Collection ofAfrican artBelgian. The cult of ancestors, the bwete (North Kota) was at the heart of the social and religious life of the Kota and presents many analogies with that of the Fang . In the exclusive presence of initiates, the major decisions of the clan were taken during ceremonies during which reliquaries were taken out and used. In order to reactivate its magical charge, the initiates rubbed the relic with sand. Related according to some authors to the naja snake, the concave pointed face, surmounted by a small tubular growth, offers cabochon eyes and a sharp nose. Juxtaposed copper strips alternate with areas of hammered patterns. Despite the slats lacking copper wire, this sculpture has certain elements relating to the Mahongwe reliquaries of the extreme north-east of Gabon, on the Congo border. Baskets containing the relics of illustrious ancestors, generally topped by two reliquaries, were kept in village temples. One of them embodied the founder of the lineage, and the second his descendants.
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