Anthropomorphic mask with horns ·  Cameroon, Fang · ID: 3052819

Description

wood, pyroengraved, plant fibre, old collection label “Tanzmaske aus Kamerun Original”

Horned masks of the Fang play an important role in the initiation rite known as “alu”. At the beginning of the ceremony, the horn-bearer, the “epo’a”, appears together with his acolytes, the “bisis”. They invoke the “shadows,” that is, the spirits of the dead, who are meant to unsettle and frighten the young initiates before the masked figures disappear again into the night.

The object Anthropomorphic mask with horns with the object ID 3052819 was part of the auction Auction 106 on April 25, 2026, lot number 340 at that time and is currently available for EUR 6,000 in Open sale.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Templin, Brigitte, Einblicke in den Bestand der Völkerkundesammlung der Hansestadt Lübeck, Lübeck 2011, p. 60 f. Perrois, Louis, Visions of Africa, Fang, Milan 2006, p. 44 Tessmann, Günter, Die Pangwe, Bd. 2, Berlin 1913, p. 51-64