Reliquary Guardian Figure with Verdigris Patina, Bakota

Carved in wood and sheathed in hammered copper and brass, sheet and wire, each guardian transforms a human face into a radiant geometry. Metal was precious and charged with meaning; its brilliance was believed to ward off harm and honour the dead.

These forms later captivated the artists of early twentieth-century Paris, and they remain icons of African art today.

Broad bands of brass wire sweep across the face, now flecked with soft green verdigris and traces of pigment. Copper discs form the eyes beneath a crossed lattice motif, and the incised shaft descends to a smooth, darkened wooden base.