Gorilla sculpture

This fascinating 26x23.5x64 cm figure, entirely carved from natural wood, emerges from the Ngi-Bulu tribe in Cameroon. Representing a half-ape half-human fetish associated with the Ngi gorilla cult, it embodies the terror shared by the Bulu towards the great apes in the forest, such as mandrills and gorillas. These rare figures were probably reserved for the senior initiates of the Ngi cult, where the gorilla spirit played the role of the nocturnal guardian, watching over and punishing transgressors. It is a unique work dating from the middle of the 20th century.