Reliquary head - Fang - Gabon
06
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 220 - € 250
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Tête reliquaire by the Fang people of Gabon, carved in bois with metal-inlaid eyes and standing 430 mm high in excellent condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Gabon
Fang
Wood and glass
Height 430mm
Width: 90mm
Depth: 120mm
This reliquary head is a major ritual art object originating from the Fang people. This large Central African ethnic group is spread across a territory covering Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, southern Cameroon, and western Republic of the Congo.
The Fang statuary art, highly conceptual and with stringent plastic discipline, profoundly marked the history of Western art when it was rediscovered in the early 20th century.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Composition
This isolated head displays the classic expression criteria of the Fang aesthetic canon, blending solemnity and interiority:
The crowned hairstyle or helmet-like coiffure: The head is adorned with an elaborate traditional hairstyle and incised with fine parallel lines imitating braids. It extends backward and falls at the sides of the neck, a faithful representation of the hairstyles used by Fang warriors and dignitaries in the 19th century.
The bulging forehead and heart-shaped face: The forehead is particularly prominent, large and concave, projecting over a heart-shaped face with a slightly levigated contour. The nose is fine and straight, and the mouth is sculpted in a schematic, closed form, with full lips protruding forward.
Inlaid eyes: The eyes are formed by inlays of light metal plates (brass or tin) that are hammered in. This striking metallic contrast captures light and gives the sculpture a fixed, hypnotic gaze, symbolizing the worldview of the invisible.
The mounting stem: The head continues downward with a long cylindrical neck that flares into a solid wooden tenon (or peduncle). The base of this handle shows traces of natural erosion and prolonged insertion.
The oozing patina: The wood bears a dark brown, satin patina typical of Fang rituals where sculptures were regularly anointed with palm oil mixed with red wood powder, sometimes giving the wood this dark, “oozing” appearance.
2. Usage and Ritual Function: The Byeri Cult
In Fang society, these heads or reliquary statues (called Eyema Byeri) are not idols to be worshiped, but spiritual guardians associated with ancestor worship, the Byeri:
Keepers of reliquary boxes: The Fang were a migratory people. To move and honor their dead, they preserved the sacred bones of the most illustrious ancestors (skulls, fragments of founders’ skeletons of lineages, great warriors, or fertile women) in cylindrical bark boxes called nsek-byeri. The wooden tenon beneath the head was precisely used to fix the sculpture through the box lid.
Protection and consultation: The reliquary head acted as a sentinel. Its function was to watch over the bones and ward off profane or malevolent sorcerous forces. Before making crucial decisions for the clan (war, migration, alliance choices), family heads consulted the reliquaries and made offerings to the Byeri.
Initiation ceremonies: During the rites of passage for young boys (the Melan), the sculptures were detached from their boxes. They were theatrically presented to initiates to recount the clan’s genealogy and impart the vital force of the ancestors, thus ensuring continuity and spiritual survival of the lineage.
The packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with a tracking number.
Delivery via Chronopost between 1 to 3 days in France and 2 to 5 days across the European Union. Delivery for the rest of Europe and the world via Colissimo International.
We speak english.
mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateGabon
Fang
Wood and glass
Height 430mm
Width: 90mm
Depth: 120mm
This reliquary head is a major ritual art object originating from the Fang people. This large Central African ethnic group is spread across a territory covering Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, southern Cameroon, and western Republic of the Congo.
The Fang statuary art, highly conceptual and with stringent plastic discipline, profoundly marked the history of Western art when it was rediscovered in the early 20th century.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Composition
This isolated head displays the classic expression criteria of the Fang aesthetic canon, blending solemnity and interiority:
The crowned hairstyle or helmet-like coiffure: The head is adorned with an elaborate traditional hairstyle and incised with fine parallel lines imitating braids. It extends backward and falls at the sides of the neck, a faithful representation of the hairstyles used by Fang warriors and dignitaries in the 19th century.
The bulging forehead and heart-shaped face: The forehead is particularly prominent, large and concave, projecting over a heart-shaped face with a slightly levigated contour. The nose is fine and straight, and the mouth is sculpted in a schematic, closed form, with full lips protruding forward.
Inlaid eyes: The eyes are formed by inlays of light metal plates (brass or tin) that are hammered in. This striking metallic contrast captures light and gives the sculpture a fixed, hypnotic gaze, symbolizing the worldview of the invisible.
The mounting stem: The head continues downward with a long cylindrical neck that flares into a solid wooden tenon (or peduncle). The base of this handle shows traces of natural erosion and prolonged insertion.
The oozing patina: The wood bears a dark brown, satin patina typical of Fang rituals where sculptures were regularly anointed with palm oil mixed with red wood powder, sometimes giving the wood this dark, “oozing” appearance.
2. Usage and Ritual Function: The Byeri Cult
In Fang society, these heads or reliquary statues (called Eyema Byeri) are not idols to be worshiped, but spiritual guardians associated with ancestor worship, the Byeri:
Keepers of reliquary boxes: The Fang were a migratory people. To move and honor their dead, they preserved the sacred bones of the most illustrious ancestors (skulls, fragments of founders’ skeletons of lineages, great warriors, or fertile women) in cylindrical bark boxes called nsek-byeri. The wooden tenon beneath the head was precisely used to fix the sculpture through the box lid.
Protection and consultation: The reliquary head acted as a sentinel. Its function was to watch over the bones and ward off profane or malevolent sorcerous forces. Before making crucial decisions for the clan (war, migration, alliance choices), family heads consulted the reliquaries and made offerings to the Byeri.
Initiation ceremonies: During the rites of passage for young boys (the Melan), the sculptures were detached from their boxes. They were theatrically presented to initiates to recount the clan’s genealogy and impart the vital force of the ancestors, thus ensuring continuity and spiritual survival of the lineage.
The packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with a tracking number.
Delivery via Chronopost between 1 to 3 days in France and 2 to 5 days across the European Union. Delivery for the rest of Europe and the world via Colissimo International.
We speak english.
mask african art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
Reliquary head
Ethnic group/ culture
Fang
Country of Origin
Gabon
Material
Wood / glass eyes
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Excellent condition
Sold by
