FANG reliquary biyeri figures w/barkwood basket Start Price USD 1,650.00 Current Price USD 1,650.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, October 04, 2008 End Time Monday, November 03, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'FANG reliquary biyeri figures w/barkwood basket' Description Male-Female Reliquary Figures (Byeri Figures) Fang (Ntumu Sub-group Northern Fang) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon. Height: 31 inches. Wood with Basketry. Date: Mid-20th Century. Among the Fang people the veneration of ancestors through the use of figurative sculptures reflected their tightly knit kinship and lineage system. Each lineage's ancestors were located in family shrines where memorials or reliquary boxes containing their bones under the care of an elder known as the Esa who was the most senior elder the oldest living member of the clan and thereby closest to the ancestors. The ancestors were consulted before any serious event such as hunting, traveling, marriage, war, or planting was undertaken. Containers made of either bark or woven basketry known as nsekh byeri were surmounted by sculpted figures known as eyema-o-byeri that guarded the remains of Fang ancestors that included the bones and especially the skull of the ancestor, (Fernandez 1975: 723-46). The container would also become a repository for magical devices ranging from tree bark to jewelry and when not in actual use the sculpted figures were generally hidden from view. This male-female guardian pair are not often noted among the Fang, albeit early reports place male-female reliquary figures on shrines. As sculpture these Byeri figures stand out as a fine example of good carving of a later Fang style and their obvious condition and sculptural detail is testament to the Fang sculptor who shaped them. The figures rest on the short post that literally is an extension of their backbone that would have been thrust into the nsekh-byeri so that the figures would appear to sit on the edge of the bark containers. The extended coiffures are modeled after Fang hairstyles popular during the late 19TH and early 20th centuries. In addition to the hairstyle the heart shaped face and facial development locates the figure among the Ntumu, a northern Fang sub-group. The deep red color of the figures comes as a result of the use of palm oil and red sawdust as an offering and to enhance the beauty of the figures. Fang memorial sculpture has a long history of use and was in fact photographed as early as 1907 (Tessmann 1913/1972, vol. II). However the cult of Byeri began to lose its prominence after 1910 due to colonial government pressure. This seated Fang Byeri pair complete with basketry would be an imposing addition to a collection.Further Reading:Binet, J. Societes de danse chez les Fang, Paris, 1972.Fernandez, J. 'La statuaire Fang-Gabon', African Arts, 8, No.1, 1974.Fernandez, J. W. and R. L. 'Fang Reliquary Art: Its Quantities and Qualities. 'Cahiers d'etudes africaines, 15, No. 5. 1975Perrois, L. Statuaire fang, Paris. 1972Perrois, L. Sculpture traditionelle du Gabon, Paris. 1977Tessmann, G. Die Pangwe, Berlin and New York. 1913(1972)**014012** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!