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The Fang people, residing in the rainforests of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and southern Cameroon, have a rich cultural tradition rooted in their belief in the spiritual power of ancestral relics. This belief system gave rise to the creation of remarkable works of art, particularly in the form of reliquary guardians associated with the ancestral cult known as bieri. The Fang people underwent a migratory process over several centuries, gradually moving southwest into present-day southern Cameroon and northern Gabon, with each village carrying a bark box containing the skulls of their ancestors. These reliquary boxes were sacred and symbolized a sense of continuity with the past and the communal cohesiveness of the present. To protect the sacred contents from the gaze of women and uninitiated boys, a carved head or figure was mounted on top of each box. Originally, the reliquary guardians took the form of heads, but as time went on, the Fang artisans began creating busts and full figures as well. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the bieri cult started to give way to a syncretic religion called bwiti, and the role of bieri in Fang culture gradually diminished. The bieri figures crafted by the Fang people exemplify the qualities highly esteemed in their society, such as tranquility, vitality, and the ability to maintain a balance between opposing forces. These ideals are expressed through the balanced forms of the figures themselves. For instance, the large head of an infant is juxtaposed with the fully developed body of an adult, symbolizing the stages of life and the cycle of generations. The figures often adopt static, symmetrical poses with passive, expressionless faces, yet there is tension conveyed through the depiction of bulging muscles, adding a dynamic quality to the overall composition.
These bieri figures not only served as protectors of ancestral relics but also embodied the values and aspirations of the Fang people. They represented a visual expression of the harmony and equilibrium the Fang sought to achieve in their lives, reflecting their cultural and spiritual beliefs. AG0223 **145454** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2023 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. |
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Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 56,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity auctions. Customer Service: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care! Handling Time: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours. Returns: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card. Combining Shipping: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order. When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card. U.S. Shipping: Our staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of labor and the special packing materials uséd is reflected in our shipping price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage. . International Shipping: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request. Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Newsletter, previews and special offers: Sign up for our newsletter |
