African Arts Gallery

Rare representation of a Tsogho ancestor in the form of a statue with articulated limbs. The back has a cavity intended for relics such as small bones. The face is like the traditional masks of the group. Matte patina, faintly colored highlights, drying cracks.
The Mitsogho ethnic group, Sogho, is established in a forest region on the right bank of the Ngoumé river, Ngounié, near the Kwele. Bwiti society, which has a system of reliquaries comparable to that of the Fang and Kota, formed the cohesion of the Mitsogho matrilineal clans. Their masks were displayed during funerals, and stored in the ebanza male initiation house. Like other ethnic groups in Gabon, they practice the rites of Bwiti which would have spread in this way among the coastal peoples. Their sculptural production is varied, in the form of statues, masks, reliquary guardians, pillars, doors and panels, musical instruments. The veneration of ancestors which is expressed in their art plays a major role within their society.