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.

Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.

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