Head sculpture of a "bieri" - reliquary ·  Gabon, Fang · ID: 3032231

Description

wood, rich black patina, regular facial features: a concave vaulted heart-shaped facial plane with big metal eyes, the hairline confined by a diadem-like headband, grooved coiffure with middle ridge, rising from a columnar neck with several drilled holes for attachment at the base, traces of weathering at the same place, slightly dam., minor missing parts, stepped pedestal;
the Fang honour their ancestors by keeping their skulls in special bark boxes which are decorated with a head or a figure. The whole object is called “bieri”. According to Tessmann (1913) originally only heads were affixed to bieris, the figures are a later version. In any case, head or figure should be a rememberance of the person faded away and it has a guardian function as well, it should keep away non-initiated persons. Bieris are regularly spread with oil or blood and are provided with food.

The object Head sculpture of a “bieri” - reliquary with the object ID 3032231 was last part of the auction 68th tribal art auction at March 3, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 195 achieved a sales price of EUR 6,000.

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