Gabonese Janiform Osseyba or Reliquary Figure, Based

Two round eyes and a sharp nose, set in a shield of metal stripes.

This janiform osseyba, or reliquary figure, is Kota, specifically Mahongwe, from Gabon in Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is brass and copper over carved wood. Among the Kota, such figures were associated with the preservation of ancestral relics, with Mahongwe examples known for their tall, narrow faces. The front is a tall rounded blade, its strips running in chevrons from a central band of linked ovals. Wire binds the neck. Below, an open oval of dark wood forms the base. Thirty-two and a half inches high.

Its look is steady and level. It was never meant to be otherwise.