Gabonese Osseyba or Reliquary Figure, Based

A brass crescent arcs over the head like a halo with a sense of direction.

This Osseyba, or reliquary figure, comes from Gabon, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved brass, copper and wood, and comes with a base. Reliquary guardians of this kind are generally associated with the Kota peoples, who set them over containers holding ancestral relics. The oval face is sheathed in hammered brass, with a copper band across the brow and small round eyes. A broad brass headdress fans out in two tiers. Below, a dark wooden lozenge forms the stylized body. It is 11.5 inches wide and 21 high.

All that brass, and the expression stays perfectly level.