Mahongwe Reliquary Figure, Gabon

bwete
height 15 3/4in (40cm)

Provenance
André Fourquet Collection, Paris, acquired in the 1980s
Daniel Gervis Collection, Paris
French Private Collection

This bwete, of the classic style of works from northern Gabon near the Cameroon border, is encased in bands of copper wires laid horizontally, a central vertical band above the eyes and vertical parting bands below, the flat facial plane is in concave ovoid form cut off at the base. A slightly angled cylindrical extension rises behind at the top, recalling a coiffure style worn by many Mahongwe. The eyes of circular cup form rest high between the nose, a single sheet of copper inset perpendicularly. The cylindrical neck is similarly encased in banded wire.