Head - Nzèbi Ndjabi - Haute-Louessé, Congo-Gabon border

Rare anthropomorphic Nzèbi head collected in the late 1970s in a particularly privileged field context, directly at the exit of a ritual, which gives the piece a strong undeniable presence

Originating from the Haut-Louessé region on the border between the Congo and Gabon, this work sits within a rare and little-diffused cultural area—the Nzèbi, close to the Fang, Tsogho, and Punu—while maintaining a distinctive stylistic identity that is more discreet yet highly sought after

The head is distinguished by a remarkable contrasted treatment: the face, covered with a light, almost kaolin-like coating, contrasts with the dark, dense coiffure, creating a controlled play of light and depth

The features are of great fineness: half-closed eyes with an inward gaze, a mouth delicately outlined with red pigments that impart a almost living vibration to the whole

The slender neck enhances the overall elegance and places the piece within a search for balance and verticality typical of productions in this region

The enveloping hairstyle marks status and refers to precise identification codes; it fully contributes to the cultural reading of the object

The ancient patina, signs of use, and slight alterations attest to a real ritual life, reinforcing ethnographic interest and the sincerity of the piece

Provenance particularly interesting, deriving from a private collection inherited from a Frenchman who traveled to Central Africa in the 1960s–70s, involved in public health missions in remote villages. André developed a sensitivity to