Reliquary guardian figures known as Eyema-o-Byeri, or “statue for Byeri” (the cult of ancestral veneration), by the Masters of Ntem, c. 1750-1860. From the Mvaï subgroup of the Fang (Equatorial Guinea, northern Gabon, and southern Cameroon).

Reliquary guardian figures known as Eyema-o-Byeri, or “statue for Byeri” (the cult of ancestral veneration), by the Masters of Ntem, c. 1750-1860. From the Mvaï subgroup of the Fang (Equatorial Guinea, northern Gabon, and southern Cameroon). 

“Beginning in the 18th century, ancestors of the Fang peoples migrated from the northeast into southern Cameroon, Rio Muni, and Gabon. Believing that their forebears were concerned about and could affect their well-being, Fang venerated the ancestors who were left behind. Those venerated included the founder of the lineage and successive lineages, clan or family heads, and extraordinary women who were believed to have supernatural abilities and who bore numerous healthy children. Precious relics such as ancestral skulls and bones, along with precious beads, potent substances with magical properties (medicine), and other spiritually charged objects were kept in containers made of bark or woven plant fibers. A post projecting from a standing or seated guardian figure like this one fastened it to the lid of the bark reliquary box, which was kept in special shelters or repositories. The sculpted guardian protected the relics from malicious humans and evil spirits and served as a point of contact between the ancestral relics and designated family members.

These reliquary guardian figures are attributed to the Master of Ntem, a sculptor [or small group of sculptors] who lived on the upper Ntem River in northern Gabon and was active between about 1800 and 1860 [or as early as the second half of the 18th century]. These figures, with rounded thighs and thick calves, are carved in a seated position. The massive head, elegant hairstyle with three triangular braided crests, and robust, muscular body typify the Mvai region style of carving. A headband with pompoms covers its ears. Feathers affixed to the headdress by metallic chains, earrings, iron or copper necklaces and bracelets, and glass beads originally adorned the figures. Hands holding an offering cup are incised rather than carved and have a band of scarification that terminates at the herniated navel. The feet have broken off. The intense gaze of tiny shell eyes and bared teeth present an attitude of vigilance and defense. The stem at the back of this figure was inserted into the lid of the container.

Reliquary guardian figures were also used as puppets in a ritual called mélan, a rite of appeasement. During the course of their initiation into adulthood, boys learned about the history of their people, which is marked by migrations and the need for portable objects, including the reliquaries. The practice of making reliquaries for ancestor worship ceased in the early 20th century when the French colonial government banned the reliquaries and their priests.” - Adapted from Roslyn A. Walker, by the Dallas Museum of Art

Today, works by the Masters of Ntem are incredibly valuable on account of their finesse, rarity, relative age, and the fact that some of them were once highly prized works in the collections of the avant-garde circle of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque. The second carving depicted here was sold by Sotheby's for almost 3.5 million dollars in 2018, while another similar figure sold for over 2.5 million dollars...