A RARE LUMBO RELIQUARY FIGURE, ngomo yaou, the female half-figure with whitened face, oval inset-glass eyes and pouting lips, the blued coiffure carved as two ridged lobes dressed in layered chevrons, the long tapered torso with rounded breasts, the right forearm raised, the left at the waist (both hands deficient)

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A RARE LUMBO RELIQUARY FIGURE, ngomo yaou, the female half-figure with whitened face, oval inset-glass eyes and pouting lips, the blued coiffure carved as two ridged lobes dressed in layered chevrons, the long tapered torso with rounded breasts, the right forearm raised, the left at the waist (both hands deficient)
73cm.high

Lot Essay

Cf. a very similar figure collected in the village of Pembi (Perrois, 1979, fig. 247). The style appears to have been shared with the neighbouring Vili - compare with a reliquary head on a tall neck illustrated by Raoul Lehuard (1989, p.270, fig.10-3-2).

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