African Art at the
Ralph Proctor Gallery"In Cultural Perspective"
Shrine Figure
- country: Guinea
- people: Baga
- medium: wood, paint
- size: 25x6x44 inches
- price: $850.
- inventory #: rpg0115
Figures such as this were and are used as objects to honor ancestors. They were placed on altars at the time of a person's death. It remains on the altar in commemoration of the deceased. It combines a human face with the beak of a Hornbill bird. The rear of the head represents the Nimba mask which, while primarily used in fertility rites, also makes appearances at society member's funerals.