Tribal Art

Fang ancestor figure (N° 17250)

This figure of naturalist style ancestor has a hairstyle in parallel shells, the eyes are surrounded by metal, reputed to have magical properties, and the character sports a loincloth made up of animal teeth connected by ropes. Oiled dark patina. Controlled xylophageal prints.
The peoples known as Fang, or Pahouins, described as conquering warriors, invaded by successive leaps, from villages to villages, the entire region between the Sanaga in Cameroon and the Ogooué in Gabon, between the 18th and the beginning of the twentieth century.
In the depths of their boxes, in a dark and often smoky nook, the heads of lineages preciously stored their Byéri, the relic chests and the sculptures that undersaw them. The daily life of the Fang had three priorities: perpetuating social identity, living in a hostile natural environment, and dialogue with the deceased to keep them away from the living. (Louis Perrois). The relics of the most remarkable ancestors were kept in cylindrical bark boxes near the layer of the lineage chief, initiated by the family cult of The Byéri. Surmounted by a human effigy that affirmed their identity, they contributed to the protection of their descendants through regular sacrifices. Their function was to divert evil influences to someone else. They were also used during the initiation ceremonies of young people linked to society. So, so. The initiation rites, forbidden to women and children, took place under the influence of a hallucinogenic substance, the Alan, borrowed from the Pygmies. But during some celebrations, the statues were separated from their boxes and paraded.