Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. and an openwork base

and an openwork base

It is believed that the bones of the deceased were imbued with the power that the ancestor had during their lifetime

especially their skull were later exhumed and placed with magical objects in a bark box or a basket called a Bwete

These relics

Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. and an openwork baseStunning early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. This figure came from the collection of a deceased collector in Antwerp. It was originally acquired in Gabon around 1940. It stands 50cm high. The top of the figure is banded with copper strips as is the neck. The copper shows great patination and colour gained over many years of use and handling. There also appear to be the remains of what looks like white kaolin type paint which may originally have been