Reliquary Figure (Mbula Ngulu)
Country: Gabon
Material: Wood, Metal
Size: 23.5"
Age: Mid 1900's
Notes: Custom display stand included.
Historically, the Kota left their dea unburied in teh forest, far from the villae. Under influence of neighboring tribes, they then began to bury their dead. Chiefs were always buried, but often their bones (especially the scull) were later exhumed and placed with magical objects (shells, seeds, fruits) in a bark box or a basket called a bwete, in which a carved figure, like the one pictured here (called mbula ngulu), was inserted. These acted as intermediaries between the living and the ancestors, and were the focus of offerings and prayers aimed at bringing good fortune to the clan. |
