.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
To Encourage their Protective Benevolence
Before the 1970s the Fang groups were generally called ‘Pangwe’ or ‘Pahouins’. In that period, little notice was taken of the real names of ethnic groups and the term ‘Fang’, the name of a tiny fraction of the group, but one which came in contact with Europeans before all others, was very quickly used to denote several cultures which shared the same tradition of ancestor veneration. In fact, the Fang call themselves by their clan and lineage names, most belonging to different subgroups. It is their neighbors, and above all the Europeans, who have given them the generic name of ‘Fang’, which they themselves do not use. The ethno-morphological studies of Louis Perrois have brought out two sub-styles: one attributable to the Ntumu and related groups (the ‘northern Fang’), characterized by elongated volumes and extreme stylization of anatomical details; the other, found among the southern Fang (Nzaman, Betsi and Okak), dominated by full, stocky forms. The present statue originates from the Ntumu region (located between Ntem and Woleu), which spreads over the border areas of three countries (Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea).
The worship of the relics of the family’s illustrious dead is widespread in Gabon. Among the different Fang groups, this ancestor veneration was known as byeri. Aid and protection were demanded from the clan’s ancestors in exchange for offerings and prayers. The skulls of several generations of ancestors of the lineage were kept in cylindrical bark containers and guarded by a wooden anthropomorphic figure (eyema byeri) placed on top. The byeri was consulted before any important undertaking: hunting, travel, choice of terrain for planting of a settlement, marriage, political alliance, disagreements or serious disputes, war, etc. Ancestors were also called upon to grant fertility to their descendants. At the same time, their anger over the transgression of established rules of behavior could manifest itself in problems such as infertility, famine and sickness. The officiator was the esa, always an old man already near the ancestors. The reliquary figure served as the focus of periodic offerings and also warned women and children away from the sacra. The statue was anointed regularly with palm oil and resin, and drinks were offered to it, sometimes mixed with the blood of sacrificed animals. This ancestor cult sought to bind together living and deceased members of a lineage through the learning and recitation of its genealogy. The foremost concern of ancestral rites was to honor ancestors in order to encourage their protective benevolence towards the lineage.
Inherent Dynamism: Poised for Action
An exceptional piece of work in terms of the balance of sculptural dimensions, this statue is representative of the Ntumu style in that the proportions are elongated. The subtle curvature of the head, with a great overall decorative sobriety are other typical characteristics of this style. The head, essentially spherical with a prominent forehead, has a face which is characteristic of Ntumu style, with features hollowed out cheeks in the shape of a heart. The heart-shape is accentuated by the finely incised arched eyebrows. The eyes are represented by circular metal discs nailed into the wood. These applied copper accents enliven the gaze of the figure, which suggest vigilance. In situ, the play of light on this contrasting reflecting surface made the eyes even more striking. The figure has a prominent protuberant mouth with thick, pursed lips. Although partly eroded, owing to removal of material from the mouth and nose for ritual purposes, the subtle modeling of the face is still visible. This wear was deliberate and arose from ritual handling. Officiants would remove fine shavings from the statue’s face and would mix them with the medicinal preparations required for certain rituals. Large ears project boldly at the sides. This striking emphasis given to the prominent ears suggests an intentional visual allusion to the role that the ancestors played in listening to the invocations of their offspring. The sculptor has drawn upon this detail as a sign of their engagement. The hair in a cadogan with a central crest falling back over the back of the neck, is a sculptured transcription of the wigs that were worn in real life. It is decorated with incised herringbone patterns accentuating its curve. Under the strong columnar neck, muscular arms depart. Diagonal scarifications are visible on the frontal part of the shoulders. The long, muscular arms, carved free from the trunk, heighten the impression of elongation given by the figure. Only the thumbs of the hands are touching the abdomen. Byeri figures often rest their hands on their thighs or abdomen in an expectant stance, introducing a tension within the body in repose that suggests an inherent dynamism – the subject is poised for action. The well-carved hands are placed next to a protruding cylindrical peg-like navel. The navel was seen as a reminder of the link between humans from generation to generation. The detailed representation of the male sex corresponds to the symbolic need to evoke the man’s fertility, the means of the group’s survival. The central role of the ancestors in enhancing fertility was reinforced by the overt emphasis upon the sexual identity of this figure. The figure clearly intended to be seen in the round, the spine is graciously defined in relief, it is flanked at both sides by multiple double diagonal incisions. The back is slightly curved. The body is set on powerful thighs (perpendicular to the torso) from which long legs emerge. The continuous horizontal curvature of the buttocks and thighs extends out below the waist and culminates in narrow knees. Directly below, muscular calves terminate in small, toeless diminutive feet. Despite the apparent simplicity of its structure, the present Ntumu statue displays a highly skilled technique and still stands guard, far removed in place and time from its original context.
A Note on Provenance:
This Ntumu has graced two influential Philadelphia art collections. In the tradition of the collection at the Barnes Foundation, Robert Carlen (1906-1986) of Carlen Gallery collected across categories, specializing in American folk, primitive and decorative art, but also dealing in African, European, and Oriental art. Over the years he worked with Alfred Frankenstein and Mary Black, and uncovered many Edward Hicks' paintings. He was also Horace Pippin's dealer. Benjamin D. Bernstein (1907-2003), was not a dealer, but rather a shipping magnate with a passion for collecting. The works in his collection also stretched beyond the boundaries of traditional collecting, ranging from pieces by members of the avant-garde CoBrA movement to local Philadelphia artists to the Ntumu seen here. Bernstein donated much of his large collection to institutions in Pennsylvania and New York.
Before the 1970s the Fang groups were generally called ‘Pangwe’ or ‘Pahouins’. In that period, little notice was taken of the real names of ethnic groups and the term ‘Fang’, the name of a tiny fraction of the group, but one which came in contact with Europeans before all others, was very quickly used to denote several cultures which shared the same tradition of ancestor veneration. In fact, the Fang call themselves by their clan and lineage names, most belonging to different subgroups. It is their neighbors, and above all the Europeans, who have given them the generic name of ‘Fang’, which they themselves do not use. The ethno-morphological studies of Louis Perrois have brought out two sub-styles: one attributable to the Ntumu and related groups (the ‘northern Fang’), characterized by elongated volumes and extreme stylization of anatomical details; the other, found among the southern Fang (Nzaman, Betsi and Okak), dominated by full, stocky forms. The present statue originates from the Ntumu region (located between Ntem and Woleu), which spreads over the border areas of three countries (Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea).
The worship of the relics of the family’s illustrious dead is widespread in Gabon. Among the different Fang groups, this ancestor veneration was known as byeri. Aid and protection were demanded from the clan’s ancestors in exchange for offerings and prayers. The skulls of several generations of ancestors of the lineage were kept in cylindrical bark containers and guarded by a wooden anthropomorphic figure (eyema byeri) placed on top. The byeri was consulted before any important undertaking: hunting, travel, choice of terrain for planting of a settlement, marriage, political alliance, disagreements or serious disputes, war, etc. Ancestors were also called upon to grant fertility to their descendants. At the same time, their anger over the transgression of established rules of behavior could manifest itself in problems such as infertility, famine and sickness. The officiator was the esa, always an old man already near the ancestors. The reliquary figure served as the focus of periodic offerings and also warned women and children away from the sacra. The statue was anointed regularly with palm oil and resin, and drinks were offered to it, sometimes mixed with the blood of sacrificed animals. This ancestor cult sought to bind together living and deceased members of a lineage through the learning and recitation of its genealogy. The foremost concern of ancestral rites was to honor ancestors in order to encourage their protective benevolence towards the lineage.
Inherent Dynamism: Poised for Action
An exceptional piece of work in terms of the balance of sculptural dimensions, this statue is representative of the Ntumu style in that the proportions are elongated. The subtle curvature of the head, with a great overall decorative sobriety are other typical characteristics of this style. The head, essentially spherical with a prominent forehead, has a face which is characteristic of Ntumu style, with features hollowed out cheeks in the shape of a heart. The heart-shape is accentuated by the finely incised arched eyebrows. The eyes are represented by circular metal discs nailed into the wood. These applied copper accents enliven the gaze of the figure, which suggest vigilance. In situ, the play of light on this contrasting reflecting surface made the eyes even more striking. The figure has a prominent protuberant mouth with thick, pursed lips. Although partly eroded, owing to removal of material from the mouth and nose for ritual purposes, the subtle modeling of the face is still visible. This wear was deliberate and arose from ritual handling. Officiants would remove fine shavings from the statue’s face and would mix them with the medicinal preparations required for certain rituals. Large ears project boldly at the sides. This striking emphasis given to the prominent ears suggests an intentional visual allusion to the role that the ancestors played in listening to the invocations of their offspring. The sculptor has drawn upon this detail as a sign of their engagement. The hair in a cadogan with a central crest falling back over the back of the neck, is a sculptured transcription of the wigs that were worn in real life. It is decorated with incised herringbone patterns accentuating its curve. Under the strong columnar neck, muscular arms depart. Diagonal scarifications are visible on the frontal part of the shoulders. The long, muscular arms, carved free from the trunk, heighten the impression of elongation given by the figure. Only the thumbs of the hands are touching the abdomen. Byeri figures often rest their hands on their thighs or abdomen in an expectant stance, introducing a tension within the body in repose that suggests an inherent dynamism – the subject is poised for action. The well-carved hands are placed next to a protruding cylindrical peg-like navel. The navel was seen as a reminder of the link between humans from generation to generation. The detailed representation of the male sex corresponds to the symbolic need to evoke the man’s fertility, the means of the group’s survival. The central role of the ancestors in enhancing fertility was reinforced by the overt emphasis upon the sexual identity of this figure. The figure clearly intended to be seen in the round, the spine is graciously defined in relief, it is flanked at both sides by multiple double diagonal incisions. The back is slightly curved. The body is set on powerful thighs (perpendicular to the torso) from which long legs emerge. The continuous horizontal curvature of the buttocks and thighs extends out below the waist and culminates in narrow knees. Directly below, muscular calves terminate in small, toeless diminutive feet. Despite the apparent simplicity of its structure, the present Ntumu statue displays a highly skilled technique and still stands guard, far removed in place and time from its original context.
A Note on Provenance:
This Ntumu has graced two influential Philadelphia art collections. In the tradition of the collection at the Barnes Foundation, Robert Carlen (1906-1986) of Carlen Gallery collected across categories, specializing in American folk, primitive and decorative art, but also dealing in African, European, and Oriental art. Over the years he worked with Alfred Frankenstein and Mary Black, and uncovered many Edward Hicks' paintings. He was also Horace Pippin's dealer. Benjamin D. Bernstein (1907-2003), was not a dealer, but rather a shipping magnate with a passion for collecting. The works in his collection also stretched beyond the boundaries of traditional collecting, ranging from pieces by members of the avant-garde CoBrA movement to local Philadelphia artists to the Ntumu seen here. Bernstein donated much of his large collection to institutions in Pennsylvania and New York.