Bamileke Female Maternity Cameroon Grasslands on Base 23 Inch

Description

Title
Bamileke Female Maternity Cameroon Grasslands on Base 23 Inch
Type of Object
Carving, statue, figure
Country of Origin
Cameroon
People
Bamileke
Materials
Wood, pigment
Approximate Age
20th century
Height (in)
23
Width (in)
10
Other Dimensions
Height: 23 Inches
Width: 10 Inches
25 Inch height on stand
Overall Condition
Fair
Damage/Repair
Arrested bug damage, encrustation loss, cracks, chips and a well worn patina
Additional Information:
A standing female figure with children to her side and a body covered with dark encrusted patina. The figure comes from one of the Cameroon groups, most probably the Bamileke. The encrusted patina indicates the figure was receiving offerings and sacrificial materials.
Among the Bangwa, Bamun, and Bamileke people ancestor figures, though formally stored in shrines, were also displayed outside royal huts on important occasions, and were thus prone to deterioration. The art of the grasslands area of Cameroon is a royal art, devoted to the veneration of ancestors and the enrichment of the Fon, the main chief of the individual "kingdoms." The large figures carved for and presented to the Fon, fall generally into two forms: representations of the Fon or one of his wives, and carvings of individual ancestors. These are stored in shrines and guarded by individuals appointed by the Fon. They are a representation of his power, and brought out only on special occasions. Figures like this are personal and kept by individuals and displayed in their private shrines.
The Cameroon Grasslands is a large and extremely diverse cultural area, inhabited by a large number of related peoples such as the Bamileke, Bamum, Bamenda, Tikar, Bangwa.
There are also numerous smaller groups, loosely affiliated with one another, who share historical and political similarities. All of these groups originally came from an area to the north, scattering in complex patterns during the last several centuries.
Fulani traders moving steadily southwards into Cameroon during the 17th Century forced the southern movement of most of the current residents. The dense forests, though now disappearing, and the scattered nature of the many tiny villages, has made study of this area a daunting task for ethnologists, preventing the development of a "school of thought" concerning their artistic output.
Thus, the meaning of many fascinating rituals from the Grasslands will, for now, remain elusive.
Recommended Reading:
For more info, see Tamara Northern's EXPRESSIONS OF CAMEROON ART.
**120127**
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