Mbete Reliquary Male Figure

These mitsitsi-na-ngoye reliquary sculptures were connected with ancestor cult, assisting in bringing success in hunting and prosperity in community life. The main function was related to initiation rites during a particular ceremony of the ngoye male association,when the figures were introduced before the initiates, to expose them to the names and history of their ancestoral relics (A. LaGamm 2007:272-3)