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HOME :
Decorative Arts :
African Sculptures : Mbete Reliquary Standing Female Figure
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Mbete Reliquary Standing Female Figure - DC.1111
Origin: Gabon or Republic of Congo
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Collection: African Art
Medium: wood, brass, fiber,
Condition: Very Fine
Location: United States
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| Description |
The Mbete group of the Kota peoples reside in
Gabon and the Republic of Congo in Africa. The
figurative sculptures created by the Mbete evoke
the lasting ties linking the realms between the
living and dead while keeping the secret
materials of ancestral veneration within the relic
itself. Unlike other regional reliquary ensembles
from the Fang and Kota peoples where relics
were attached within a packet or affixed to a
sculpture, the Mbete fully integrated the two by
concealing the relics within the figure usually in
a cavity found in the back.
This magnificent creation fuses the aesthetic of
two dimensional Kota ancestral representations,
which exploit the application of precious metal to
a wood surface, with a full body figurative form
of Mbete receptacles.
The core of the figure is flanked by rigid arms,
which forms an almost barrel like cylinder. The
brass which is fitted to the body from head to toe
features incised decorations and small breasts.
The face features a convex dome shaped
forehead and double arc eyebrows over large
oval eyes. The mouth is open and features small
iron teeth while semicircular ears are positioned
on each side of the head. Around the neck, waist
and ankles are various articles made of metal and
fiber. An open receptacle on the back contains
the relics and fetish materials such as nails, fiber
and a miniature wooden ancestral figure.
- (DC.1111)
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