Fang reliquary head with medicine bag base from Gabon, Africa. Maker unrecorded.

A popular form of artwork from the Fang tribe of Gabon are wooden reliquary heads. The heads are abstract with focus on geometric form. They are typically painted with a substance that gives them a black patina. The heads are connected to welfare and social power. Some anthropologists believe the reliquary heads are a form of portable burial object, which allow the descendants to carry the essence of the deceased with them as they migrated within Africa. Others believe that after a suitable period of time, the heads lose their relevance and power, at which point they are abandoned.

This Fang reliquary head was acquired in 1998 from a trusted African supplier, as proof of age

Please note cracks from atmospheric changes in North America.