Figure from a Reliquary Ensemble: Seated Female. Culture: Fang peoples, Okak group. Dimensions: H. 25 3/16 x W. 7 7/8 x D. 6 1/2 in. (64 x 20 x 16.5 cm). Date: 19th-early 19th century.The Fang peoples derive a sense of continuity with their past as well as a communal cohesiveness in the present through an ancestral cult known as bieri. Bieri reliquary figures, such as this 19th century example, embody the qualities that the Fang admire most in people--namely, tranquility, vitality, and the ability to hold opposites in balance. Such wooden figures and heads are placed on top of bark containers that hold the precious relics of important clan ancestors. The carved head or figure mounted on top of the reliquary box guards the sacred contents against the forbidden gaze of women and uninitiated boys. Before being removed from Africa, such works were invariably separated from the relic containers that they originally enhanced. This formidable female figure personifies controlled exuberance.