head on the handle. Also carved and painted with images of cowries, spiders, double gongs and plant forms. Tipped with iron point

Staff with oval open worked handle formed by two carved and painted human heads. Shaft partly decorated with figures' arms and upper bodies, and triangle/diamond shaped patterns

Shaft splits in two part way up and forms open oval, heart, triangle and "Z" shapes that form the handle. The initial split starts to form what appears to be two facing birds whose heads meet at the top of the heart shape. Tip is covered with aluminum.

Long staff, decorated with black stripes and topped with plastic.

Anthropomorphic sculpture of busts of three men one on top of the other in order of their social position in the hierarchy/age, the one on top is wearing notable's cap. All are wearing beaded necklaces. Painted black.

Round seated stool with triangular shapes carved around the sides of the seat. Pedestal formed of three splayed feet that converge in to the center beneath the seat.

Solid circular seat above an open circular base. The seat rests on the back of a monkey that is standing with all four legs on the base. Entire piece is covered in cloth, then with cowries that have been stitched to the cloth. The monkey's flat face is covered with small black beads with cowrie eyes and mouth. Two pillars, one from the neck, and one in the middle of the back, and the monkeys' tail connect the figure to the seat.

Fragment of a round seat that was held by the heads of three animals, likely to have been leopards.

Round seat supported by four large spiders and cowrie shapes in a circle.

Round seat with zigzag pattern carved around the side supported on a pedestal split into three splayed legs. Legs are carved with textural ""V"" and short line patterns.

Round plain slightly depressed seat banded around the edge and carved with four cowrie shapes and some vertical lines. Seat sits on top of a human head with protruding triangular ears. Obvious chisel marks over the surface. Ends with the neck.

Round stool supported by three male figures with upraised arms holding it. Their faces are painted white with black features. The stool has evidence of having been painted with red pigment which has faded Edge of the seat is still red and it and the base are carved with geometric patterns.

Long sword with a leather covered cross shaped handle. Sheath of leather embossed with circle and heart shapes, and snake-like lines down its length

Round stool set upon zigzag carvings of 14 bat's heads all around. Edge of the seat and base are carved with connected cowrie shell images and lines and dots.

Round stool supported by a base carved with interlocking leopards

Black round stool with lozenge shaped carvings along the rim of the seat and the bottom of the stool. Supported by two rows of interlocking open wave shaped carving around the base with a row of 10 leopard heads in between.

Ornately carved throne with high back and arms. Back is carved with bull's heads and interlocking open wave shapes around the edge. Arms are supported by figures of leopards. The seat is supported on the front corners by men wearing traditional caps holding palm wine cups. The base is made of carved bull's heads.

High backed throne carved with royal icons: arms are figures of lions, with their tails going up the edge of the back; seat is supported by two male figures wearing traditional caps and loin cloths, holding a staff and smoking a pipe on the sides with a leopard facing the front of the seat; the back made up of a central double gong with three carved faces on either side with circle shapes above them, topped by four spiders. Seat is edged with lozenge/cowrie shaped carving.

High backed throne carved with royal iconography: Seat is supported by two male figures facing the outwards on either side, wearing traditional caps, long loin cloths or wrappers, and holding cups. In between the two men, facing the front is the figure of male lion. The arms are formed of two leopards with their tails extending up the side of the back. The back is carved with a double gong in the center, surrounded by elephant tusks arching over the gong, next to which are the faces of two men. Above the gong is a male mask with spider forms on either side.

Round seat supported by three spiders set onto a circular base

Stool like throne with eight spiders carved on its pedestal, with geometric shapes carved around the base and seat.

Stool like throne carved with three leopards facing outwards beneath the flat, round seat. The round platform that holds the leopards is supported by the carved heads of three men, also facing outwards. It is carved around its rim with spider/diamond shapes.

Stool like throne. Flat round seat sits on top of a leaopard that is carved as though walking with its tail in the air. The tail is one of three supports that hold up the seat.

Oblong seat supported by pillars at each corner carved with two spiders on each side, one on top of the other.

Stool with round, slightly concave seat, supported by four pillars carved on the front and back facing sides with two spiders, one on top of the other. The sides of the seat are also carved with two spider forms in the front, side by side.

Round seat with a rim carved with a narrow row of bead like shapes on top and a chain of cowrie shapes around the side. Pedestal formed of the front half of four leopards, their ears standing up and holding up the seat. They stand upon a ring carved with cowrie shapes end to end.

Round seat supported by two tiers of figures, the lower one sits on a base carved around with diamond shapes that are painted white and is comprised of the heads of seven men with roughly carved features painted in with white. The second tier is comprised of the heads of seven dogs, eyes are painted white. The edge of the seat is carved with interlocking waving lines, painted white.

Round seat held up by three nude male figures standing in a circle with upraised arms. Two are significantly taller than the third one.

Round seat decorated around the edge with spider shaped carving. The seat is supported by four nude male figures that are carrying it on their heads and upraised arms.

Round seat supported by four carved spiders set onto a round base.

Round flat seat supported by five carved spiders set onto a round base.

Round seat supported by figures of ten men with upraised arms, wearing traditional caps and loin cloths. Some are standing on figures of spiders.

Stool with a round seat carved with cowrie shapes in star patterns around the edge. Supported by four nude male figures that are squatting with their elbows on their knees, hands on their faces. They are facing in pairs towards the front and the back of the stool. They are resting on a rectangular base that is also decorated around the sides with cowrie shapes in star pattern.

Roughly carved circular seat, with semicircular carved back. Inside is very roughly carved and undecorated. The seat is held up by four figures carrying it on their heads and raised arms, except for the two at the back whose arms are connected. Raised arms at right angles. They stand on a circular open base. Rungs of the back are vertical slats and two gong like shapes, end to end with small end touching, large end touching the upper edge and seat.

Circular seat with semicircular curved back. Back is carved out with a man holding up the edge of the back in the center, arms upraised. He stands between to leopards that face him and their tails touch the outer edges of the back. They carry ten heads of dogs on their backs and the man's upper arms. The size of the dogs' heads diminish towards the edge of the back, following the shape of the curve. The seat is held up by a leopard standing with its forefeet on the front of the base, rear legs on the back. Perpendicular to the leopard are two male figures on either side resembling the one on the back, holding up the seat on their heads and upraised arms, legs spread in a squatting position.

Circular seat with a high curved back carved from a solid piece of wood, rounded and carved out diamond shapes throughout. Back extends to arms in the form of lions, heads faced out, with open mouths showing teeth, appearing as though tails curve up to form the edge of the back. Seat is held up by a crouching male figure (perhaps the Fon) in traditional cap, and loin cloth, arms akimbo and behind him resembles the back of the throne itself. On either side stand two figures holding calabashes in both hands, similarly dressed. At the back is an antelope head, horns touch the seat, nose touching the base. Base is an open circle.

Stool like throne with front part of two leopards in relief facing outward front and back between pillars carved with two spiders each. The leopards' ears are standing up vertically and support the seat. The sides of the oval shaped seat are carved with lines, zigzag and diamond shapes as is the base on which the leopards are standing.

Round seat supported by three tiers of men's heads on a circular open base. Tiers are separated by waving line. Features and hair colored with black pigment.

High carved back is carved with double gong at the center, on either side male heads wearing tall caps set on posts decorated with cowrie shell images. Above the gong a third head with spider images on either side. The arms are formed of carved spiders, hand rest of smiling male faces without caps set on a post decorated with cowrie images. The round seat is set upon a base supported by a central female leopard with male heads with full cheeks wearing traditional caps. The foot rest is carved with four cowrie images on top, cowries carved around the edge, and two men's heads on either end.

Round seat supported by two spiders stacked in each of the four corners of the pillar beneath it. Seat is decorated with carved cowrie shell shapes around the edge. The whisk accompanies the throne. The handle is covered in leather, the end of which is carved in geometric shapes. Whisk of black hair, unknown origin

Posts are carved on all four sides with double gongs, combined reptile/spider forms, cowrie shell shapes painted white, and men's faces. Lintel carved with a man's face crowned with cowrie shapes framed by lions in profile on either side, double gongs at the far corners. In front of the posts are large, ornately carved forms of elephant tusks. A branch of raffia palm is placed in front of the lintel to restrict access.

"A" has a round seat supported by a base carved in 2.5 rows of interlocking wave patterns. The fiber broom/whisk with woven handle and cowrie shell decoration is permanently attached to it."B" is a round seat supported by spider forms. "C" is a round seat supported by a base carved in 1.5 rows of interlocking wave patterns.

Flat bag woven with light and dark fiber to form a pattern of twelve male figures on the front side of the bag. Corners are fringed with darker colored fiber, as is the braided, looped handle.