The Mbete group of the Kota peoples reside in Gabon and the Republic of Congo in Africa. The figurative sculptures created by the Mbete evoke the lasting ties linking the realms between the living and dead while keeping the secret materials of ancestral veneration within the relic itself. Unlike other regional reliquary ensembles from the Fang and Kota peoples where relics were attached within a packet or affixed to a sculpture, the Mbete fully integrated the two by concealing the relics within the figure usually in a cavity found in the back.This magnificent creation fuses the aesthetic of two dimensional Kota ancestral representations, which exploit the application of precious metal to a wood surface, with a full body figurative form of Mbete receptacles. Mbete Reliquary Standing Female Figure - DC.1111Origin: Gabon or Republic of Congo Circa: 20 th Century ADCollection: African Art Style: Kota Peoples - Mbete Group Medium: wood, brass, fiber,Condition: Very Fine

Antiquities
Ancient Unknown