Statue of Byeri - Fang - Ntumu Group - Gabon - 53 cm

Characteristics: Height: 53 cm Material: wood. Object of worship/Object of form PROVENANCE: Unpublished piece, first sale, without sales or collection history. - This object comes from a family inheritance transmitted from a generation to another. - Collected around the middle of the 20th century. - Please note that 100% of the objects presented on this seller account come from private family collections, this is a bias, a guideline that, we hope, brings us closer to the a work of pure authenticity. - In fact, we have collected this object in the region of the Great East, in Revin, located in the heart of the national Forest of the Regnault castle, France. The dating indicated here is related to the family’s story and to its collection. Is it older? It is possible, but we remained exact, since we have no evidence to prove a greater antiquity than the indicated one. The dating of Fang objects is a quite complex subject, theoretically, all post-20th century items should be considered as late creations of African art, however, we can note the carving of a skilled sculptor on many of them. Actually, rituals ended around the very early 20th century, many master sculptors continued to create, commercial production began long before colonisation and continued until the massive arrival of colonists. How can we discern the line? The sculptural quality of the piece must take precedence above everything else, there is a true know-how to comply with, both regarding the style and the proportions, we buy an emotion, not an investment, although we must recognise that investment remains very trendy for these rising artworks. Fang pieces date back to the 19th or early 20th century, they are no longer accessible to general public and are stored in museums or important prestigious collection. Once in a while a figurine appears in prestigious auction houses, where they reach impressive sale records, contributing to the good health and running of the African art market. It is, therefore, much more legitimate to acquire a Fang piece from the first part or middle of the 20th century, since they remain rare and were carved by artists who did not seek to fool the eye, which is a quite important nuance! DESCRIPTION: The Byeri cult has relations with ancestors, protectors of the living. A Byeri is a sculpture which surmounts a reliquary, have a look at the pictures. A Byeri, which represents the founding ancestor, is consulted for the displacement of the village, the creation of new plantations, before hunting, going to war or pronouncing a palaver. Ancestors, materialised by the bones, will use dreams as vector, to answer to the questions of the head of the family. Women and children are not allowed to see a Byeri. Only men who were initiated to the So and who have a least one son, can be initiated to the cult. Literature: Basler, L'art chez les peuples primitifs, 1929. Evans, Portfolio de l'exposition African Negro Arts, 1935. Perrois, La statuaire Fan (Gabon) , 1972. SECTOR: African art, Africa, tribal art, primitive art, Design, contemporary Art, Cubist painting and forms.