\n \;Fun\, fanciful\, fantastic&hellip\;these are just a few of the descriptions clients are proclaiming upon seeing the new &ldq uo\;Tribal Artifacts&rdquo\; gallery room now set up at Desert Art Collect ion. \; Tribal Artifacts is the name of a new business at Desert Art C ollection &\; Sculpture Garden located on San Luis Rey Avenue at El Pas eo in Palm Desert. \; Here you'\;ll find a vibrant collection of ar tifacts brought to the United States from the owner&rsquo\;s many trips an d expeditions to Africa and other tribal destinations around the world.&nb sp\; Most of the pieces are hand carved from a single piece of wood. Each is an authentic old-world piece chosen for its quality and design aestheti c. \; Some of the pieces you will find throughout the collection have been embellished by artists to enhance their color\, style\, and design el ements.
\n\n Masks
\n Ritual and ceremonial masks are an essent
ial feature of the traditional culture and art of the peoples of Sub-Sahar
an and West Africa. While the specific implications associated to ritual m
asks widely vary in different cultures\, some traits are common to most Af
rican cultures: e.g.\, masks usually have a spiritual and religious meanin
g and they are used in ritual dances and social and religious events\, and
a special status is attributed to the artists that create masks and to th
ose that wear them in ceremonies. In most cases\, mask-making is an art th
at is passed on from father to son\, along with the knowledge of the symbo
lic meanings.
\n Door Panels
\n Created with qualities usuall
y reserved for sculpture of ritual or religious importance\, the doors sho
w an impressive range of styles\, all worthy of critical appreciation and
with a romantic sense of age and timeless history. \; Most of the door
s are hung as wall pieces\, but could be mounted on bases as sculpture.
\n Vessels &\; Bowls
\n The making of pottery in Africa bega
n around the 7th millennium BC and continues to this day in the various re
gions of the continent. \; Despite its beauty\, African pottery had tw
o draw-backs\, it was both fragile and heavy. As a result of this most of
the early pieces are becoming harder to find\, making them very pricey to
own. However\, thanks to the many skilled craftspeople\, they are still be
ing made and sold to collectors all over the world.
\n With so man y artifacts available to us through the depth of such a rich history of tr ibes and cultures\, we couldn'\;t possibly cover every accessory catego ry. \; Below is a selection of such items that were simply too beautif ul to pass by.
\n\n African Lamps
\n The use of beads in Africa
can be traced back at least 12\,000 years. The oldest known beads have be
en found in the Kalahari desert\, the Sudan and Libya. The earliest beads
were made of eggshell\, clay\, twigs\, stones\, ivory and bone - glass bea
ds were introduced later by traders from Europe\, India and the Middle Eas
t.
\n Beads were used in various parts of Africa as adornment or w orks of art. In some African economies they also served as currency. As ad ornment they were important in defining and identifying someone'\;s sta tus\, as well as what tribe or group they belonged to.
\n\n Figures
&\; Sculptures
\n Most African sculpture was historically in wood
and other organic materials that have not survived from earlier than at mo
st a few centuries ago\; older pottery figures are found from a number of
areas.
\n There is a vast variety of styles\, often varying within the same context of origin depending on the use of the object\, but wide regional trends are apparent\; sculpture is most common among "\;group s of settled cultivators in the areas drained by the Niger and Congo river s"\; in West Africa.
\n\n Human &\; animal figures can be use d as free standing sculpture or design objects on shelves.
\n\n Trad
itional Furniture
\n Chief&rsquo\;s stools from Ghana&rsquo\;s Ashant
i tribe are beautifully carved and covered with hammered brass and copper.
\; They are made in a range of styles associated with proverbs and pa
rticular social rank or status. \; Similar to their Kente weaving hier
archy\, use of a royal stool design could be bequeathed to non-royals for
service to the king or state. \; This is a typical example (below) of
a chief&rsquo\;s stool with elegant abstract sculpture qualities.
Tribal Textiles
\n Kuba cloth is made by the Kuba people of Central
Zaire. This highly developed textile art is found in the form of rectangul
ar ceremonial panels as well as wrap-around skirts comprised of multiple p
anels. Worn by men and women alike at weddings and ritual dance ceremonies
\, the skirts can be up to 30 ft. long. The abstract designs characteristi
c of Kuba textiles fascinated and inspired Henri Matisse\, who was an earl
y collector. Other European painters\, such as Gustav Klimt and Paul Klee\
, also collected Kuba cloth\, bringing the Kuba emphasis on economy of lin
e\, pure form and surface patterning to European moderism.
\n For more information about Tribal Artifacts call 760/674-9955 or visit the web site at www.tribalartifacts.co. \; Desert Art Collection &\; Sculpt ure Garden is located next to the Union Bank at 45-350 San Luis Rey Avenue in Palm Desert&rsquo\;s El Paseo shopping district. \;
\n\n Ima ge shown: \; Harvest &\; Initiation Ceremony Figures\, Ibo Tribe\, Nigeria\, each unique carved from wood\, 41 and 38"\; high.
\n\n\nP hone: 760-674-9955\n\n45350 San Luis Rey Ave. at El Paseo\nPalm Desert\, CA\n92260\n\n DTSTART:20130524T100000 DTEND:20130524T170000 LOCATION:Desert Art Collection & Sculpture Garden PRIORITY: RRULE:FREQ=DAILY;UNTIL=20130527;INTERVAL=1 SUMMARY:Tribal Artifacts Resource for Designers & Collectors at Desert Art Collection & Sculpture Garden in Palm Desert URL:http://www.tribalartifacts.co END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR