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Antique Fang tribe reliquary head sculpture
Description
Ancestor worship in African art
In the patrilineal Fang society, each family elder and clan chief kept a cylindrical bark reliquary basket in his hut, containing the skulls, bones, and sometimes simply the teeth of a deceased patriarch of his lineage. Kept separately, a carved head or reliquary statue was mounted on the ossuary basket using vines for the Byeri coming-of-age initiation ceremony. This ancestor worship was accompanied by a theatrical reanimation of the dead through the art of eboga, passed down by the pygmies. It was merged with Bwiti, a mixture of Christianity and ancestor worship, in ceremonies whose main purpose was to perpetuate lineage groups through the grace of the deceased, who were capable of controlling the occult forces of the spirits.
The ingestion of powdered roots and bark of eboga (Tabernanthe iboga) caused an intense psychedelic experience lasting several hours, and preceded the release of the skulls from their boxes. The ritual consisted of prayers, songs, and dances in the company of the Byeri, which the elder, “the old man,” would take with both hands to include it in the dance movements. The libations were preceded by animal sacrifices, whose blood was smeared on the skulls of the ancestors, while the animal's flesh was consumed by the partakers.
Outside of initiation ceremonies, divination, or symbolic reanimation of the dead, they were kept in a small hut, away from the village dwellings. These sculptures played a symbolic and protective role, acting as a link between the world of the living and that of the spirits.
Note the sculptural quality displayed by the artist: the perfect balance of the face, curved like the famous Ngil masks, the white face reminiscent of the Bwiti initiations connecting with deceased ancestors, and the delicacy of the eyes, nose, and mouth, which are almost simply suggested. The stylistic choices found in this piece allow it to be attributed to the Fang Betsi subgroup.
Detailed information:
Artist Anonymous (Africa, South Cameroon - Gabon)
Object Fang reliquary head, Betsi Añgokh Nlô Byeri
Date of creation Circa 1930-1940
Field Sculpture
Description Fang statues from South Cameroon are distinguished by their slender, elongated torsos, forward-leaning heads, prognathous mouths, and sharply defined brow ridges. The heart-shaped, elongated faces and long, thin noses have been whitened with kaolin, a reference to the dead, as white is their color. The incised eyes are typical of Fang art.
With its impression of gravity and dignity, this Añgokh Nlô Byeri head is a fine example of the spirituality that permeates Fang art.
Technique Wood, iron staples, leather strips.
Dimensions 30 x 13.5 x 13 cm
h. included in overall height
Notes Separated from its reliquary chest, the object lost its sacred character and could be destroyed.
The stylistic choices found in this piece allow it to be attributed to the Fang Betsi subgroup.
Category: Art
Trust rating: Green
Published on: January 10, 2026
Views: 5
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