African Arts Gallery

This effigy of an ancestor, imprisoned in a clay aggregate on which various small talismans, horns, knuckles, and metal objects are piled around the magical charge called "Bonga Offers a face engraved with parallel incisions.
Established between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, the Téké were organized into chiefdoms whose leader was often chosen from among the blacksmiths. The head of the family, mfumu , had the right of life or death over his family, whose importance determined his prestige. The head of the clan, ngantsié , for his part, kept the great protective fetish tar mantsié , which supervised all ceremonies. It was the powerful witch doctor and diviner who "loaded" the individual statuettes with magical elements, in return for payment. It was also according to his directives that worship was given to the ancestors. Their secret society, kidumu , used circular flat masks decorated with polychrome geometric patterns.