Faceless human figures once occupied places of honor in the homes of Moba families. In times of crisis—period of infertility or disease, for instance—a ritual carver (tikipierroa) would sculpt a representation of a recently-deceased ancestor for the family’s household shrine. Once installed, it was believed that this figure would ensure the health and prosperity of all those in the compound. These sculptures were not intended to be portraits of the deceased. Rather, by eliminating any distinguishing facial features, the carver signified the ancestral status of the individual in question. The more abstracted the figure, the more far-removed the individual was from the memory of the living. Nevertheless, in the dynamic pose—the turned torso and jutting hips—one senses the eccentric and strong personality of this unidentified Moba woman or man.