Tsogho, Gabon - Lot 189

Lot 189
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Estimation :
500 - 700 EUR
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Tsogho, Gabon - Lot 189
Tsogho, Gabon Reliquary head made of wood, brass, and pigment H. 32 cm - W. 18 cm (on a base) The peoples of Central Gabon (Masango, Adouma, and Mitsogho) from Fougamou on the Ngounié River to Lastoursville and southward toward Mbigou crafted commemorative figurines associated with ancestor worship, whether of lineages or brotherhoods. This is the Mbumba Bwiti. It is a stylized head that may be in the Tsogho or Sango style, with a neck of varying length. Among the Mitsogho, the ancestor cult, practiced at the family level, is called Mombé. The head of this reliquary, more or less ovoid in shape, features very pronounced, arched eyebrows in relief, forming an inverted omega on either side of the nose, which is triangular and often merely sketched as a “nasal” feature, as seen here. The domed forehead is often divided into two parts by a central metal plate, decorated with lines of dotted patterns (as is the case here). The hairstyle and the ears, set wide apart on the sides, blend together. The tubular eyes are enormous, as is the lipped mouth, open to reveal a few pointed wooden teeth.
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