△ Byeri Fang, Gabon - Lot 24

△ Byeri Fang, Gabon Wood with beautiful black patina H. 46 cm It was undoubtedly because of their constant migrations that the Fang were led to place the bones of their deceased in cylindrical boxes of sewn bark, thereby making the grave, and sometimes even the cemetery, more suitable for moving. They were surmounted by a sculpted figure, full-length, torso or simple head, protector of the relics and idealized portrait of an ancestor. Concealed in the half-light of the hut belonging to the chief of each clan, honorific and propitiatory ceremonies were punctually dedicated to them. The byeri in the Durand-Ruel collection is a classic Fang work. The face is both haughty and contemplative, and the body conforms to native canons, particularly those of the Ntumu group, with arms at the sides of the body and hands folded over the abdomen. A rostrum descends from its lower back to allow it to be attached to the relic box. Provenance : - Galerie Valluet, Paris - According to the gallery, the piece was collected by a missionary monk.