Fang Bwiti Fetish Figure

Bound, wrapped, studded, spiked. Nothing about this figure is casual.

Bwiti is a religious tradition practiced among the Fang of Cameroon and their neighbors, and objects connected with it were made for ritual and protective use. This one, of iron and leather, comes from the 20th century and stands about seven inches. A dense wrapping of fibrous material and leather binds it. Short arms reach out, legs set wide. Vertical bands run down the chest, studded with pairs of round knobs, and an iron spike rises from the top.

The legs end in small iron pegs, a rounded form swelling beneath. The surface is dark brown and heavily textured. Give it room.