The Kota and related peoples preserved the relics of honored ancestral leaders in

baskets guarded by reliquary figures, believing that their strength and wisdom

survived after death in their remains. Affixed to the baskets, the figures were carved

from a single piece of wood and covered in metal. The metals attached to the

surfaces of the reliquary figures helped avert evil spirits and added prestige because

of their great value. Ancestors were contacted to ensure the well-being of individuals

as well as the village, and in times of great distress all mbulu ngulu were brought

together to combine the power of all the important dead.

In contrast to the figurative reliquary guardians of other African cultures, the Kota

guardians appear abstract. A large ovoid head with minimal facial features rests on a

lozenge shape that represents the arms of a truncated body. The forms projecting

from the top and sides of the face correspond to men's elaborate hairstyles or

headwear, and some figures, such as the present example, have iron accents and

ear ornaments. Size may indicate function. Large, Janus-faced figures are thought to

have guarded the relics belonging to an extensive lineage group, while smaller ones

guarded those of families or individuals. It is unknown whether one side represents a

female and the other a male—though some have supposed that concave faces

represent females and convex males.

The present example is an exceptionally fine example of early manufacture. Its slightly

concave face is punctuated by a central nose and round, protruding eyes. A thick

sheet of punched metal covers the vertical and horizontal axes of the face, while

carefully cut thin bands of copper have been laid down along the diagonal axes. The

curved coiffure, also covered with a punched sheet of metal is connected to the side

flanges, whose metal coverings have been incised with a cross-hatched pattern.