African Arts Gallery

This Fang sculpture presents the classic physiognomy of figures of prestigious ancestors who sat enthroned on reliquary baskets. Glossy brown patina, drying cracks. 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. They were also used during initiation ceremonies for young people linked to the "So" society. The term Angokh nlo byeri means "single head of the ancestor", as opposed to statues. During festivals, the statues were separated from their boxes and carried on parade, brandished like puppets.