3 Carved African Art Figures, Gods? Voodoo?

[African Art]

Hi there, here's a terrible photograph of three large African carvings I have inherited from an Aunt who lived in South Africa for the majority of her life until she moved back home to the U.K.

I have always marvelled at the many artifacts within her collection, but she appears to have given me one of the scariest (I always thought it scary) plus a beautiful woman with horns and the mans head is a full, lifesize piece on dark wood (Ebony perhaps). The mans head is signed and I have tracked it down to the Shona Carvings, but in wood, not stone.

The other pieces are totally different to the mans head. I would like to know what type of goddess the woman is? She has horns beautifully carved from her head, her face is 'two tone' from the different colours within the wood. Does anybody know what the wood might be? She must have a story.

The one behind IS the scariest thing I have ever had in my home. I'm not sure if it will bring bad luck or good? It looks like a huge Voodoo Doctor of some kind. It has shells for eyes and dangling earings with the same shells swinging from them. The hair is just out of this world.

The Woman is so beautifully carved, with what looks like 'armour' to her shoulders, studded all over apart from her breasts and her face is smooth and quite something to look at.



Any help would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks for taking the time to look.

 

[G.I.B.]

I've got a handful of these same types from when I was living in Angola. I had to get a tax stamp on the bottom of them to get them out of country.

The ones I got when I was living in Entebbe Uganda didn't need a stamp. They were all art buy locals. The stuff was for sale everywhere.

I also commissioned several pieces I wanted specifically, all hand carved by locals. Nice stuff, great memories.

The masks have meanings in some circumstances, but you will have to know the specifics. Which tribe, which country- most were just tourist carvings.

The people there did some nice work, for a very reasonable price. I used to trade Walmart Timex watches for carvings.

 

[Ant]

I think they would be kngs, queens, warriors etc, not Gods.

 

[ivan salis]

the sea shell eyed one ..might be a voodoo god * trying to recall its name they call it

 

[flyadive]

Are you sure they are carved and not shrunken Heads? The scary one anyway! Lol

 

[ivan salis]

the wood could be either mahogany or ebony --most likely

the sea shell eyed one could be from the African Santria "religion" --a Orisha named "Eleggua"