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Bamoum, Court Mask
Tribe: Bamoum
Region: Cameroon
Size: 18”
Weight: 3lbs 11oz
Material: wood
The Bamoum people live in the grassland region of Cameroon.
As the area is divided into almost a hundred chiefdoms and
kingdoms, the art of the Bamoum is mostly the art of
king and his court - very decorative, almost luxurious,
especially the brass items.
This mask has all the main features of the very dramatic style. It is
large, heavy, carved with a lot of verve. The facial expression is one
of happiness and enjoyment of life. Striking but good-natured, puffed-out
cheeks and wide smile make the mask look like a symbol of good luck.
During the royal festivities, a dancer wears the mask not on his face but on
top of the bamboo cage, surrounded by a collar of palm fibres.
Other features of the mask are: a heavy nose with well shaped
nostrils and an extraordinary coiffure carved in
the form of three big lizards. A lizard, in African mythology,
is a symbol of alertness and protection. We have been told by a
member of the tribe, that the masks like this one are often
hung above the entrance to the hut to protect the family by
keeping the evil spirits away.
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