Beautiful old reliquary figure - Lot 15

Beautiful old reliquary figure Kota culture, Gabon or Republic of Congo Wooden core plated with copper and brass H. 57 cm Provenance: Cazeau Collection, Paris - Cazeau Collection, Paris Since the colonial annals of the late 19th century, the name Kota has been used to designate a group of Bantu-speaking populations occupying the whole of eastern Gabon as far as the Sibiti region of the Congo. Their social organization is typically clan-based and their habitat dispersed, even if certain villages could comprise up to a hundred huts. The history of their migrations has been meticulously studied by ethnologist Louis Perrois. The mobility of the Kota populations led them to adopt a way of preserving ancestral relics typical of the populations of Gabon and southern Cameroon. Bones were preserved in small baskets of sewn bark and woven wicker, which were easy to carry when they had to leave their territory. Atop these ossuaries was a carved wooden effigy, plated with copper and brass, representing a human face, an ancestral figure designed for protection. The Kota reliquary figure in the Cazeau collection stands out for its particularly meticulous craftsmanship. The bulging triangle dominating the broad forehead perfectly balances the composition of the lower face. The striated decoration of the cheeks accentuates the sharpness of the eyes, highlighted by large eyebrow arches.