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Fang Male Reliquary Figure (Bieri Style), Fang-Betsi Subgroup, Gabon
About the Item
Tribal Art - African Art
Fang Male Reliquary Figure (Bieri Style), Fang-Betsi Subgroup, Gabon, Circa 1950s
Carved from dense hardwood, this 19-inch-tall figure with dark, very beautiful patina, stands in a composed stance, holding a small box-like object close to the chest—a gesture associated with protection or ritual offering.
Height: 19 in. (48.3 cm) x Width: 5 in. (12.8 cm) x Depth: 5 in. (12.8 cm) without base.
Height: 21 in 1/4 (54 cm) x Width: 5 in 7/8. (15 cm) x Depth: 5 in 1/2 (14 cm) with base.
Provenance:
Multiple successive collections, France.
According to the previous owner, this sculpture was originally brought from Gabon to France during the colonial period and passed through several private collections thereafter. While we have no documentation to verify the original import date, we conservatively date the piece to the mid-20th century, corresponding to the period it remained in the collection of the prior owner.
This powerful male figure exemplifies the classical aesthetic and spiritual principles of the Fang Bieri tradition, specifically aligned with the Betsi subgroup. Standing in a rigid frontal stance, the figure clutches a small object close to its chest, a gesture commonly associated with ritual offering, protection, or ancestral invocation.
Carved from an exceptionally hard and heavy wood, the figure is marked by a rich, dark patina acquired through age and possible ritual handling. The anatomical emphasis—particularly the pronounced musculature, exaggerated genitalia, and the expressive weight of the limbs—evokes the Fang ideals of vitality, fertility, and ancestral potency. The oversized head, with its serene, meditative expression and stylized features, conveys a sense of introspective calm and spiritual authority. The schematic coiffure, carved in ridged vertical bands, further confirms its alignment with traditional depictions of respected male elders.
The figure belongs to the Bieri tradition, an ancestral cult that functioned as the cornerstone of Fang spiritual and social identity for centuries. As the Fang people migrated southward through Equatorial Africa—from present-day Cameroon into northern Gabon—they carried bark containers (called nsek bieri) holding the skulls of revered ancestors. These containers were typically surmounted by carved guardian figures like this one, which both protected the sacred remains and visually conveyed the virtues admired by the community: wisdom, balance, strength, and inner peace.
While early reliquary figures took the form of heads or busts, by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, full figures such as this one became more prevalent. Their form was not purely symbolic; they served as ritual intermediaries, activated during ceremonies to mediate between the living and the dead.
By the mid-20th century, with the increasing influence of Christianity and the rise of Bwiti, a syncretic religious movement, the active use of Bieri figures began to wane. However, works like this one, created around the 1950s, remain deeply connected to traditional beliefs. They stand as cultural testaments to a worldview in which sculpture was not merely artistic expression, but a living vessel of ancestral memory, spiritual power, and communal identity.
This figure’s compositional symmetry, dynamic tension, and refined abstraction illustrate the Fang's profound ability to hold opposites in balance: the infantile head paired with an adult body; passivity paired with latent power; and the eternal dialogue between the visible and the spiritual realms.
- Dimensions:Height: 21.26 in (54 cm)Width: 5.91 in (15 cm)Depth: 5.52 in (14 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Original condition, some marks due to carving and to the age. Beautiful patina.
- Seller Location:Encino, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU881344420392
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