Janus Byeri Guardian Figure

Origin: Fang Tribe, Gabon/Cameroon
Composition: wood, pigment

This sculpture, historically employed during rituals related to the cult of the Byeri, is an excellent, highly collectible piece. As with this piece, the great majority of Fang sculptures are related to the cult of Byeri. One of our clients recently indicated that this statue represents family, the generational contrast between the mature female figure, on one side (older, wise, and respected) and the younger figure with hands on breasts on the other side, yet to develop and in the process of becoming a woman. This statue clearly illustrates the Fang Tribe’s inclination towards designing their figures with naturalistic human features and a dark wood with slightly oiled patina.

During Byeri initiation ceremonies for young men, these figures were removed from their boxes and paraded around the village and market. Good quality Fang Byeri statues are less common than Fang tribe Ngil masks, which are recognized internationally.

The Fang tribespeople migrated from the north-west during the 18th and 19th centuries and are today scattered across southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They are principally hunters, but also farm. Fang social structure is based on the clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on the family. They also maintain tribal cohesion through the So and Ngil societies. Each family possessed a Byeri, or reliquary box, in which the bones of famous ancestors were kept. The box was kept by the Esa, the eldest man in the family. (passage from Tribal Arts of Africa).