This african Añgokh-Nlô-Byeri ancestor head of Fang origin, Gabon, is quite exceptional.

In African Fang art, we know the famous byeri reliquary guardians in the form of full-bodied figures.
Regional styles emerged as the Fang people occupy a large geographic area.

Each lineage had its byeri guardian watching over the ancestral relics. Its custody was entrusted to the patriarch esa, the oldest man in the family.
The byeri were placed on a bark box serving as a reliquary, containing the bones of an ancestor.

If we often imagine Fang reliquary guardians with a dark and lustrous or even oily patina, there are exceptions to this rule.
Thus, the example here present has a rather dry patina and the neck presents a different state from the head itself.
This is due to the fact that the neck was sunk into the reliquary box while the head protruded from it.

Note also that the eyes have been highlighted by the addition of black wax.

This presumably late Fang head shows certain similarities in patina and wear to a copy in the Musée du quai Branly, Paris, ref. 71.1954.67.13.

This is an exceptional and old object from an ancient private collection. Please contact us for further information.

Later exhibited in Brussels.

Their role is to facilitate communication with the ancestors and ensure their protection over the community.

Bwiti is a spiritual practice originating in Gabon, particularly among the Tsogho, Mahongwé, and Fang peoples.
It is an initiation rite centered on the ingestion of iboga, a plant with hallucinogenic properties, allowing initiates to access visions and deep knowledge of their existence and the spiritual world. Bwiti incorporates elements of animism, ancestor worship, and, in some cases, Christianity, reflecting a religious syncretism.

Bwiti ceremonies are led by a spiritual guide, the N'ganga, and include songs, dances, and the use of traditional instruments such as the Ngombi harp. These rituals, often nocturnal and lasting several days, play a central role in social cohesion and the transmission of cultural values ​​within Gabonese communities.

Bwiti mbumba figures are therefore intrinsically linked to these practices, symbolizing the continued presence of ancestors and their benevolent influence on the living. They illustrate the richness of Gabonese ritual art and the importance placed on the link between the material and spiritual worlds.

A reliquary guardian in this style was published in "Tsogho, les Icônes du Bwiti," Paris, B. Dulon.