A Kota Reliquary Guardian Figure, Gabon

rising from a fragmentary diamond shaped body, the oval concave face covered with strips of metal, two bone (mammalia) discs forming the eyes; fine aged patina with traces of oxidation.

Phillippe Ratton, Paris
Acquired from the above, 1980s

This superb sculpture belongs to type 6 according to Chaffin and Chaffin's classification system of Kota reliquary guardian figures, a type referred to as "one of the most beautiful of Kota art" (Chaffin and Chaffin 1980: 112). Of particular interest are the disc-shaped bone eyes that render this figure a haunting warm presence.