Rare Bellows, Fang Peoples, Gabon

H: 29 inches, W: 16.5 inches, D: 6 inches

Material: Wood, Leather 

Spread in small village communities in the Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon, the Fang people number about 900,000 along the right bank of the Ogowe River. Their social structure is based on a clan; a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on a family.

The art of the Fang is one of the most beautiful, peaceful and expressive to be found among their neighbors in the region. They regarded ancestors as guardians of the living world and the life to come.

This early 20th Century masterpiece is functional. The goldsmiths and blacksmiths artisans used this magnificent artifact to produce air in preparing fire to melt precious metals such as gold, brass, silver and bronze for royal ornaments.