African Arts Gallery

French African art collection.
This African sculpture "mbulu-ngulu", plated with metal according to the kota tradition, forms a stylized image of the ancestor, a coat of arms also for the clan, and is generally distinguished by the shape of the headdress , variable depending on the region.
The Kota inhabit the eastern part of Gabon, which is rich in iron ore, and some in the Republic of Congo. The blacksmith, in addition to wood carving, made tools for agricultural work as well as ritual weapons. The sculptures playing the role of "medium" between the living and the dead who watched over the descendants, were associated with the rites at the bwete , comparable to those of the Fang . They surmounted the baskets containing the mortuary remains of the ancestors of high lineage. In the exclusive presence of initiates, the great decisions of the clan were taken during ceremonies, and, in order to reactivate the magic charge, they rubbed the relic with sand.