Figur de gardien de reliquaire "mbulu-ngulu" · Gabon, Haut Ogooué, Okonkdja / Otala, Kota-Obamba · ID: 3051948
Belgian Private Collection
Description
wood, copper alloy, nails, base
Frederic Cloth reports that the Otala / Okondja artists began to break away from the traditional canon of forms of the Kota figures at an early stage. He considers the present type of Kota figure to be one of the last styles they developed, and which emerged in the 1920s. Kota figurines were highly sought after by Western visitors. He surmises that the very unusual aesthetic of these late pieces was an attempt to create an object that would not arouse the interest of Westerners.
André Even was still able to witness the Kota cults in the first third of the 20th century and collected figures in this style. One of these figures, which was verifiably created before 1935, is now in the collection of the Musée du quai Branly (see AHDRC 0046899) and is very similar to the present work.
For further work by the same workshop, see AHDRC 0046891, AHDRC 0046894, AHDRC 0046901.
Publications
AHDRC: 0169015