African Arts Gallery

Acting as a "guardian" of a reliquary, this type of African statue associated with the Byeri cult embodies the female ancestor of the lineage and topped the basket of bones. This version stands out thanks to its bulging muscles and crouching posture. Shiny black patina, 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. During festivals, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried on parade, held by the posterior peduncle.