Reliquary bust "mbumba bwiti" ·  Gabon, Tsogho · ID: 3048245

Description

light wood, metal, animal skin,
These busts were used in rituals of the “bwiti” initiation society as part of the ancestor cult “mombe”.

They were placed in baskets containing human bones and magical substances and were supposed to guard the precious contents. They were kept in the men’s house together with ancestor figures “gheonga”.

The object Reliquary bust “mbumba bwiti” with the object ID 3048245 was last part of the auction 97th Auction at November 6, 2021 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 291 achieved a sales price of EUR 4,000.

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Notices

This object is subject to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Export documents are required for export (subjected to a fee).