GABON Kota reliquary figure. Made of wood covered with hammered and embossed copper plates. Under a rounded forehead decorated with a median crest, two hemispherical eyes frame a short nose. The cowrie shell-shaped mouth reveals two rows of teeth. The cheeks are covered with geometric lines. The disc-shaped headdress ends in a duck tail. The reverse side has nails and holes. Under the wooden base is a label on which is written: "Kota. Intended to celebrate the memory of the ancestors, in order to attract their beneficial influences. The Kota are emblematic objects of African art. Work from the beginning of the 20th century. H. : 47 cm. Dim. with base : 57,5 cm. Provenance : By descent to the present owner.