Keeper of Reliquary

The cult of ancestors is based on the relationship between the offering of the living to the deceased and the protection of the deceased to the living. Some of the most important mortal remains, mainly part of the skull and pieces of other bones, are kept in the reliquaries of the ancestors. It is usually the remains of the nearest ancestors. They are venerated at the same time that they are feared because they can be dangerous to the living, which is why it is appropriate to place them under the tutelage of a protective spirit, called guardian of reliquary, which is placed on the box containing the relics. The mwaï statues are characterized by theirrobustness aspect mainly in the chest and arms. Normally seated and recognizable by a hairstyle in several parts and protruding jaw. Brown patina.