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174 - GABON
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Estimation
€300 - 500Sale fees
GABON Mitsitsi-Na-Ngoye, Ambété, or Mbété reliquary statue. Hardwood; torso and face coated with kaolin; legs and area around the face covered with red clay. Textile fibers, metal-tipped teeth, nails, metal eyes; the dorsal handle is missing. Signs of wear from use. The Mbété people of the upper Ogooué River basin and its tributaries crafted hollowed-out statues used as reliquaries. These statues contained the bones of a deceased chief, including fragments of the skull and finger bones. Surveys conducted in the 1920s and 1930s among the Mbété of the central region document a significant cult centered on these relics, known as the Ngoye—an exclusive lodge of clan chiefs who attributed supernatural power to the bones of certain deceased predecessors. These relics were kept inside the torso, which had a cavity carved into its back. H.: 63 cm
Auction details
Civilisations # 2Auction house
Artenchères +33 4 78 00 86 65 contact@artencheres.frDelivery is optional. You can use the carrier of your choice. The stated price does not include the lot price or the auction house fees.