Immediately striking in both presence and proportion, this Ndassa reliquary figure stands as a masterful testament to the refinement of southeastern Gabonese sculptural traditions. Its monumental size - 65 cm in height - places it among the larger known examples of its kind. This figure must have once protected an enormous reliquary basket, otherwise it would have risked toppling over. The crescent-shaped crest, dramatically flared, commands attention with its bold, symmetrical volume and subtly punched dot borders. These dotted lines extend vertically down the center of the crest. A wide vertical band of copper bisects the face into two halves, each marked by strips of metal, cut with precision and nailed with regularity. The nose is a sharply defined triangle that projects forward, steadying the symmetry of the composition. The eyes are constructed from hemispherical pieces of metal and marked with small pupils, adding a subtle sense of animation to the otherwise austere face. The mouth is absent, as often in reliquary sculpture. Two tubular appendages, representing ears, hang in quiet symmetry at the lower edge of the lateral panels. The neck, short and cylindrical, is entirely sheathed in metal, and flows seamlessly into the diamond-shaped lower section, covered in copper plating, and richly adorned with interlaced dot motifs. This openwork base, both sculptural and structural, would once have been hidden in the basket containing the ancestral relics guarded by this commanding presence.