Within Gabon Hoaxes
How Fake Gabonese Reliquaries Fool Collectors
Recent carvings become fraudulent when sellers invent age, ritual use or ownership histories to satisfy collectors seeking an untouched African past.
On this page
- Why Kota, Obamba and Fang figures became valuable
- How false age and provenance are manufactured
- What dating, corrosion and wear can reveal
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Introduction
Fake Gabonese reliquaries are not usually crude copies sold as obvious souvenirs. The most successful deceptions are objects presented as rare ancestral guardians from the nineteenth or early twentieth century, complete with invented histories, fabricated ritual use and carefully manufactured signs of age. Because authentic Gabonese reliquary figures from Kota, Obamba and Fang communities became highly prized by collectors, museums and dealers during the twentieth century, a market emerged for objects that looked old enough, sacred enough and mysterious enough to satisfy demand. The fraud often lies less in the carving itself than in the false claim that it is an original ritual object with a documented past. As specialists have repeatedly noted, distinguishing genuine historical use from deliberate ageing and invented provenance can be extremely difficult without close technical and stylistic examination.[Aimnet]aimnet.itFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (MbuluFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-…May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst…
Why Kota, Obamba and Fang Figures Became Valuable
The market for forged reliquaries grew because authentic examples became internationally famous. Kota reliquary guardians, often called mbulu-ngulu, were originally associated with ancestral relics and lineage memory in parts of eastern Gabon. Fang reliquary figures similarly served as guardians of ancestral remains, while Obamba reliquaries developed related traditions with distinctive visual styles. These objects were not originally created as art-market commodities. They were ritual objects embedded in social and religious practice.[daltonsomare.com]daltonsomare.comDalton SomaréKota Reliquary Figures | Mbulu Ngulu and Gabonese ArtKota reliquary figures from Gabon, often referred to as mbulu ngulu, be…
Several developments increased their value:
- European collectors acquired large numbers of African ritual objects during the colonial era.
- Modernist artists admired the abstract forms of Gabonese sculpture.
- Missionary campaigns and colonial suppression contributed to the disappearance of many original reliquaries.
- Museums and private collectors began competing for surviving examples with documented age and ritual use.[wikipedia.org]WikipediaMbulu NguluMbulu Ngulu
Scarcity created opportunity. Once collectors were willing to pay substantial sums for an authentic ancestor guardian, the incentive to create convincing substitutes increased dramatically.
How False Age and Provenance Are Manufactured
Most art-market fraud involving Gabonese reliquaries does not require an exact copy of a known object. Instead, sellers exploit uncertainty about an object’s history.
A typical deception combines several elements:
Invented ownership histories. A figure may be claimed to have been collected by a colonial administrator, missionary or explorer decades earlier. Such stories are often difficult to verify and can add substantial value if accepted. Provenance—the documented chain of ownership—is frequently more important to a forger than the object itself.[Wikipedia]WikipediaArt forgeryArt forgery
Artificial ageing. Craftsmen in several parts of Africa have produced carvings specifically for sale while attempting to make them appear older through surface treatments, wear patterns and simulated use. Specialists have long warned that age can be manufactured more easily than collectors often assume.[Mobile Museum of Art]mobilemuseumofart.comMobile Museum of ArtWHEN EXPERTISE MATTERSCraftsmen working in various parts of Africa in the 20th century are known to have produced sim…
Claims of ritual use. Collectors often seek objects believed to have participated in ceremonies or ancestor veneration. A newly carved figure may therefore be presented as a relic from a vanished shrine tradition rather than as a contemporary artwork. The claimed ritual biography becomes part of the product being sold.[Dalton Somaré]daltonsomare.comDalton SomaréKota Reliquary Figures | Mbulu Ngulu and Gabonese ArtKota reliquary figures from Gabon, often referred to as mbulu ngulu, be…
Blending styles. Forgers sometimes combine recognisable features from different Gabonese traditions to create an object that looks “authentically African” to a non-specialist buyer even if the combination would appear historically inconsistent to experts.[Duende Art Projects]duendeartprojects.com217 fraught signifiers in african art kota217 fraught signifiers in african art kota
The result is often a convincing narrative rather than a convincing archaeological artefact.
What Dating, Corrosion and Wear Can Reveal
Scientific analysis has become one of the most important tools for detecting questionable reliquaries. A notable study of a purported Kota reliquary figure examined both the wooden support and the metal-covered surfaces using microscopy, chemical analysis and radiocarbon dating. Researchers were interested not only in the sculpture’s style but also in the physical evidence left by age and use.[Aimnet]aimnet.itFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (MbuluFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-…May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst…
Several clues can help investigators:
Surface Corrosion
Authentic metal-covered reliquaries often develop corrosion products over long periods. Under magnification, naturally aged surfaces can display complex microstructures and layered chemical changes that are difficult to reproduce convincingly. Scientific examination may reveal whether corrosion formed gradually over decades or was artificially induced.[Aimnet]aimnet.itFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (MbuluFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-…May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst…
Wood Dating
Radiocarbon dating can establish the age of wooden components. While an old piece of wood does not automatically prove that a sculpture is ancient, it can provide an independent check on claims about age. Conversely, modern wood immediately raises questions about an object marketed as a nineteenth-century ritual figure.[Aimnet]aimnet.itFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (MbuluFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-…May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst…
Patterns of Wear
Collectors often assume that heavy wear equals authenticity. Experts are more cautious. Genuine ritual use tends to produce particular patterns of handling, polishing and environmental exposure. Artificial wear can look exaggerated, repetitive or inconsistent with how such objects were actually used.[Mobile Museum of Art]mobilemuseumofart.comMobile Museum of ArtWHEN EXPERTISE MATTERSCraftsmen working in various parts of Africa in the 20th century are known to have produced sim…
Construction Details
Technical examination can reveal modern tools, materials or assembly methods inconsistent with the period claimed by a seller. Small details hidden beneath the surface may be more informative than the overall appearance.[Aimnet]aimnet.itFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (MbuluFakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-…May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst…
Why Collectors Continue to Be Fooled
The market for fake reliquaries persists because authenticity is often partly cultural rather than purely scientific.
Many Gabonese reliquary traditions were disrupted during the colonial period, and documentation is uneven. Numerous objects entered collections with minimal records. This creates gaps that can be filled with attractive stories. A collector may encounter a figure that stylistically resembles known examples but lacks secure documentation. In such cases, judgement depends heavily on expertise and comparative knowledge.[Mobile Museum of Art]mobilemuseumofart.comMobile Museum of ArtWHEN EXPERTISE MATTERSCraftsmen working in various parts of Africa in the 20th century are known to have produced sim…
Another complication is that not every later-made object is necessarily a fraudulent fake. Some carvings were produced by skilled African artists working within traditional visual languages but for new markets. The difficult question is whether such objects are honestly presented as later creations or falsely marketed as older ritual artefacts. The deception usually lies in the claimed age, use or ownership history rather than in the craftsmanship itself.[Rand African Art]randafricanart.comRand African ArtYou Be the Judge - Kota mbulu-ngulu figuresparticular group for its own use, then it's beautiful; if it's fake, made for…
What the Fraud Reveals About the Art Market
Fake Gabonese reliquaries expose a recurring pattern in the global trade in cultural objects. Collectors often seek not only an artwork but also a story: untouched tradition, vanished rituals, ancestral mystery and colonial-era discovery. Forgers understand this demand and construct objects that satisfy those expectations.
The lesson is not that Gabonese reliquary traditions are doubtful. On the contrary, authentic Kota, Obamba and Fang guardian figures are among the most significant artistic and spiritual creations of Central Africa. The problem arises when market demand rewards dramatic origin stories more than verifiable evidence. As a result, scientific testing, provenance research and specialist connoisseurship have become essential tools for separating genuine historical reliquaries from objects whose age and history were manufactured for profit.[daltonsomare.com]daltonsomare.comDalton SomaréKota Reliquary Figures | Mbulu Ngulu and Gabonese ArtKota reliquary figures from Gabon, often referred to as mbulu ngulu, be…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: aimnet.it
Title: Fakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu
Link:https://www.aimnet.it/allpdf/pdf_pubbli/apr15/soffritti.pdf
Source snippet
Fakes in African art: study of a reliquary figure (Mbulu-...May 13, 2015 — The aim of the present work is the chemical and microst...
Published: May 13, 2015
2.
Source: smarthistory.org
Link:https://smarthistory.org/fang-reliquary-figure/
Source snippet
Male Reliquary Guardian Figure (Fang peoples)These figures look calm and contemplative, but also display real strength and vi...
3.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Mbulu Ngulu
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbulu_Ngulu
4.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Art forgery
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_forgery
5.
Source: mobilemuseumofart.com
Link:https://www.mobilemuseumofart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/storiesfromthecollection_whenexpertisematters_ver2.pdf
Source snippet
Mobile Museum of ArtWHEN EXPERTISE MATTERSCraftsmen working in various parts of Africa in the 20th century are known to have produced sim...
6.
Source: daltonsomare.com
Link:https://www.daltonsomare.com/en/insights-african-art/kota-reliquary-figures-mbulu-ngulu-gabon/
Source snippet
Dalton SomaréKota Reliquary Figures | Mbulu Ngulu and Gabonese ArtKota reliquary figures from Gabon, often referred to as mbulu ngulu, be...
7.
Source: africa.si.edu
Link:https://africa.si.edu/collection/object/nmafa
8.
Source: randafricanart.com
Link:https://www.randafricanart.com/You_be_the_judge_Kota_figures.html
Source snippet
Rand African ArtYou Be the Judge - Kota mbulu-ngulu figuresparticular group for its own use, then it's beautiful; if it's fake, made for...
9.
Source: daltonsomare.com
Title: Dalton SomaréGuardian Figure Kota, Gabon
Link:https://www.daltonsomare.com/en/work-of-art/guardian-figure-kota-gabon-2/
10.
Source: duendeartprojects.com
Title: 217 fraught signifiers in african art kota
Link:https://www.duendeartprojects.com/blog/217-fraught-signifiers-in-african-art-kota/
11.
Source: emuseum.toledomuseum.org
Title: reliquary figure
Link:https://emuseum.toledomuseum.org/objects/55943/reliquary-figure
Additional References
12.
Source: ackland.org
Link:https://ackland.org/new-to-the-ackland-an-obamba-reliquary-guardian-figure/
Source snippet
Ackland Art MuseumNew to the Ackland: An Obamba Reliquary Guardian Figure14 Feb 2025 — These figures were placed as protection atop porta...
13.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNqTqDieCwg
Source snippet
Great and Fake in Africa Museum Schweiklberg...
14.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Cultural Capital: African Art, Repatriation, and Restitution
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7JibvB0fo4
Source snippet
African traditional art market: Between looted art and art trafficking (Documentary, 2015)...
15.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Keeping your loved ones close: a Kota reliquary figure
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17VcIhKhOSY
Source snippet
Cultural Capital: African Art, Repatriation, and Restitution...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Great and Fake in Africa Museum Schweiklberg
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3nkwx-IAsg
Source snippet
Fakes in the art world - The mystery conman | DW Documentary...
17.
Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTeiicFAnHI/?hl=en
18.
Source: christies.com
Link:https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5996414
19.
Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285470689_Fakes_in_African_art_Study_of_a_reliquary_figure_Mbulu-Ngulu_from_Gabon
20.
Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNLo26EZmI/?hl=en
21.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/155452167800232/posts/27385018721083542/
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