Reliquary Figure (Bieri)
Artist/Maker
Fang people
Cameroon and Gabon
Date20th century
CultureFang
Mediumwood, stain, copper alloy, plastic beads, plant fiber and encrustation
DimensionsOverall: 20 7/8 x 7 1/2 x 6 in. (53 x 19.1 x 15.2 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Alan Potamkin
Terms
Object number2007.48.26
On View
On viewCollections
DescriptionBieri figures are attached to cylindrical bark containers that contain relics, usually bones, of ancestors. The figure personifies the collective qualities of the ancestors and is regarded as the reliquary’s guardian.- Art of Africa
