African Tribal Art - Couple Of Mbédé Nah Reliquary Statues

Former Belgian gallery collection

The variety of reliquaries in the African art of the Mbede.
The Mbete, Ambete, are renowned for their anthropomorphic statues participating in the cult of ancestors called onkani. These sculptures represent ancestors, lineage or clan leaders, notables. A dorsal cavity indeed contains nails and a fragment of a feather, the badge of the nkani or chief. The face has a characteristic physiognomy accompanied by a toothed mouth. Attached to the bust, the arms are folded at a right angle. The muscular legs are half-bent. The Mbete form a tribe neighboring the Obamba to the south of Ogôoué in Gabon, whose history has been marked by a long-term conflict against the Teke. They do not have a centralized political organization, practice ancestor worship and use statues instead of classic reliquary boxes.


Piece accompanied by its certificate of authenticity.
PS: What is the certificate of authenticity? https://www.african-arts-gallery.com/faq.aspx?qid=8

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