A very ancient carved head that displays the characteristics of the art of the Tsogho, a people of Gabon whose artistic traditions are closely linked to the initiatory and spiritual practices of the Bwiti. The face, with its great gentleness and striking presence, is set within a “heart” of harmonious proportions. The elongated, half-closed eyes—accentuated by high, double-curved eyebrow arches—frame a triangular nose and a mouth with delicately shaped lips. The hairstyle, centered around a central crest adorned with trouser buttons affixed to an ancient plant resin, extends on either side of the face in two long, cascading side braids and rests over the high, rounded forehead, lending the entire piece a remarkable elegance. Originally, this work was certainly intended to form the upper part of a Bwiti mbumba reliquary figure. During Bwiti ceremonies, the initiated seer or sorcerer could remove the mbumba from its basket of bones and hold it, wave it, or question it, using it as a ceremonial scepter and an object of intercession with the world of the ancestors. The work was also photographed by Soichi Sunami (1885–1971), a renowned Japanese photographer based in New York, best known for documenting the historic “African Negro Art” exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1935. This valuable photographic record helps document the age and history of this sculpture. Tshogo, Gabon Wood, traces of kaolin, buttons, resin; visible imperfections, wear, and small losses; significant oxidation due to age; very beautiful and ancient patina from use. Height: 20 cm