Kota Reliquary Gabon - Congo

Exceptional Kota Ndasa wooden shrine, partially eroded and covered with copper and brass sheets, 52cm high plus base. This is the archetype of the Mbulu-Ngulu variant made by the Ndasa people living in the upper Ougoué Valley in Gabon and neighboring Congo-Brazzaville. Its distinctive characteristic is the absence of the crescent-shaped crest, while the double side buns descending along the face and ending in a volute on each side have been retained. This sculpture has a rounded, concave forehead divided in two. The large cabochon eyes are set in the convex part of the face, well below the eyebrows. A pronounced nose, a menacingly open mouth, a neck covered in fluted brass, and the visible parts of the wood covered with a very thick, blackish, crusty patina; the triangular base is missing a section. This very old piece dates from a period presumed to be the late 19th or early 20th century. A very fine collector's item.