Reliquary Kota - Bakota - Gabon

Origin. Gabon
Name of the tribe. Bakota
Material. Wood, copper
Dimension. 60 cm
Shipping method. Colissimo within 24-48h; please open

This piece presented is a Kota reliquary figure, a type of traditional art originating from Gabon.

Structure: It is a stylized, two-dimensional figure, designed to be mounted at the top of a basket containing the bones of ancestors. The form is divided into two main parts: a large head and a geometric body reduced to an openwork diamond.

Materials and aesthetics: The object is covered with metal sheets, mainly brass (yellow) and copper (more reddish), hammered onto a wooden core. This metal contrast was highly valued for its shine, believed to repel evil forces.

The head: It features a central oval shape topped with a crescent moon headdress. The face, very schematic, is marked by protruding eyes and a symmetrical structure. The metalwork alternates smooth surfaces with textured or incised areas.

The body: The lower part, often called the 'diamond' or 'body', is treated in an abstract manner. It ends in a conical tip, which traditionally served to fix the figure in the reliquary.

These figures, called mbulu-ngulu, are not portraits but symbolic and stylized representations intended to protect and honor the remains of ancestral lineages.