KOTA-MAHONGWÉ RELIQUARY FIGURE GABON Wood and copper H.: 47 cm (18¹/? in.) (Left eye restored) A Kota-Mahongwe reliquary figure, Gabon Provenance: Collection of Mr R. du M Laurin Guilloux-Buffetaud-Tailleur, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Modern Paintings. Primitive Arts. High-Period Antiques, 21 June 1984, lot no. 109 Jean-Claude Bellier until 1995 Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then passed down through the family This figure is a remarkable exercise in formal reduction, in which the human body is distilled into a subtle interplay of lines, light and volumes. The flattened brass strips radiate out from a central axis, creating a shimmering, vibrant surface that evokes the reflective qualities of water, a symbolic threshold to the world of the ancestors. Through the deliberate emphasis on the head and the use of hammered motifs in zigzags and parallel lines, the sculpture takes on the role of a protective face watching over the sacred relics preserved within it. In the West, copper is primarily valued for its electrical conductivity; in the Bwete context, it fulfils an entirely different function of transmission. More than a mere immobile guardian, this object acts as a conduit for spiritual forces, designed to capture the gaze and serve as an intermediary between the material world and the invisible world. A KOTA-MAHONGWE RELIQUARY FIGURE GABON Wood and copper H.: 18¹/? in. (Left eye restored) Provenance: Collection of Mr R. du M. Laurin Guilloux-Buffetaud-Tailleur, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Modern Paintings. Primitive Arts. Antiques from the High Middle Ages, 21 June 1984, lot 109 Jean-Claude Bellier, until 1995 Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent This figure represents a masterful exercise in reduction, in which the human form is distilled into a rhythmic interplay of line, light and volume. The flattened copper strips radiate from a central axis, creating a shimmering, dynamic surface that evokes the reflective qualities of water, a symbolic threshold to the ancestral realm. Through the deliberate enlargement of the head and the use of hammered zigzag and linear motifs, the sculpture takes on the role of a guardian visage protecting the sacred relics preserved beneath it. In the West, copper is valued primarily for its electrical conductivity; within the Bwete tradition, however, it serves another conductive function. More than a static guardian, this work acts as a conduit for spiritual forces, intended to attract the gaze and mediate between the material and supernatural worlds.