The Barbican is to host the first major exhibition in the UK of the personal collections of post-war and contemporary artists, including Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Sir Peter Blake.
Early Kota Reliquary Figures were created to guard the bones of family ancestors. They were thought to hold great protective power so they were houses in private homes.
The Kota (Bakota) used to leave their dead exposed to the elements in the forest. They began to bury their chiefs, then to exhume their bones to put them in bark boxes or baskets called bwete, on which a statue was placed. Such reliquaries were entrusted to clan leaders who kept them hidden, sometimes relying on the power of relics for the benefit of the clan. When serious crises hit the village (a village of several clans), the chiefs gathered their reliquaries to perform rites. This cult was known as the bwiti by the Mahongwe and their neighbors, for whom the guards were the "faces" of the bwete. Beautiful golden look. Details + Dimensions Material Hand caved wood topped with hand hammered brass Dimensions 21.0"H x 8.5"W x 2.5"D Additional Information This beautiful vintage piece has wear associated with age.
Sculptural element from a reliquary ensemble - Gabon, Kota Shamaye (or "Kota Sango"), "boho-na-bwete”, reliquary figure (figure de reliquaire)
Sculptural element from a reliquary ensemble - Gabon, Kota Shamaye (or "Kota Sango"), "boho-na-bwete”, reliquary figure (figure de reliquaire)
This exceptional Kota reliquary comes from the Mahogwe tribe who lives on the river Ogooué in Gabon. The Mahogwe are part of the Kota ethnic group based in the North-East of Gabon. This sculpture is exceptional because it was collected in situ by a colonial administrator named Fernand Oliveda who was a high ranking colonial administrator based between 1888 and 1930 in Madagascar, Senegal and Congo. In 1925 he was Chief of Secretariat for the Middle Congo Governor General (the then name for Gabon). It is very rare to be able to have clear traceability for such an item as his African art collection was kept in the family since then!. It is made of wood, brass and copper\. Thin strips of brass/copper are envelopping the wood core. On the back a thin decorated plate of brass/copper covers the wood. less
Very beautiful Kota obamba reliquary Origin: Gabon Wood, copper
Antique Kota Reliquary Double Faced Figure made of copper, steel/metal, and wood. ORIGIN: Mahongwe Gabon, Africa Approx Date: Early 20th Century, Turn of the century Double sided, one side representing male and the other female. Used to mount on baskets containing bones of loved ones as a relic/memorial of the family member (almost like a tombstone) and to act as intermediaries between the living and the spiritual realm. CONDITION: See photos. 2 places where wood is split from age and mounting peg. You can leave as desired or repair with wood filler. Shows patina from age. Aside from a light dusting, any detailed cleaning of our vintage items is left up to discretion of the buyer. DIMENSIONS (approx.): SCULPTURE: 18.75" tall x 7" wide x 3" deep BASE: 5.75" diameter
Sculptural element from a reliquary ensemble - Gabon, Kota Shamaye (or "Kota Sango"), "boho-na-bwete”, reliquary figure (figure de reliquaire)
This kota Mahonghwé reliquary was used for funeral ceremonies and rituals in southwestern Gabon.
Sculptural element from a reliquary ensemble - Gabon, Kota Shamaye (or "Kota Sango"), "boho-na-bwete”, reliquary figure (figure de reliquaire)
Dazzling abstract faces covered with shining brass and copper plates seem to float in space; geometric abstraction of remarkable ingenuity and variety present expressions of sublime, ferocious, startled or subdued emotion; rigorously organized designs, always symmetrical, present the human form"u2026
Kota, Obamba peoples, Reliquary Figure (Ngulu), Gabon, region of Franceville, late 19th century. Wood, copper, brass and indigenous repairs. Height 48 cm. Photo courtesy Galerie Jacques Germain Provenance: Private collection, France Guro, Bété peoples,...
