Kwele Statue From Gabon

Male statue in light wood, carved and patina highlights of red and white Shiny parts in places due to the wise repetitive base a little eroded height 44cm a small hole at the top of the skull suggests that a headdress must have covered the head L he Kwélé ethnic group is a sub-group of the Kota ethnic group. They live in the east of Gabon and constitute different tribes including the Mahongwe, the Sango, the Obamba, the Shamayé and the Kwélé. They share identical rites, the main one being that dedicated to the ancestors. The Kwélé live on either side of the border between the Republic of Congo and Gabon, along the Ivindo River. The Kwélé were organized on the basis of lineages. Their chiefs governed the villages according to a balanced alternation. Kwélé art is also a mask art, statues being rarer These, always in the shape of a heart, embody the benevolent genies of the forest and are used to ward off sorcerers, for mourning or during celebrations initiations to activate the beneficial forces of the beyond. They are often flat, with eyes incised in the shape of a coffee bean, a triangular nose, generally painted with kaolin, whose light color is linked to light, death and the fight against evil spells.