Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. The colour and patina of

The colour and patina of the bones show that this is an old example

Looking from the inside

especially their skull were later exhumed and placed with magical objects in a bark box or a basket called a Bwete

It is believed that the bones of the deceased were imbued with the power that the ancestor had during their lifetime

Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. The colour and patina ofStunning early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. This figure came from the collection of a deceased collector in Antwerp. It was originally acquired in Gabon around 1940. It stands 50cm high. The top of the figure is banded with copper strips as is the neck. The copper shows great patination and colour gained over many years of use and handling. There also appear to be the remains of what looks like white kaolin type paint which may originally have been