| FANG Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea |
| BYERI figure The ensemble of Fang peoples practice a cult devoted to ancestor lineages, the byeri, whose aim is to both protect themselves from the deceased and to recruit their aid in matters of daily life. This familial cult does not monopolize the Fang’s religious universe, for it coexists with other beliefs and rituals of a more collective character. It is the byeri, or ancestor sculpture, which has most obviously given rise to the making of remarkable wooden sculpture. The statuary of the Fang can be classified into three main groups: heads on long necks, half-figures and full figures, standing or seated. Carved with great simplicity, at the same time they exhibit a high degree of sophistication in the coordination of bulbous forms. The neck is often a massive cylindrical form. The arms have various positions: hands clasped in front of the body (sometimes holding an object); held in front of the chest or attached to it; hands resting on the knees in the seated figures. The navel is often exaggerated into a cylindrical form. Legs are short, stunted. Usually there is a domed, wide forehead and the eyebrows often form arcs with the nose. The eyes are often made of metal roundlets. The byeri would be consulted when the village was to change location, when a new crop was planted, during a palaver, or before going hunting, fishing, or to war. But once separated from the reliquary chest, the sculpted object would lose its sacred value and could be destroyed. The ritual consisted of prayers, libations, and sacrifices offered to the ancestor, whose scull would be rubbed with powder and paint each time. With its large head, long body, and short extremities, the Fang byeri had the proportion of a newborn, thus emphasizing the group’s continuity with its ancestor and with the three classes of the society: the “not-yet-born,” the living, and the dead. The relics were essentially skull fragments, or sometimes complete skulls, jawbones, teeth and small bones. The bieri also served for therapeutic rituals and, above all, for the initiation of young males during the great so festival. From 1930 on, traditional Fang religion and art underwent a drastic transformation, until byeri figures were no longer made and their cult no longer maintained. Sources: A History of Art in Africa / Africa - The Art of a Continent |
| I currently do not have a Fang Byeri figure in my collection. The examples below are for reference purposes |
| Reliquaries, Fang peoples, Cameroon, c. 1914. The projecting stem and the flexed-knee pose allow the sculptured guardian figures to be set atop bark boxes containing sacred relics. From the book: African Art in the Cycle of Life |
| From the book: African Art in the Cycle of Life RELIQUARY GUARDIAN FIGURE (Nlo Byeri) Ngumba group, Fang peoples, Cameroon, i9th—20th century Wood, copper alloy H. 21 1/2 in (54.6 cm) Collection of Jack Naiman The northern Fang origin of this figure is exemplified by the extremely long torso, bulbous forearms and calves, and the application of copper-alloy strips In the belief that an individual's vital force is situated in the skull, the Fang venerated the skulls of their most important ancestors. These included the founder of the lineage and successive lineages, clan or family heads, and extraordinary women who had supernatural abilities or were the mothers of unusually large families. The ancestral relics were preserved in reliquaries (nsekh o byeri) made of pieces of bark sewn together. A carved human head or figure (eyema or nlo byeri}, like this one, was secured to the lid of the reliquary and served as a guardian. The figure was a symbolic evocation of the ancestor, as well as a source of magical protection for the relics (Perrois 1972, 131-33; Perrois in Fry 1978, 132-33). |
| Christie's - Paris Art Africain et Océanien Auction Date : Jun 7, 2005 Lot 232 : GARDIEN RELIQUAIRE FANG Estimate:€ 150,000 - € 200,000 Price Realized:€ 292,000 $ 351,807 |
| Christie's - Paris Art Africain, Océanien et Précolombien Auction Date : Dec 8, 2004 Lot 223 : GARDIEN DE RELIQUAIRE FANG OKAK Estimate:€ 30,000 - € 50,000 Price Realized:$ 110,422 € 91,650 Provenance Collection privée du propriétaire d'une galerie d'art contemporain, Madrid, depuis les années trente. Notes Voir Perrois, L. et Delage, M.S., L'Art Fang Guinée Équatoriale, pour une statuette similaire attribuée au Fang Okak de la région méridionale de la Guinée Equatoriale. |
| Christie's - Paris Art Africain, Océanien et Précolombien Auction Date : Dec 8, 2004 Lot 216 : GARDIEN DE RELIQUAIRE FANG Description Gabon Eyema Byeri, représentant une femme debout sur des jambes légèrement fléchies, les mains reposant sur les cuisses, le visage aux traits stylisés en relief, la coiffure composée de cinq tresses incisées, rejettées en arrière et retombant le long du cou, le sommet du crâne percé pour insertion, de nombreux anneaux de cuivre ornant le cou, les bras, les poignets, les genoux et les chevilles. Belle patine sombre et brillante. Manques. Socle Inagaki. Hauteur: 29.5 cm Estimate:€ 20,000 - € 30,000 Price Realized:$ 106,175 € 88,125 Provenance Paul Guillaume, Paris Notes Voir Berjonneau, G. et Sonnery, J.-L., Rediscovered Masterpieces of African Art, pour une statuette similaire aux ornements presque identiques. |
| Christie's - Paris Art Africain, Océanien et Précolombien Auction Date : Dec 8, 2004 Lot 215 : GARDIEN DE RELIQUAIRE FANG Description Gabon Eyema Byeri, représentant une femme debout la main gauche posée sur la joue et la main droite tenant le poignet gauche, le visage concave aux traits stylisés, les dents représentées par des incisions, les yeux en croissant aux pupilles marquées, le haut front rasé avec une tresse en relief incisée sur la partie médiane du crâne et percée pour insertion de plumes, le reste des cheveux rejettés en arrière en une coiffure lisse, le dos montrant la colonne verticale creusée et les omoplates en léger relief, la taille fine avec de larges hanches, le nombril saillant, les courtes jambes reposant sur une base en forme de huit. Patine sombre et brillante. Socle Inagaki. Hauteur: 47 cm Estimate:€ 200,000 - € 300,000 Price Realized:$ 314,759 € 261,250 Provenance Paul Guillaume, Paris Published Guillaume, P., Sculptures Nègres, Paris, 1917, pl.XVII Perrois, L., la statuaire fan gabon, Paris, 1972, p.293 |
| Sotheby's - Paris The Secret Garden of Marianne and Pierre Naho Auction Date : Jul 18, 2004 Lot 129 : IMPORTANTE FIGURE MASCULINE DE RELIQUAIRE, FANG, GABON Dimensions haut. 41 cm, 16 in Estimate:€ 60,000 - € 80,000 Price Realized:$ 72,289 / € 60,000 Published Reproduite dans Arts d'Afrique Noire, Printemps 1990, no 73 Reproduite dans Quelques Impressions d'Afrique, Château Notre-Dame des Fleurs, Vence, 1996, p. 273. Notes Cf. Perrois (1972: 280, no. 233) for a closely related figure. Missing surface particles at the knees, the genitals and top of the head are evidence of this figure's extensive ceremonial use. In 1904, E. Allégret (quoted in Fang, 1991: 105) noted that when a Fang decided to carry out an important action, he "removes a small piece from the skull of the ancestor [...], and places this piece with a mixture of antelope". This principle of removing a particle to create magic also applied to sculptures. |
| Sotheby's - Paris The Secret Garden of Marianne and Pierre Naho Auction Date : Jul 18, 2004 Lot 125 : FIGURE MASCULINE DE RELIQUAIRE, FANG, GABON Dimensions haut. 39 cm, 15 1/4 in Estimate:€ 60,000 - € 80,000 Price Realized:€ 0 Provenance Merton Simpson, New-York Arman, New-York Philippe Guimiot, Bruxelles Published Reproduite dans Arts d'Afrique Noire, printemps 1990, no 73 Reproduite dans Quelques Impressions d'Afrique, Château Notre-Dame des Fleurs, Vence, 1996, p. 271. Notes Fang figures of the Mvai from the Ntem region are known for their superb sculptural refinement as well as their rarity. Perrois suggests that these characteristics can be attributed to the low density of the Mvai among the Fang people (Perrois, 1972-85). This style is one of the more easily identifiable among the different variations of Fang figures by virtue of its diversity of form. Rather than a uniformity of expression, the figures reflect the liberty and idiosyncrasy of the Mvai artist who experimented within the limits set by the formal canons imposed by the style (see for instance, the stylisation of the triple crested hairstyle of the offered figure). |
| Sotheby's - Paris The Secret Garden of Marianne and Pierre Naho Auction Date : Jul 18, 2004 Lot 121 : FIGURE MASCULINE DE RELIQUAIRE, FANG, GABON Dimensions haut. 47 cm, 18 1/2 in Estimate:€ 50,000 - € 70,000 Price Realized:$ 65,060 / € 54,000 Provenance Merton Simpson, New-York Sotheby's, Londres, 23 juin 1986, no 60 Published Reproduite dans Quelques Impressions d'Afrique, Château Notre-Dame des Fleurs, Vence, 1996, p. 263. Notes Cf. Perrois (1972 : 311, no. 234) for a related figure formerly in the Pierre Guerre collection. This byeri is particularly attractive and remarkable in that it provides an example of the permeability of stylistic influences among the Fang. The figure juxtaposes the northern Ntumu style, which is elongated, with details from the southern Mvai style of the Ntem valley, with a tri-partite triangular hairstyle falling over the nape of the neck, coffee-bean eyes, broad and rounded shoulders, and an abdomen widening at the level of the navel. |
| The Fang byeri below are from the Carl Monzino Collection Images from the book "African Aesthetics" |
| Reliquary Guardian: "The Black Venus" Gabon, Fang Wood, sennit, height 56 cm.; height of figure 43 cm. Ex coll.: Louis Carre; G. de Mire; Jacob Epstein Exhibited: Paris, Galerie Pigalle, 1930; New York, Museum of Modern Art, 1935; London, The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1960 Published: Paris. Galerie Pigalle 1930, no, 175; Portier and Ponceton 1930, pi. 7; Sweeney 1935, no. 356; Brock 1935; Kjersmeier 1935-38, vol. 4, fig. 19; Olbrechts 1946, fig. 10; Elisofon and Fagg 1958, p. 174; Fagg 1960, no. 2; Trowell and Nevermann 1968, p. 156; Perrois 1972, p. 79; Leuzinger 1978, pi. 86b |
| The Fang byeri figures below are from the Armand Arman Collection Images from the book "African Faces, African Figures" |
| Reliquary Rgure: byeri Fang-Ntumu, Gabon Wood; H. 52 cm. Purchased during the sale of the Rubinstein Collection at Park-Bernet Galleries, New York, 21-29 April 1966, catalogue no. 210, p. 184. Purchased from at Gaston de Havenon, around 1978. Numerous exhibitions, including "The Art of Collecting African Art", New York 1988. Publications; — The Art of Collecting African Art, New York 1988. -African Arts, Feb. 1989(vol 22, no. 2), article by Christine Muller Kreamer. |
| Byeri Fang-Ntumu, Gabon 42.5 cm |
| Byeri Fang-Ntumu, Gabon 48.5 cm |
| Reliquary Figure: byeri Fang-Ntumu, Gabon Wood; H: 42.5 cm. Formerly in the Paul Guillaume Collection (?). Exhibitions: Exhibited at Durand-Ruel in 1931-32, no. 14. The Art of Collecting African An, New York 1988. |
| Reliquary Figure: byeri Fang-Ntumu, Gabon Wood; H. 39.5 cm. Formerly in the Paul Guillaume Collection. Exhibitions: African Negro Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York 1935. The Art of Collecting African Art, New York 1988. Publications; — L'art rivant review, 1935. — James J. Sweeney, African Negro An, WW. Norton and Co., New York, March 1935, no.57. — The Art of Collecting African An, New York 1988. |
| Reliquary Rgure: byeri Fang-Betsi, Gabon Wood, metal; H. 42 cm. Formerly in the Jean Larcade Collection. Exhibitions: Arts primitifs dans les ateliers d'artistes, Musee de 1'Homme, Paris 1967. Byeri Jang, MMOA, Marseille 1992. Publications: — Arts primitifs dans les ateliers d'artistes, Societe des Amis du musee de 1'Homme, Paris 1967, no. 60, p. 59. — L. Perrois, Byeri fang — Sculptures d'ancetres en Afrique, Musee de Marseille-Reunion des musees nationaux, 1992, p. 196-197. - Willett, Frank, L'Art ajricain, Thames and Hudson, Paris, 1990, no. 153, p. 162. — L. Perrois, La StatuaireJan du Gabon, ORSTOM, Paris 1972, p. 81. |
| Lot 118, a Southern Fang male reliquary guardian figure seated on a cylindrical hollowed bark box, 24 3/4 inches high The Egon Guenther Family Collection of African Art - Sotheby's Nov. 18, 2000 Sales 7556 and 7557 Lot 118, a superb and rare Southern Fang male reliquary guardian figure seated on a cylindrical hollowed bark box, shown at the top of this article, had an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. It sold for $280,750 including the buyer's premium as do all the results in this article. The catalogue notes that this 24 3/4-inch high lot was formerly in the collection of René Buthaud, one of the first collectors of African art in France before World War I, adding that very few byeri figures have survived with their reliquary fins intact and that part of the magical function of the reliquary figures was associated with the bins as they held cranial caps that were brought out at initiations or healing rites. "The exceptionally definitive carving on this reliquary figure is characteristic," the catalogue observed, " of the Betsi substyle of the southern regions of Fang country in Gabon. Carved of a hard wood with a varied hard encrusted patina, the artist or atelier who sculpted this figure abstracted the values and lines to create a supremely harmonious form. The hands reaching forward at the front may be the carver's interpretation of a magical stick." Many of the most famous Fang figures have a rich, lustrous and very dark patina while this figure's patina is relatively light in color. Many of the best Fang figures have a very stylized and abstract treatment of the figure's hair and this piece's head, which is best seen primarily from the back, is quite marvelously abstract and its face is quite memorably imposing. |
| To see additional Fang byeri heads and figures click here to go to my Fang style comparison page in my You Be the Judge section of my website To see photos and information from the article: Master Hands- Masterpieces of Fang Sculpture: CLICK HERE |
| Map source: http://www.ethno.unizh.ch/csfconference/files/papers/ |