The ‘bonganga-nganga’ relic figures were usually carved secretly in a sacred place in the forest called ‘efomba’ by a carver specialised in ‘bobongo’ rituals. The carver would go to the forest to find the most suitable tree, purify it by cutting out the necessary part, and transport it to the efomba, set up and reserved for the uninitiated, where the actual production took place. This work could last three or four months.