@ auction in Lyon with Berthier Encheres on November 5th will be offered a :

OBAMBA RELIQUARY FIGURE
Gabon, region of Upper Ogooué, Kota people, 1st third of the 20th century. Thick wood core plated with embossed copper and brass sheets and strips. Height: 54 cm (+ base). Provenance: A private collection, Lyon, by descent.

The concave, almond-shaped face is divided into four quarters. On the two brass strips crossing in the middle of the face are affixed half-moon eyes and a triangular nose. The lateral segments terminate curled with "duck tails". The neck and upper parts of the diamond shaped body are decorated with copper sheets embossed with chevrons and linear motifs. The crescent is classic, adorned in its middle with a geometric pattern. On the rear, a long oval is carved in high relief. The base of the wooden diamond is patinated.
Devotion to the relics of the dead is one of the characteristics of many religions in Gabon. The ancestors are made even more present when their bones are carefully preserved, subject to specific rites. The use of the bone-box was widespread in Congo and Gabon, especially among the so-called Kota peoples. They are the only ones in this region to use a metal decoration covering almost all of the wooden frame. These kinds of portable tombs were exhibited on many occasions : at the initiation of the young men the families of the clan gathered together and brought out their reliquaries. In other circumstances, the worship offered by the clan leader was to promote the fertility of women and the land, or enhance hunting and fishing, or contribute to therapeutic care.
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