Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. Looking from the inside

Looking from the inside

It is believed that the bones of the deceased were imbued with the power that the ancestor had during their lifetime

These relics

These are made by the Bena Bena people of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea

I am not sure of the exact translation of the label on the base but it seems to say something along the lines of "Simplified

Early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. Looking from the insideStunning early Mahongwe Kota reliquary figure. This figure came from the collection of a deceased collector in Antwerp. It was originally acquired in Gabon around 1940. It stands 50cm high. The top of the figure is banded with copper strips as is the neck. The copper shows great patination and colour gained over many years of use and handling. There also appear to be the remains of what looks like white kaolin type paint which may originally have been