Product Description
Fang Reliquary Head – Gabon
This “guardian byer” figure with its voluminous head and stocky appearance, is characteristic of the Southern Fang style, in particular, the Meke-Betsi of the North and the North – West Gabon. This beautiful piece, with its elegant lines and its intense stare, offers a round trip through the art world of the twentieth century,
Made of 100% wood
Model is W 22 – H 40 and weight 1.4 kg.
Description
Created by the Fang Ngumba, this male eyema byeri ancestor figure with its voluminous head and stocky appearance, is characteristic of the Southern Fang style, in particular, the Meke-Betsi of the North and the North – West Gabon. The figure stands with its legs semi-flexed in a tense position, accentuated by the unusual thinness of the thighs and calves, and raise both hands in prayer.
The people that are called “Fang” in the geographic or ethnographic literature number 800,000 and constitute a vast mosaic of village communities, established in a large zone of Atlantic equatorial Africa comprising Cameroon, continental Equatorial Guinea and nearly the whole north of Gabon, on the right bank of the Ogowe River. Historically the Fang were itinerant, and it is relatively recently that they have settled into this broad area. The ensemble of Fang peoples practices a cult devoted to ancestor lineages, the bieri, whose aim is to both protect themselves from the deceased and to recruit their aid in matters of daily life. This familial cult does not monopolize the Fang’s religious universe, for it coexists with other beliefs and rituals of a more collective character. It is the bieri, or ancestor sculpture, which has most obviously given rise to the making of remarkable wooden sculpture. With its large head, long body, and short extremities, the Fang bieri had the proportion of a newborn, thus emphasizing the group’s continuity with its ancestor and with the three classes of the society: the “not-yet-born,” the living, and the dead. The bieri also served for therapeutic rituals and, above all, for the initiation of young males during the great so festival.
Additional information
| Weight | 1.4 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 22 × 40 cm |
| Color | |
| Material |
Leave a reply
Returns and Exchanges
There are a few important things to keep in mind when returning a product you purchased.You can return unwanted items by post within 7 working days of receipt of your goods.
- You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it.
- Only items that have been purchased directly from Us.
- Please ensure that the item you are returning is repackaged with all elements.
Ship your item back to Us
Firstly Print and return this Returns Form to:
30 South Park Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
Please remember to ensure that the item you are returning is repackaged with all elements.
For more information, view our full Returns and Exchanges information.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.