Arts of Africa
The Honolulu Museum of Art’s small collection of African art, numbering approximately 230 objects, began with a gift of textiles from Mrs. Charles R. Hyde in 1931. Since then, the collection has grown to include sculpture, primarily from the 19th to 20th centuries. Standout pieces include a terra-cotta kneeling figure from the Nok culture of present-day Nigeria (c. 5th century BCE–4th century CE), and a 19th-century carved wood female fertility figure from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Highlights from the collection
Female Fertility Figure
Lulua people, Democratic Republic of Congo, 19th century. Carved wood with pigment. Gift of the Rogers Family Trust and the Rogers Family Foundation, 2004 (13000.1)
Kneeling Figure
Nok culture, Nigeria, 5th century BCE–4th century. Hand-built and carved terra-cotta. Gift of Frances Damon Holt in memory of John Dominis Holt, 1996 (8348.1)
Antelope Mask
Guro or Baule people, Côte d’Ivoire, c. 19th century. Carved and blackened wood, Brass. Purchase, Academy Volunteers funds, 1983 (5104.1)
Kneeling Female Figure
Yoruba people, Nigeria, early 20th century. Carved wood with pigments, Local wood. Purchase, 1975 (4296.1)
Male Ancestor Figure
Bidjogo people, Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau, early to mid-20th century. Carved wood with tukula powder pigment. Purchase, 1973 (4166.1)