Fang Reliquary Figure, Equatorial Guinea or northern Gabon

French Private Collection, circa 1920-1930

Baron Frédéric "Freddy" Rolin (1919-2001) Collection, Brussels / New York

Arman (1928-2005) Collection, Vence / New York

Loudmer-Poulain, Paris, Arts Primitifs, June 20, 1980, lot 302

Sotheby's, London, Important Tribal Art, June 29 and 30, 1987, lot 396

Barbara and Brian Wolfowitz, acquired at the above auction

Perrois, L., Arts du Gabon, Arts d'Afrique Noire. Les Plastiques du Bassin de l'Ogooue, Arnouville, 1979, p. 83, n° 72

Conru, K., Collection Baron Freddy Rolin, Brussels, 2021, p. 126, n° 92

By Pierre Amrouche

Once anchored on a posterior stem, the figure, with his broad shoulders and strong legs, represents a powerful male individual. The figure, head upright, with his large, rounded forehead and elaborate, braided coiffure, is characterized by his concave face whose eyes are made of nailed, round copper or brass discs. The figure likely held a stylized cup in his hands, clasped together in a votive gesture. 

Exactly when this important Byeri was brought back to Europe is unknown, but it was certainly early in the 20^th century, as were almost all of the objects fitted for stands by Inagaki. Okak figures were mostly collected in Equatorial Guinea, formerly referred to as Rio Muni, particularly during the period when, in 1907, Gunther Tessmann studied the Fang and their art (Die Pangwe, Wasmuth, Berlin, 1913). Marta Sierra Delage, of Madrid's Museo Nacional de Ethnología, published a major survey of Okak objects in Madrid in 1980, which provides a comprehensive insight on the region's artistic styles. While it is apparent that Okak statues share some characteristics with certain Ntoumou sculptures, particularly in the depiction of long cylindrical busts, Okak objects are stylistically consistent and therefore unlikely to be mistaken for another culture’s artistic production. There also exist three very large-scale sculptures in this unique Okak style from the Rio Muni region, including one from the collection of sculptor Arman, which is shown in the catalogue for the 1992 Marseille exhibition, Byeri Fang (p. 188), by Louis Perrois. The figure is modeled similarly, also with round metal eyes, and no scarification. The sculptural qualities, patina, and age of the present Byeri make it a major work in the Okak corpus.