Janushead of a reliquary ensemble "bwete" · Gabon, Kota-Obamba · ID: 3034787
Description
wooden core, coated with various pieces of copper sheet, attached with metal clamps which are arranged like fine seams, the separate worked half-spherical eyes and tapering noses fixed with nails, metal collar around the neck, elaborate work, in good condition, block-like socle;
the Shamaye and the neighbouring Obamba used wooden heads of small size, like the present, for their reliquary ensembles.
The object Janushead of a reliquary ensemble “bwete” with the object ID 3034787 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 322 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,500.
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Expertise
Galerie Le Cabinet de Curieux, Thierry Ruby, Paris, France
Comparing literature
Paudrat, Jean-Louis, The Way of the Ancestors, Paris 1986, ill. 38 a, b