RARE ANTIQUE AFRICAN ART RARE KOTA RELIQUARY FIGURE Start Price USD 1,100.00 Current Price USD 1,100.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, July 23, 2008 End Time Wednesday, July 30, 2008 Location Belleair Beach, Florida See more about 'RARE ANTIQUE AFRICAN ART RARE KOTA RELIQUARY FIGURE' Description RARE ANTIQUE AFRICAN ART RARE KOTA RELIQUARY FIGURE Click on the text links to view enlargements: 1-2-3-4-5 Among African art, there are a handful of superstars which always create interest. They include Benin bronzes, Fang figures and Veli fetishes. Expand the field to ten and it would surely include the reliquary figures of the Kota. The Kota of Bagon employ a long mourning and "burial" practice for the deceased. They body is wrapped and left to decay and on the anniversary of the death, the stripped bones are placed in a basket in the house. Atop the bones is placed a figure "Mbulu-ngulu" of anthropomorphic form which is charged to keep spirits away from the bones and thus the ancestor. As the Kota comprise a loosely knit group of several subtribes, the from of the reliquaries vary considerably. In common, however, is that they are all made form a single piece of wood with the opened diamond form torso and all covered to some extent by copper or brass. The covering protects the wood from deterioration from libation which is served to it form time to time and also allows for an artistic expression of the figure which can vary from literal to highly interpretative. This example is 23" in height, sheathed in brass which has acquired a very dark patina and displays a well executed portrait of the deceased in a turned edge cap with protruding brow, bugling eyes with single long scarification marks to the cheeks and protruding lips. Condition is as shown with no significant damages or losses. A rare centerpiece for your collection. AF43 Shipping options: Priority Mail shipping includes full insurance. I am always happy to combine shipping and charge actual shipping cost only-no packing or handling charges. Custom listed using TROCADERO's automated HTML and Picture Hosting tools. Place a Bid!