Eyema byeri (reliquary guardian figure)

The human body has been the primary point of reference for the visualization of Fang genealogies. The Okak-Fang sculptor of this idealized female progenitor made an extended family’s lineage manifest through her powerful physiognomy—portrayed as a series of self-contained volumes integrated into a dynamic overarching musculature. Radiating vitality, she is poised to protect the precious contents of a nsek-byeri (portable family altar), which held the relics of her descendants.