[Reliquary guardian figure] For the Hongwe, art performed the paramount function of attracting and containing spirits who would help the living maintain social order, attain leadership, and assure good fortune.

The Hongwe expected spirits to work in combination with family relics -- most often skulls. They placed the remains of a deceased family members in containers, or reliquaries. Wooden images, like this one covered with brass strips, guarded the relics.

Courtesy of the National Museum of African Art, acquisition grant from the James Smithson Society and museum purchase.
Reliquary guardian figure (Bwiti), Hongwe peoples, Gabon, early 20th century A.D., wood, copper, and brass.

[Back to:] Return to A Celebration of Community
Contacts | FAQ | Press Room | Privacy | Copyright
Top  Top