Fang Reliquary Container (Byeri)

Fang people, mid-20th century, Cameroon or Northern Gabon, Central Africa

Fascinating bark reliquary container paired with a possibly later-added and modeled wooden figure, eyema-o-byeri (also biyema biyeri or nlo byeri), representing an honored Fang ancestor. The container itself is of older origin, while the small guardian figure appears to have been attached at a subsequent date—yet still following the traditional byeri aesthetic and ritual purpose.

In Fang practice, reliquary figures were positioned atop cylindrical bark vessels that safeguarded the bones and skull fragments of revered lineage ancestors—village founders, influential elders, great hunters, and spiritually powerful women. The guardian figure served as a protective intermediary, shielding the relics from the forbidden gaze of women and uninitiated youths while offering guidance in matters such as migration, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and warfare. These containers were typically kept by the senior male of the family (esa), who alone could access and consult them.

The Fang people inhabit northern Gabon, southern Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni). Their cosmology centers on Mebe’e (or Mebere), the eternal creator who fashioned the first ancestor, Ndzame, originally formed as a lizard before emerging as a man. Mebe’e is understood to embody three aspects—Ndzame, Mebe’e, and Nkwa—who collectively participated in the creation of the world and of humankind.

While many Fang communities adopted Christianity during the colonial period, ancestral veneration (Bieri/Byeri) remained a vital practice. In the decades following independence, these traditions contributed to the emergence of Bwiti, a hybrid spiritual system blending Fang ancestral beliefs with Christian elements. Social cohesion and moral order are further maintained through secret associations such as So, Gil, and Ngi.

This compelling ensemble—an original bark container paired with a possibly more recent guardian figure—is a powerful testament to Fang lineage reverence, artistic continuity, and evolving ritual practice.

Good condition. Age-related heavy wear with wormholes, fractures, chips, and cracks. Lovely encrusted patina throughout. Size approx. 51,0cm x 21,0cm x 20,0cm.

Provenance: Dutch private collection

References and further reading:

Eternal Ancestors: The Art of the Central African Reliquary, ed. Alisa LaGamma, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007.

Fang Religious Experience - Bwiti. An Ethnography of the Religious Imagination in Africa, J. W. Fernandez, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982.

A Masterwork That Sheds Tears... and Light: A Complementary Study of a Fang Ancestral Head, Roland Kaehr, UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center. 40, pp. 44–57 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/i20447849)