"Byeri" figure

This sculpture, called a “Byeri,” belonged to the Fang peoples—a cult devoted to ancestral worship in Fang culture. These figures, with elongated bodies, bent legs, prominent belly buttons, and a long rod at their back, were used to protect the deceased from evil forces. They were kept in tree-bark boxes in the belief that part of their power was stored there. The carving of a “byeri” required a special ritual, which included sexual abstinence on the part of the sculptor. Once finished, the figures were blackened and covered with palm oil, and held a place of honor in the family home. In addition to their role as “relic guardians”, people consulted the “byeri” about the most important life events in the community and they were regularly used in collective rituals where they were adorned with feather plumes, bronze anklets, and multicolored beaded necklaces. This figure is supported by a wooden stand with a glass base, a design which emerged from 1919 onwards in place of being positioned on boxes containing ancestral remains.