A front view of mbulu ngulu
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This figure, which looks like a human face, is called mbulu ngulu. It was fixed to a bundle or wicker basket
(bwete), containing the bones of important ancestors of the
Kota people of eastern
Gabon. The Kota made the figure to
protect their ancestors' bones from witchcraft, as it was said that the shiny
copper and brass deflected harmful forces away.
The Kota kept the bones of respected ancestors to help communicate with their forebears in the spirit world,
asking for help, advice and success in various aspects of their lives. The figure not only protects the relics but
also shows us the importance of ancestors and the spirit world to the living Kota.
There are different types of mbulu ngulu but each follows the same basic style:
- all are carved from wood with a cooper or brass cover
- all have a large forehead, disc-shaped eyes, triangular nose and a very thin or absent mouth
- many also have what look like ear pendants
This example was made in the later 19th/early 20th century.
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