This exceptional Bakota reliquary figure from Gabon hand carved from a wooden armature sheathed in meticulously hammered brass and copper, the guardian was designed to stand sentinel over containers preserving ancestral remains—a sacred custodian of clan heritage. The composition employs elegant formal reduction: radiating projections around the face evoke elaborate traditional coiffures, while the abstracted diamond silhouette below the neck distills human form to its essential geometry. Dimensions: 23" H × 12" W × 1.5" D