# Head

- By: Fang (Gabon; Central Africa)
- Date: Mid–late 19th century
- Medium: Wood and copper
- Classification: Sculpture
- Dimensions: H.: 39.4 cm (15 1/2 in.)
- Culture: Gabon
- Credit line: Frederick W. Renshaw Acquisition Fund; Robert Allerton and Ada Turnbull Hertle endowments; Robert Allerton Income Fund; Gladys N. Anderson Endowment
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/187528)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/73e4f1d9-97a2-1742-5235-72bfcaef9473/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

The neck of this head was once partially inserted into the lid of a cylindrical bark container holding selected skull and skeletal remains of an honored ancestor. Stored in the corner of a man’s sleeping room, the sculpture and box protected the ancestor’s bones and kept his power within reach of his descendants. The copper-alloy inserts in the eyes reflect light in the dark, and would have startled any intruder while adding to the head’s aura.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0