The House in pictures

Gallery

The estuary and the forest, the wildlife of Pongara National Park, the Bwiti vigils, the museum, the rooms, the guardians of the tradition: the House, picture by picture.

The Domain

Sandy landing stage between the mangrove trees, calm water of the estuary, green shore lined with palms in the distance — The landing stage in the mangrove, before the path to the Domain.

Wide passage of pale sand between two walls of mangrove trees, palms and forest beyond — The same approach, seen from land: the sandy passage between the mangrove trees, where the path begins.

Empty sandy path winding through the equatorial forest, light filtering through the canopy — The path to the Domain from the shore: fifteen minutes of forest between the beach and the village.

Aerial view of the Domain’s great savannah bordered by forest — The Domain’s great savannah, between coastal forest and estuary.

Aerial view of the royal cemetery: a stepped row of white tombs; in the centre, on a pale stone base, the tomb of King Denis I, Antchouwé Kowé Rapontchombo, with a cross on its headstone; old cannons lying in the grass — The royal burial ground of Iwounwé from the air. In the centre, the tomb of Antchouwé Kowé Rapontchombo, King Denis I; on his right (on the left in the photograph), that of his son Louis Denis Marie Félix Adandé Rapontchombo, King Denis II; beside him, Princess Marie-Anne Ankombié Rapontchombo I. From left to right in the photograph: Jean Rémy Onanga Adandé Rapuntchombo, known as “Ajax”, son of Prince Denis Marie Félix Adandé Rapuntchombo; Prince Henri Adandé, son of Princess Virginie Ambougou; King Denis II; in the centre, King Denis I; Princess Marie-Anne Ankombié Rapontchombo I; Princess Virginie Ambougou; her son, Prince Mankey Camille Yvon Désiré “Otoki”, former keeper of the royal regalia; Tchetoya Christine, known as “Teteyi”; Gabriel Igamba, son of Princess Marie-Anne II; Mavoko Jean Vitore, known as “Tambourou”; then Adama Alileys, child of Princess Marie-Anne II. Behind the tomb of Princess Virginie Ambougou rests Ngwembinda, wife of King Denis I. Set vertically, parallel to the others, the tomb of Prince Denis Marie Félix Adandé Rapuntchombo closes the row. Prince Onanga Adandé Rapontchombo, son of King Denis II, also rests in the burial ground. In front, the old cannons lying in the grass.

The palm-thatched temple lit from within at dusk, dark blue sky above the forest — The temple at nightfall · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

The museum

Aerial view of the white buildings of the museum at the edge of the forest — The family museum, set between savannah and forest.

Closer aerial view of the round white huts of the museum, within their enclosure — The round huts of the museum, within their white enclosure.

Interior room of the museum: framed portraits, garlands of dried leaves, Gabonese flag, red and white chairs, a table of ritual objects — Inside the museum: portraits, relics and the memory of the Assiga clan.

Curved museum wall hung with large blue and burgundy mats with floral patterns, gilt-framed portraits, garlands of dried leaves, Gabonese flag and red chairs — The wall of mats: portraits of the lineage, ritual leaves and the flag of Gabon.

Framed portrait of King Denis Antchoue Kowe Rapontchombo, crowned, in an embroidered blue uniform, hung on a patterned mat — Antchoue Kowe Rapontchombo, King Denis (1780-1876), signatory of the first Franco-Gabonese agreement of 1839.

Table draped in white bearing a conical raffia hat, a woven basket, a stoneware jar and an old charcoal iron, with a raffia figure with a painted mask set in front — The table of old objects, watched over by a raffia figure with a painted mask.

Two framed portraits on a white wall: Queen Elizabeth II, and Denis Adande Rapontchombo beside President Albert Bernard Bongo, above a calabash and dried leaves — Denis Adande Rapontchombo, President of the Supreme Court, beside Albert-Bernard “Omar” Bongo, former President of the Gabonese Republic and a great Bwiti adept, near a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.Read the article

Small raffia figure with a painted mask set on a patterned blue mat, surrounded by dried ritual leaves — The raffia figure on the mat, among the dried ritual leaves.

The rooms

Long pavilion of pale wooden planks, corrugated iron roof, balustraded veranda, at the edge of a clearing and the rainforest, a rustic bench on two stumps in the foreground — The guest pavilion, built of wood at the edge of the forest.

The guest pavilion seen at an angle: long façade of pale planks, wooden balustraded veranda, corrugated iron roof, rainforest behind — The pavilion seen from the side, its long veranda open onto the clearing.

A room of the Domain seen from the entrance: on the left the wooden doors of the shower and WC, at the back the window onto the forest, a solid wood double bed in the right-hand corner, high plank walls beneath the iron roof — A room of the Domain, all in wood, open onto the forest.

The room seen from the back towards the entrance: bed with white linen sheet and woven throw on the left, wooden doors of the WC and shower on the right, door open onto the terrace and its balustrade — The room and its door open onto the terrace.

The two small wooden cabins side by side along the left wall, open at the top beneath the roof: on the left the bucket shower, traditional wooden bucket, ladle and stool on duckboards, on the right a small WC; window onto the forest and the foot of the bed — In each room, a traditional bucket shower and a small WC, all in wood.

The wildlife of Pongara

Forest elephant facing the camera, ears spread, in the vegetation — The forest elephant, quiet lord of the park.

Aerial view of the Gabonese mangrove, channels and mangrove trees stretching to the ocean — The mangrove, nursery of the coast · photo Christian Vigna, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Two leatherback turtles on the sand at dusk — Leatherback turtles laying their eggs · photo Jordan Beard, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Humpback whale leaping out of the water in a burst of spray — The leap of the humpback whale · photo Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Forest elephant in front of a wooden hut — Right up to the threshold of the huts: the boundary belongs to the elephants.

Two forest buffaloes head to head — Forest buffaloes · photo Mark Kent, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Red-tailed Gabon grey parrot perched — The Gabon grey parrot · photo Quartl, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Royal tern in flight against a blue sky — The royal tern · photo Hobbyfotowiki, CC0.

Dwarf crocodile surfacing in a river covered with duckweed — The dwarf crocodile · photo Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Leatherback hatchling on the sand, heading for the ocean — The leatherback hatchling races for the ocean: every season, the park’s beaches return thousands of newborns to the sea · photo NOAA, public domain.

Turtle hatchlings crossing the sand towards the ocean, others visible down to the water’s edge — The hatchlings’ race to the ocean: every season, the sand of Pointe-Denis sees thousands of baby turtles set off · photo Bethany McCarter, CC BY 4.0.

Forest elephant cow and her calf drinking in a clearing — The forest elephant and her calf · photo JosepMGracia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Young leopard lying on a branch, golden gaze — The leopard, emblem of the clan: discreet queen of the forests · photo Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Western lowland gorilla carrying her young on her back, at Loango in Gabon — The gorilla and her young, photographed at Loango, Gabon · photo TheLeftCoast, CC0.

Moustached monkey with russet fur and blue moustache, among the foliage — The moustached monkey, a primate of the coastal forests · photo Matt Muir, CC BY 4.0.

The rites of the Bwiti

Bwiti vigil in the temple: the nganga standing, crowned with feathers, pointing, surrounded by initiates painted with white kaolin, in the firelight — The vigil in the temple: the nganga and the initiates painted with kaolin, in the firelight · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Dancer in motion near the flames at the centre of the temple, initiates seated along the walls — The dance at the centre of the temple: the fire, the torches and the movement · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Assembly in red wrappers beneath the palm-thatched roof of the temple, blue night above, fire to the right — The assembly beneath the palm roof: the blue night above, the fire within · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Two initiates bending over the newly lit fire in front of the temple, black night and forest all around — Preparing the ritual fire at nightfall · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Interior of the temple at night, initiates seated along the walls, a burning torch at the centre — The torchlit vigil in the temple · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Woman in a red wrapper and headdress standing in the torchlit temple — The evening torches in the temple · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Dancer in a red dress leaping near the fire, sparks and smoke in the temple — The fire dance: the initiate leaps between the flames · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Women in red wrappers and headdresses singing side by side in the temple — The chorus of women in red · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Initiates in raffia and body paint advancing in single file through the temple, palms on the ceiling — The procession of initiates beneath the palms · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Man lighting the ritual fire in the temple, women in red singing along the wall — Lighting the ritual fire, to the women’s songs · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Dancers in raffia and body paint before the assembly, drums and forest behind — The dance before the village: drums, raffia and raised palms · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Dancer leaping in broad daylight, raffia headdress and leopard-skin belt — The dancer’s leap, raffia and leopard skin · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Offerings of leaves at the burial ground · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Initiate with a painted face preparing sheaves of raffia, surrounded by kneeling initiates — Preparing the sheaves of raffia and leaves · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

Crouching initiate with a red and white face, green leaf in his mouth, wooden spear and shield — The lookout: the leaf, the spear and the shield · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

The elders in cowries and feathers seated in the hut, preparing the rite — The elders in the hut: cowries, feathers and preparations · photograph by the Maison Assiga.

The guardians of the tradition

Engraving of Jacques Makaya Zimamo in the traditional dress of an initiate — Jacques Makaya Zimamo, guardian of the tradition at Pointe-Denis.

Engraving of Jacques Makaya Zimamo seen from behind, walking towards the forest — Towards the forest.

Marie-Anne Ankombie Rapontchombo in white ceremonial dress — Marie-Anne Ankombie Rapontchombo, guardian of the heritage.

Jérôme Mouele Niangou in front of the temple in ritual dress, black and white photograph — Jérôme Mouele Niangou, spiritual father of the Bwiti Missoko.

Pierre Mbadingua, known as Dibouba, in front of the village huts in ritual dress — Pierre Mbadingua, known as Dibouba, Jérôme’s initiator · in memoriam.

Engraving: Moussavou Mabounda Dessayo, known as Doubila, seated, his face marked with white kaolin, raffia hood and collar, leopard-print cloth, a bundle of leaves on his knees — Moussavou Mabounda Dessayo, known as Doubila, the spiritual father who initiated Pierre Mbadingua (Dibouba) into the Bwiti Ngondet · engraving after a photograph.

The memory of King Denis

Portrait of King Denis crowned, plate from an 1862 album — King Denis in full dress, 1862 · musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac.

Engraving of King Denis in full dress, crown and decorations — King Denis, engraving by Émile Bayard.

Watercolour of 1839: King Denis II, Louis Denis Marie Félix Adandé Rapontchombo, in uniform, seated beside one of his wives — “Denys, king of the left bank of the Gabon”: King Denis II, Louis Denis Marie Félix Adandé Rapontchombo, son of King Denis I, according to the family · watercolour by Darondeau, 1839.

Photograph of 1862 of King Denis’s temple on the sand of Pointe-Denis — King Denis’s temple photographed in 1862.

Engraving: African chiefs gathered beneath ceremonial parasols — 2 August 2015: African kings and traditional chiefs at Pointe-Denis.

Engraving of the papal medal Bene merenti — The « Bene merenti » medal of Gregory XVI.

Engraving of a family in a dugout canoe on a tropical river — The dugout canoe, the House’s waterway.