African Arts Gallery

African tribal art and funeral rites
This Fang head was enthroned on the box of an ancestor's relics. Shiny black patina, minor erosions.
Among the Fang of Cameroon and Gabon, each family has a "Byeri", or reliquary box, in which the bones of the ancestors are kept. These boxes were guarded by the oldest man in the village, the “esa”. The reliquary boxes were topped with a statue or head which acted as guardian of the “byeri” boxes. These were kept in a dark corner of the hut, and were intended to divert evil influences towards someone else. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" society. The term Angokh means "full head of the ancestor" because they are representations of deceased leaders. During festivals, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried on parade.