African Arts Gallery

This sculpted figure of head Fang offers a face marked with the austere pout characteristic of these sculptures of ancestors. The neck was introduced into the reliquary basket. Grainy patina, resinous residues, indigenous restoration.
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 surmounted by 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 to 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 chiefs. During festivals, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried in parade. (Source: "Fang", Perrois)