Mahonqwe Reliquary Figure

Mahonqwe Reliquary Figure
Mahonqwe, Gabon. Wood and metal sheets believed to be either copper or brass.
Height: 23"

The Mahonqwe carvers created highly stylized and abstract figures loved the world over today. The figures were associated with the guardianship of key ancestral relics and by association for protection of the family. They were also supposed to perform apotropaic duties.