Reliquary Guardian Figure (Eyema-o-Byeri)

Loosely translated as “statue for Byeri” (the cult of ancestral worship), biyema biyeri represent Fang ancestors. Such figures topped bark containers that held the bones of revered ancestors, and also served as puppets during family initiation rites. This figure has childlike proportions and adult musculature, reflecting Fang beliefs about connected life cycles. Its triple braids mimic Mvaï warrior hairstyles. By the time Beauford Delaney created the painting at right, anthropologists had already recognized stylistic similarities among works from the Mvaï cultural region. Like his contemporaries, however, Delaney was more focused on how African works looked than on cultural details. Today, scholars—as well as many artists—recognize the importance of acknowledging who made revered African sculptures. Beginning in the 2000s, art historians determined the styles and the names of Fang master artists. Around 2011 this sculpture was attributed to a master artist from the Ntem River valley.