Fang Figure Reliquary Gabon Africa
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Fang Figure Reliquary Gabon Africa:
$210.00
TitleFang Standing Figure Reliquary Gabon AfricaType of ObjectCarvingCountry of OriginGabonPeopleFangMaterialsWood, beadsApproximate Agesecond half 20th CenturyDimensionsHeight is 20 InchesOverall ConditionPoor. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.  Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.Damage/Repaircracks in head, in arm and in/between buttocks, chipped mouth and ears, holes from old insect damage arrested, stains, chips in feet with missing toes, oxidation on metal , large in head to the back, dents
Additional Information: a fang standing male figure. This Fang style can be seen in the head and facial details as well as in the stance and body shape. Traces of red ritual powder can be seen on the surface .
Though similar in their forms the reliquary figures fall into a number of subtly differentiated sub-styles that stretch from their core area in Gabon to southern Cameroon. Usually, a bark container known as a byeri was normally associated to Fang figures and held the bones of an ancestor that were venerated during annual ceremonies at which the ancestors were present in the form of the sculptures. This figure would not have been attached to a bark reliquary but most probably was used during Byeri rituals.
The sculptures of the Fang have obtained an almost legendary status among collectors. They attained this lofty position based almost entirely upon their \"byeri\" reliquary heads and figures. The discovery of these haunting pieces by scholars and travelers during the last half of the 19th century helped elevate African art into the collecting mainstream among Europeans, and Fang heads became the earliest African carvings to fetch enormous prices at sale. Though there are other forms of note, like bellows, abstract, elongated masks, and prestige objects, the \"byeri\" dominate any discussion of Fang art. In fact, even smaller, lesser known objects are collected primarily because they often have striking figural representations which resemble byeri heads. The byeri figures and heads were carved to serve as \"guardians\" for the skulls and long bones of revered male ancestors. Fang religion revolves around the worship of these ancestors, whose remains are stored in bark boxes upon which dramatically carved heads and figures are mounted. Though the heads reportedly are earlier than the full figures, this is not always the case, and may simply be a function of the forms that were collected and exhibited during the earliest contacts with Europeans. Early theories were that heads were \"portraits\" of ancestors, but since full figures may be either male or female it is now believed that they were placed over the bones to protect them from evil spirits, and are not portraits. The heads and figures often have a magical, even sinister expression, and are sometimes jet black from the application of oils and other libations. There are regional and clan-related stylistic differences, and their identification can be complicated. Whatever the sub-group might be, the prognathic characteristics of the faces, and the muscular torsos with their static postures are instantly identified with the Fang. Fang byeri have long been available on the market, though their quality varies greatly. The Fang, who inhabit dense forests, use slash and burn techniques, and thus move frequently. Though they will transport the ancestral bones from old village to new village, they will often release the byeri for sale, since the bones are sacred, not the carvings. Each village is headed by a leader related to the founder of the clan. They are mostly farmers, and ancestor worship continues to be the glue that binds each village together. The importance of Fang art to the greater appreciation of African Art can not be overstated.
Further reading: Perrois, Louis, 1986. Ancestral Art of Gabon. Perrois, Louis and Marta S. Delage, 1990. The Art of Equatorial Guinea.
I have examined this piece and agree with the description.
Niangi Batulukisi, PhD.
**69654**
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Fang Figure Reliquary Gabon Africa:
$210.00