Custom Mounting
A base, often called a mount, can be compared to the frame of a painting
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The mount is a mean to display and valorize the artwork. In the case of the Ibeji, it is also used when the statuette has a damaged base and can’t stand on its own.
Ibeji Art partnered with one of the most skilled and recognized mount-maker in the United States, to offer the convenience to have a mount together with the Ibeji you just purchased. You can also purchase the mounts for statuettes you already own.
Most of the bases offered by Ibeji Art are created following the style of Kichizo Inagaki, the most renewed mount-maker of all time. You can read more about him scrolling down to the end of this page.
The professional and secure mounting includes also the selection of style, wood, and color to best fit your statuette.
Take a moment to browse through this page and see the different styles, colors and woods we offer. If you prefer something different, like a mount you already own or have seen somewhere, send us a photo and most likely we will be able to replicate it.
Ibeji Art also offers mounting for other tribal art artwork, such as masks, statues, clothing, bags, and anything else you have.
Contact us to let us know your needs and we will send you an affordable quotation with a quick turn-around time, together with instructions to send us the artwork to be mounted.
In case the mount is purchased together with one of our Ibeji, we will also offer a special promotional price.
All pieces send to us will be fully insured while at our promises and when shipped back to you.
Type A
One of the most elegant and heavier bases, typically for the most important and taller Ibeji of your collection.
It has a thick bronze plate at the bottom and a wooden prismatic square block on top.
The edges are finished with a bevel, with a small flat face at 45 degrees. The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type B
This is a classic Inagaki prismatic base with beveled edges connecting the four flat faces. The bottom part of the base is larger than the top part.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type C
Another very elegant prismatic base with trapezoidal lateral faces. The edges are only very slightly rounded and not beveled.
The top surface of the base has an additional smaller square portion with straight edges.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type D
Our smallest base, 1" high, classic Iganaki style, with beveled edges and prismatic shape. Smaller bases typically fit better shorter Ibeji and pairs.
These particolar bases were made with a wood of lighter color.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type E
Classic Iganaki style base, very similar to the type B, but 1.5" high instead of 2" high and with lighter wood color.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Also to be notice in this photo is the beautiful 1900 century Ibeji, one of the rarest type of Ibeji, from the Meko town, in the Ketu tribe territory, with heavy metal bangles around both wrists. Only a few Ibeji of this type are known (Encyclopedia of the Ibeji n. 215).
Type F
Our largest Ibeji base, for the tallest statuettes of your collection, typically over 12".
This base works very well when the Ibeji have long cowries ornaments, such as the one in this photo.
It is made of a beautiful wood, with prismatic shape, with reddish tones.
The edges are only slightly rounded.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type G
This base is one of my favorites, typically it is better used with tall Ibeji having a small base on their own, such as this beautiful Oke Iho.
The top and bottom components of the base are scaled to classic proportion seen on two-tiered Inagaki mounts.
The edges are beveled on the bottom part and straight on the top part.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type H
This is a classic and sophisticated two inches three-tier base lacquered with black color which can be used for different types of Ibeji.
Type L
This is a classic and sophisticated two inches three-tier base similar to the type H, but without the black stain.
The veins of the wood are clearly visible on the front part of the base.
Type M
Very simple but particular two-tier base. The edges are clarified to give an antique look while the lacquer has a softer black color.
This type of finish can be request also for bases of different style.
Type N
Very particular base especially created for a bronze Dogon statuette. The base was made with a lighter color wood with darker grain, inspired by the magical sandy escarpment of Bandiagara, in the Land of the Dogon, in Mali.
The base has a bronze bottom to match perfectly the statuette.
Kichizo Inagaki – the mysterious Japanese cabinetmaker
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Kichizo Inagaki was a Japanese cabinetmaker who rubbed shoulders with famous artists and collectors of his time, yet he remained unknown to his descendants. He was renowned for his sophisticated stands for African and Oceanian art and was very popular during the 20th Century in Paris.
Kichizo Inagaki was born in 1876, in the village of Murakami (Niigata prefecture, Honshu island, Japan). His father was an artisan and carpenter at the Royal Palace, known for his sculptures and fluency with lacquer art as well as ikebana. Kichizo went to study in Tokyo but after the death of his father he returned to his village. Soon he proved artistic abilities and mastery in traditional arts. He participated in numerous contests: in 1894 he took the second place at a sculpture contest and in 1899 he obtained third prize at the National Contest for lacquer masters.
Kichizo was more and more tempted to return to Tokyo in order to finish his studies. Become the head of the family at the death of his father, his mother reluctantly let him go. In Tokyo he attended modelling and sculpture courses. Hard working and conscious, he graduated in 1904. He moved to Hong-Kong and later, in 1906, to Paris. In those times, Paris attracted numerous Japanese artists who wished to explore Occidental techniques. At the beginning, barely speaking French, he had to sell sculptures in order to survive. In little time he was noticed by antique dealers who entrusted him the making of pedestals for Primitive and Antique artworks. While he was employed by Joseph Brummer, he met Rodin, who was looking for someone capable of restoring pieces from his collection and Kichizo seemed to him ideal for that job. In no time the whole Paris including Paul Guillaume, Louis Carré, Béla Hei, started to use the services of Kichizo Inagaki. Contrary to others, the Japane se created stands which aimed not to degrade a sculpture but able to merge with it. He was as well the one who gave wood a specific finish, making the veining visible, which in most cases was painted white but could as well be red, green or silver.
Nevertheless, pedestals’ production was not his only activity, according to Tribal Art. In fact, Kichizo Inagaki, since 1918 created furniture for Eileen Gray. Unfortunately now it is hard to determine which ones should be attributed to the Japanese. Certain number of objects created by Kichizo were preserved by his family, including a palm wood and wicker screen, a desk he made for the anniversary of his wife or some small boxes. Notably attributed to him is the parfume Nuit de Chine‘s case, distributed by fashion designer Paul Poiret. We discover as well that Kichizo Inagaki was not only an artisan at the antique dealers’ service, but well and truly an artist of multiple talents. During his whole life he never received the public’s appreciation because of his discretion and peoples’ mentality in that period. Rodin tried in vain to organise him an exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo, but gladly now, step by step, we rediscov er the work of Kichizo Inagaki.
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