Is this real African abstract wood carving?

I seen this at the store I sometimes shop at. It's kinda cool looking to me. This piece is quite large and heavy, hard to imagine it as a tourist piece. It does show cracks and such in the wood to signify an older piece. Sorry about the pics, the lighting wasn't the greatest in that corner. The base appears to of been added at a later date

 

stay away from african art unless you're an expert.

 

Please elaborate.

 

Because you will end up with a lot of tourist carp.

 

for every one old good piece there are 10,000 average ones, 20,000 poor quality tourist ones....and 5000 fakes.
The African art market has seen all the best works go to museums and collections ...OF NOTE.....everything else is tourist art recently made.
& if you can't tell the difference .....you'll get burned.....everytime.

 

Those are heavy numbers. Didn't realize that African art was that popular.

 

As countries get wealth, they buy back their Stuff. Plus, many Americans of African ancestry collect tribal art, too.

I've some Benin tomb brasses. I know they're the real thing, my grandparents bought them in the Gold Coast in about 1909!

 

I have a nice selection of old Ashanti gold weights....bought by a famous Montrealer in the 60's.
They all pre=date that , many back to the turn of the century.

 

Wow, Komokwa. Those are really great.