African Statue Fang Relic

(Gabon) Around 80 years old
Material : Wood with metal accessories

The chief of any Fang lineage was the senior initiate in charge of the byeri cult; he would keep inside his family dwelling, near his bed and hidden from all, tall sewn bark boxes containing preferred bones of remarkable deceased and topped with a human head, torso or figure.

As a family cult, byeri was the affirmation of the identity of the lineage; it allowed to get daily protection from ancestors through food sacrifices. As a whole (relics and statuettes), these elements which were strictly taboo to women, were used during initiation rites involving the absorption of some hallucinogenic substance known as alan from Pygmee pharmacopia. Beyond the propitiary field, it permitted to tame death through ordinary consultation of relics and to vainquish it through the affirmation of the tangible presence of ancestors.

Its soft and well defined features, its well mastered exuberant hairdress as well as its body powerful architecture raise the Neller-Morigi collection byeri to the pinnacle of the great Fang sculptures corpus in the same manner as the Andre Derain one belonging to the Metropolitan Collections and the Jacob Epstein one now adorning the Fondation Dapper walls.

With this statue the artist achieved a perfect blend of archaic ancestor representation together with young and graceful characteristics thereby giving the grand classical Fang style one of its most beautiful icons.

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