Boho-na-bwetereliquary figure (Kota Mahongwe).
Gabon.
Wood, brass, height: 53 cm.
Aura Collection.
In the 1920s, the most beautiful specimens of boho-na-bwete
(trans: face of the Bwete ancestor) were discovered in the little
village of the Mékambo area in the eastern frontier near the
Congo-Brazzaville. The Kota Mahongwe reliquaries come in two
types, “tall” figures like this one which have large ribs that
represent founding families, and “small” figures which have
distinctive facial morphologies that represent the less important
citizens. These reliquaries were placed atop baskets which
contained valued ancestral skulls, which belonged to the familial
propitiatory cult; they were held on by fibre cords.
Reliquary statue (Kota), obamba style.
Wood and copper sheets, height: 56 cm.
Brought back from Africa between 1905 and 1910 by M.A.
Larsonneur, private collection.Made of coloured copper sheets, this Kota statue renders a
powerful and agressive impression. The metal used by the
African artists to create this sculpture comes from copper plates
imported by the Europeans. Another concave face has been
carved on the other side of this statue.