This virtual gallery is yours. The Friend's Gallery presents statues photographed in various other galleries, auction houses and exhibitions principally in France, as well as pictures of any of your pieces you may desire to exhibit on the mémoire d'afrique site. The caption would be provided by the sender, private collector or gallery. We accept submission from all over the world.
Please feel free to enrich the gallery by sending us new pictures, texts, or comments. We guarantee the utmost confidentiality (if no information is provided for the caption, mémoire d'afrique shall indicate « Private collection »).

699 - Western Africa map
Along the coasts of Guinea Gulf...

756 - Sao snake head
Chad
H. 4 cm x W. 9.5 cm
10-16th century
Private collection (France)

757 - Sao crockery
Chad
Diameter: 8,5 cm x H. 8 cm
10-16th century
Private collection (France)

758 - Sao small masked dancer
A rather vague but intriguing zoomorphic statuette, with a profile resembling that of a... plantigrade! The only animal that could have this shape is the hyena, the hunchback appearing in profile. We remain prudent in our interpretation and may see in this part a masked dancer, wearing something around the neck and chest.
H. 12.5 cm x W. 5.5 cm
10-16th century
Private collection (France)

759 - Sao head of an animal
Chad
This is a somewhat indefinable animal because of the erosion of the piece. It could be a lion or buffalo. If it is a buffalo with visible horns and a tail on its back? Or a lion, a large male with a great mane, howling, open mouthed, tail at its side?
H. 8 cm x W. 11.5 cm x D. 7.5 cm
18th century
Private collection (France)

802 - Sao turtle, bead, amulet or cultual object
Chad
H. 5 cm x L. 10 cm
11-16th century
Private collection (France)

884 - Sao terracotta zoomorphic sculpture
Origin: Chad
Dimensions: 7.25" (18.4cm) high x 12" (30.5cm) depth
Circa: 10 th Century AD to 16 th Century AD
$6,500.00
Location: United States
www.artoftheancientworld.com
www.barakatgallery.com

888 - Sao animal, a pearl or an amulet ?
Chad
L. 6 cm x H. 3,5 cm
Intentionally pierded piece to wear about, in order to attract protection
11-16th century
Private collection (France)

889 - Sao head
Chad
H. 11 cm
11-16th century
Private collection (France)

918 - Sao head of a feline savage race
H. 8 cm
13-17th century
Salle des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles
Pierre Bergé & Associés
5 et 7 juin 2007
www.pba-auctions.com

1013 - Sao terra cotta beads as a necklace
L. 40 cm
Chad
16-17th century
Private collection (U.S.A.)
www.africadirect.com

1019 - Sao little male statue with a four leaf clover in his back
A four leaf clover pattern carved in the back of the statue...
H. 17 cm
Private collection (France)
www.afrart.com

1020 - Sao crock and plug with geometrical patterns
H. 17 cm
Private collection (France)
www.afrart.com

1021 - Sao buffalo-toad... or hippopotamus
H. 5 cm x L. 7 cm x W. 3.5 cm
Private collection (France)
Found in N'Djamena (Chad), along the Chari river
doyb@club-internet.fr

1022 - Sao large terracotta bead
H. 4 cm x l. 5 cm
15-17th century
Chad
Seen on a famous auctions website...

1024 - Sao male figure
One example among the marvellous collection of La Rochelle's Museum of Natural History... encounting more than 16,500 pieces !
perso.orange.fr/musees-la-rochelle

1025 - Sao terracotta beads
Different diameters
13-16th century
Private collection (U.S.A.)
www.africadirect.com

1052 - Sao head
H. 8 cm
12-15th centuryChad, Cameroun
Jean-Paul & Annie Lebeuf Collection
Photo: Dominique Darbois

1053 - Sao bead or amulet, in a shape of a hippopotamus
H. 6.5 cm
Source: Jean-Paul et Annie Lebeuf
Photo: Dominique Darbois

1054 - Sao multi headed funerary statue
H. 16 cm x W. 13,5 cm x D. 6 cm
10-13th century
Cameroun, Chad
Sujaro African Gallery and Design, San Francisco (U.S.A.)
www.sujaro.com

1079 - Sao pottery
H. 9.5 cm x W. 8 cm
Private collection (France)

1085 - Sao funerary anthropozoomorphic head
H. 19 cm x W. 12 cm
Private collection (France)

1086 - Sao head
H. 9 cm
Private collection (France)

1095 - Sao crockery with a lid
Pot: H. 6 cm x Diam. 9 cm to 3.5 cm x D. 4 cm
Top: H. 10 cm x Diam. 9 cm
Private collection (France)

1096 - Sao weight for fishing net or loom
Diameter: 4 cm
Private collection (France)

1098 - Sao head
Private collection (France)
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2054 - Sao weight for fishing net
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France

2095 - Sao face head
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France

2096 - Sao same head, but profile view
11-13th century
Private collection (France)
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France
.jpg)
2097 - Sao hippopotamus (back view)
H. 6,5 cm x W. 7 cm
11-13th century
Georges de Pachtère Collection (France)
-.jpg)
2098 - Sao hippopotamus (face view)
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France
.jpg)
2099 - Sao head
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France

2100 - Sao head
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France

2101 - Sao head

2102 - Sao male head
H. 6 cm
Jean-Paul & Annie Lebeuf
Photo: Dominique Darbois
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2122 - Sao fragment of a head
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France
.jpg)
2123 - Sao millstone
H. 14.7 cm x W. 5 cm
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France
.jpg)
2124 - Sao head of an animal
H. 9 cm x W. 7,5 cm
11-13th century
Collection Georges de Pachtère, France

2163 - Sao male bust

2164 - Sao magic statue

2190 - Sao hippopotamus
Preserved by I.C.O.M.

2226 - Sao male statue
H. 44.3 cm
14-16th century
Barbier-Müller Museum, Geneva

2241 - Sao male representation
H. 18 cm
Source: Jean-Paul & Annie Lebeuf
Photo: Dominique Darbois

2242 - Sao statue of an ancestor, from Tago sanctuary
Cameroun, Chad, Nigeria
Tago excavations site
H. 24.5 cm
11-16h century

2263 - Statue of a male ancestor
H. 35 cm
Tago site
Jean-Paul Lebeuf excavating
Musée de l’Homme, Paris
Photo: José Oster

2264 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 4.3 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao, J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

2265 - Sao male head
H. 17.5 cm
Fort Lamy excavations
Léon Palès excavating
Photo: Ina Bandy

2266 - Sao male head
H. 20.3 cm
Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, La Rochelle
Photo: Ina Bandy

2286 - Sao male bust
11-16th centuru
Private collection
Tago excavations site
Photo: E. Berne

2287 - Sao male head
H. 22 cm
Private collection
Photo: Schaedler
Ex-collection Hans Wolf, Zürich

2308 - Sao pieces and objects set
12-15th century
Private collection, Bruxelles (Belgium)

2338 - Sao zoomorphic head

2501 - Sao beads and weights

2567 - Sao statue
Private collection

2568 - Sao head
Private collection

2569 - Sao head
Private collection

2570 - Sao funerary statue
Private collection

2571 - Sao funerary head
University of Florida Libraries

2572 - Sao funerary head
University of Florida Libraries

2593 - Sao bead
Private collection

2598 - Sao little terracotta objects

2599 - Sao utilitarian terracotta pieces

2616 - Sao piece
These objects seem to come from places of worship inside the mounds emerging from the low-lying plain running up to the southern edge of lake Chad. Zoomorphic items were produced from the 2nd century BC onwards, however it is only in the 12th and 13th centuries AD that large number of terracotta anthropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures, measuring between 1.5 cm and 35 cm high, were produced.
icom.museum/redlist/afrique/ redlistafrica.html (read page 8).

2760 - Sao bust

2773 - Sao male statue
These statuettes were found alongside copper alloy items, small human figurines, and more especially many items of jewellery, sometimes adorned with small-scale human heads or animal forms.
H. 7 inches
Tago Excavations site (Chad)
Private collection (U.S.A.)

3115 - Sao bust

3177 - Sao domestic animal
H. 15.5 cm
1100 years old
Thermo test
Brussells Auctions Room, June 5 2008
Pierre Berge & Ass.

3250 - Sao beads
Private collection (U.S.A.)

3251 - Sao beads
Private collection (U.S.A.)

3252 - Sao fragmentary statue
12-13th century
Private collection (U.S.A.)

3277 - Sao little ornated vase
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3345 - Sao zoomorphic head
H. 8 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3354 - Sao anthropomorphic little statue
H. 5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3355 - Sao male little statue
H. 5.80 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3362 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 12 cm
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3363 - Sao human representation
H. 5.8 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3365 - Sao waterhorse
H. 7 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3368 - Sao human representation
H. 8.4 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao, J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3369 - Sao anthropozoomorphic head
H. 6.8 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao, J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3370 - Sao anthropomorphic statue
H. 7.5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao, J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3371 - Sao beverage little vase
H. 14 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3372 - Sao waterhorse
H. 12 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3373 - Sao anthropomorphic or zoomorphic representation
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3375 - Sao zoomorphic statue
H. 11.5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3376 - Sao waterhorse
H. 6.5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3378 - Sao zoomorphic statue
H. 8,5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3379 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 10 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3380 - Sao fish representation
H. 9.5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3381 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 12 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3382 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 17,5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3383 - Sao little ornated vase
H. 9.5 cm
Photo : D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3384 - Sao beverage vase
H. 20 cm
Photo : D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.–P. et A. Lebeuf

3385 - Sao fragements of broken pots
Photo : D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.–P. et A. Lebeuf

3386 - Sao ovale cup
H. 8 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.–P. et A. Lebeuf

3387 - Sao beverage vase
H. 18 cm
Photo : D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.–P. et A. Lebeuf

3392 - Sao zoomorphic statue
H. 14,5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3393 - Sao anthropomorphic little head
H. 14 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3399 - Sao zoomorphic statue
H. 9 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3400 - Sao little horse head
H. 3.8 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3401 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
H. 18 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3402 - Sao anthropomorphic head
H. 25,4 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3403 - Sao three-horned head
H. 10 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3404 - Sao three-horned head
H. 12,5 cm
Photo: D. Darbois
Les Arts des Sao
J.-P. et A. Lebeuf

3405 - Sao anthropomorphic representation
Private collection (France)

3410 - Sao little male head
H. 6.5 cm
Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de la Rochelle (France)
www.museum-larochelle.fr
Brought back by Jean-Paul Lebeuf
Photo: Ina Bandy

3445 - Sao head
H. 6.5 cm
R. Gatau Donation
Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de la Rochelle (France)
www.museum-larochelle.fr
Photo: J.M. Rieupeyrout

3449 - Sao funerary male head
H. 20 cm
14th century
Donation E. Bouyer Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, La Rochelle

3580 - Sao collection of grinders

3653 - Sao and male statue pendant
H. 11 cm & 13 cm
12-15th century

3655 - Sao beads
Africa Direct
Ebay shop
12-15th century

3684 - Sao little statue of a man
H. 33 cm
Ryann Willis Ancien Art (U.S.A.)

3685 - Sao anthropomorphic bust of a feature
H. 37 cm

3686 - Sao zoomorphic statue
L. 26 cm
Ancien Art of Central Africa (U.S.A.)

3694 - Sao male statue
H. 16 cm
Private collection (France)

3767 - Sao fragment of a face
Private collection

3953 - Sao crockery

3954 - Sao funerary crockery
H. 22 cm
Afrikanisch Kunst, Düsseldorf (Germany)
hppt://www.afrikand.de

4009 - Sao funerary head
Private collection
Photo: E. Berne, Films Caravelle

4026 - Sao anthropomorphic head
15th century
Origin: Excavations Jean-Paul Lebeuf
H. 6,1 cm x L. 4,2 cm x P. 3,8 cm
Ex-Musée de l’Homme, Musée du Quai Branly
Soon at La Rochelle Museum of Natural Sciences

4070 - Sao terracotta beads
Africa Direct (Belgium)

4071 - Sao terracotta beads
Africa Direct (Belgium)

4072 - Sao terracotta beads
Africa Direct (Belgium)

4077 - Sao anthropomorphic head
University of Florida Libraries
www.uflib.ufl.edu/afa/reserves/poynor/arh3525/SaoFigure5.jpg

4155 - Sao male head
University of Florida Libraries
www.uflib.ufl.edu/afa/reserves/poynor/arh3525/SaoTerracottaHeadFig5.jpg

4211 - Sao head
H. 20.3 cm
Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de la Rochelle (France)
www.museum-larochelle.fr

4348 - Set of Sao beads
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4349 - Set of Sao weights
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4350 - Sao head
H. 13 cm
Coming from Bouta Kabira district (Chad)
Chinon Auctions Room, October 31 2009
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4351 - Sao head
H. 17 cm
Coming from Bouta kabira district (Chad)
Chinon Auctions Room, October 31 2009
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4370 - Sao head (back view)
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4371 - Sao head (front view)
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4372 - Sao zoomorphic head
Private collection (France)

4373 - Sao head (side view)
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4374 - Sao head
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4375 - Sao head
Private collection, Pascal (France)

4456 - Sao scarificated head
H. 6.5 cm
Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, La Rochelle (France)

4457 - Sao scarificated head
H. 17,5 cm
Musée du quai Branly, Paris

4458 - Sao ancestor representation
H. 35 cm
Musée du quai Branly, Paris

4471 - Sao talisman
H. 2,9 cm
Musée Barbier-Müller, Genève

4472 - Sao anthropomorphic dancer
H. 5.5 cm
Barbier-Müller Museum, Geneva

4481 - Sao zoomorphic statue

4482 - Sao anthropomorphic head

4483 - Sao anthropomorphic funerary statues

4484 - Sao crockery

4503 - Sao anthropomorphic funerary statue
H. 16 cm
Origin: Chad

4504 - Sao anthropomorphic bust

4505 - Sao head

4506 - Sao frog

4517 - Sao earthen and stoned beads

4518 - Sao earthen and stoned beads

4536 - Sao zoomorphic statue
H. 11 cm