A very old and superb wrought iron mochengé bell with a handle carved with an imposing head with three braids decorated with iron rings and a metal plate with a pitted dot decoration. The metal used to forge these gongs was, according to L. Perrois, imported from the Tsangui country further south. This ancient mochengé bell, with its rounded forehead marked by a median ridge subtly sculpted in rhythm with the arched eyebrows, creating a characteristic heart-shaped face with squinted eyes and an open mouth, is one of the most beautiful and expressive examples in the corpus. Its archaic style refers directly to the style of the ancient mbumba reliquary keepers of the Sango and Tsogho. See for a very similar example collected by P. Amrouche, from the old W. Brill collection. Brill, P. Morigi and G. Laliberté, in the Christie's New York sale of May 11, 2022 lot 18 (and published many times). Tsogho, Gabon Wood, iron, metal, vegetable fibers, small accidents (indigenous restoration), superb and old patina. H. 44 cm Provenance : Jacques Viault Collection.