Fang Statue: Johnston/Young Collection

This item is part of the Johnston/Young Collection. It is featured in the book "Afrika Traditional and Modern African Art."

During the 18th and 19th centuries the Fang migrated from the northwest and today are scattered across Cameroon, Guinea and Gabon. Their social structure is based on family and tribal cult beliefs. Cohesion among the eighty or so Fang clans is maintained through powerful religious and judiciary societies called the So and Ngil. The majority of Fang wood sculptures are related to the cult of the Byeri. Each family posses a Byeri or reliquary, such as the one on display. The reliquary ensemble consists of a receptacle made from bark (nsuk) that contains the skulls and bones of family ancestors. The wooden box is surmounted by a figure that stands as guardian of the bones. This hard wood sculpture not only stood in defense of the box but also acted as an intermediary between the living and the dead. It was very important to the Fang to keep the lines of communication open between the living world and the spiritual realm. Normally reliquaries are kept in a place of family worship but once a year during the cycle of initiation; they are removed and brought outdoors to the tribal ceremony. More often than not the Fang guardian is sold separately as a Byeri figure. The fragile nature of the box often causes it to collapse, which leaves the statue standing alone. In 1988 the Fang on display was included in the collection and is believed to be over 75 years old.

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Dimensions: 19 1/2 inches tall x 4 1/2 inches wide x 5 inches deep.

Wt: 7 lbs.