Question

What is the ideal of beauty reflected by the Bieri Reliquary Figure from the Fang Culture in Gabon, dating back to the 19th/20th Century? Where would this figure have been placed?

1) On an altar
2) On a bark container
3) In a museum
4) In a private collection

Answer 1

The Bieri Reliquary Figure from Fang Culture reflects ideals of beauty with serene expressions and balanced proportions, traditionally placed on a bark container as part of ancestor worship.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ideal of beauty reflected by the Bieri Reliquary Figure from the Fang Culture in Gabon, which dates back to the 19th/20th Century, can be understood in the context of the importance of ancestry and the spiritual world in Fang culture. These figures often have serene expressions, balanced proportions, and gleaming surfaces, suggesting a reverence for the ancestors the reliquaries represent. Traditionally, these figures would have been placed on a bark container, which housed the relic of an important clan ancestor. The reliquary acted as a focal point for rituals associated with ancestor worship and was believed to contain spiritual power and protection for the community