Mbete Reliquary Male Figure

mitsitsi-na-ngoye
Type: figure
Exhibits: Cycle of Life
Tribes: Kota peoples, Mbete group
Location: Gabon / Republic of Congo
Period: Early 20th Century
Materials: Cowrie Shells, Iron, Kaolin, Pigments, Wood
Price: Contact Us
H: 
83.50cm
SKU: 
3079

Traces of three pigments of red, white and black are apparent, applied to the surface, referring symbolically to its ritual context: white is the color of the ancestor world, the land of the dead spirits; red is the symbol of blood (nyama), the life force; and black is connected with death, burial and mourning (A. LaGamma 2007:270). 

Mbete Reliquary Male Figure
Mbete Reliquary Male Figure
Mbete Reliquary Male Figure
Mbete Reliquary Male Figure