Fang Angokh-Nlo Byeri head - SOLD OUT
The Fang practiced until the first half of the 20th century a cult to family ancestors known as Byeri. Its plastic expressions are symbolic representations of the deceased in the form of eyema byeri statuettes meaning "the image of byeri", but also of single heads.
The piece shown here is one of those long-necked heads that were called angokh-nlô-byeri, literally meaning "the whole head of the ancestor."
In museums and private Western collections, heads alone are much rarer than full-length statues and often of a remarkable quality of finish; some, including this one, are unmistakably masterpieces.
If the statues ostentatiously represent a sexed ancestor (man or woman), the heads alone, on the other hand, are obviously less identifiable in this respect - hairstyles with braids or with cups (nlô-ô-ngo) can be worn indifferently by men. or women.
Unlike the statues representing an entire body which were revealed during initiation rites, the angokh-nlô-byeri heads remained carefully hidden in the lineage chief's room, at the back of his hut. They were regularly coated with palm oil and ba powder (a mixture of oil and pulverized padauk wood, this red coating being, like the parrot feathers of the same color which adorned them, the sign of the sacred).
This Fang head has a lustrous and oily patina that is entirely consistent with the aforementioned custom of coating it with palm oil.
01110
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- 20th c.
- Size
- 24 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
- Origin
- Collection M. Gaud, Saint-Tropez
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Excellent
The Fang practiced until the first half of the 20th century a cult to family ancestors known as Byeri. Its plastic expressions are symbolic representations of the deceased in the form of eyema byeri statuettes meaning "the image of byeri", but also of single heads.
The piece shown here is one of those long-necked heads that were called angokh-nlô-byeri, literally meaning "the whole head of the ancestor."
In museums and private Western collections, heads alone are much rarer than full-length statues and often of a remarkable quality of finish; some, including this one, are unmistakably masterpieces.
If the statues ostentatiously represent a sexed ancestor (man or woman), the heads alone, on the other hand, are obviously less identifiable in this respect - hairstyles with braids or with cups (nlô-ô-ngo) can be worn indifferently by men. or women.
Unlike the statues representing an entire body which were revealed during initiation rites, the angokh-nlô-byeri heads remained carefully hidden in the lineage chief's room, at the back of his hut. They were regularly coated with palm oil and ba powder (a mixture of oil and pulverized padauk wood, this red coating being, like the parrot feathers of the same color which adorned them, the sign of the sacred).
This Fang head has a lustrous and oily patina that is entirely consistent with the aforementioned custom of coating it with palm oil.