African art Reliquary figure, MbeteGabon / Rep. Dem. Congo. . Cm 21,00 x 78,00 x 26,00. standing male figure covered with thick layer of kaolin. As usual in this type of artifacts, the torso of the figure is hollowed out to house inside the ancestral relics, while the rigid and vigilant posture helps to underline the active role of guardian of the sacred contents protected inside.