Tribal Art

Small male figure associated with the cult of the ancestors, carved in dense wood then carefully veneered, using fine staples, with copper metal sheets with khaki reflections. Encased in a thick neck, the head offers a flat face whose summary features are distinguished by their exorbitant pupils. The bust of the subject, on which the folded arms are concentrated, is supported by bent legs whose roundness expresses power. The posture would be one of those accompanying ceremonial dances. The metal is engraved with patterns evoking tribal body markings and braids highlighting the crested headdress.
The Mbete, Ambete, form a tribe of Gabon, on the border of the Middle Congo, close to the Obamba and the Pounou, whose history has been marked by a long-term conflict against the Teke. They do not have a centralized political organization, practice ancestor worship without reliquary boxes, their statues frequently comprising a cavity fitted out for this purpose.