Reliquary
This delicate ancestral figure appears to float above a familial altar. The copper sheeting applied to its surface endows it with an otherworldly luminosity associated with healing and protection. Conserved in the home of a clan leader, the precious relics contained within the basket served as a conduit with the ancestral realm. Through them an extended family might communicate with notable forebears and pray for their intercession in matters of community health and well-being. While many reliquaries contained human remains, this is not the case for this example. X-ray analysis of its bundle has revealed other elements, including a primate skull. In the recent past, monkey, chimpanzee, and gorilla skulls were commonly preserved in Kota and Mahongwe communities. Gorillas in particular served as symbols of supernatural power that could be harnessed by occult specialists.
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