Bowl bearer · Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke · ID: 3041339
sold
EUR 6,000
Provenance
Julius Carlebach, New York, USA (1951/52)Size
H: 58,5 cm
H: 23.0 inch
Description
light wood, small remains of brown pigment, provided with the burled coiffure of a notable, the outside of the deep bowl carved with double-headed lizards in low relief, slightly dam., cracks, washing patina;
used as receptacle for kola nuts. The chewing of the bitter kola nut in Old Cameroon can be compared to our habit of chewing gum today. No man went away from his home without a supply of nuts. The kola nut is a stimulant. Claims of aphrodisiac benefits added to its popularity. Rulers kept containers lined with fresh leaves and filled with kola nuts always ready to offer guests. To break a kola nut with the ruler was regarded the height of hospitality and trust.
Comparing literature
Gebauer, Paul, Art of Cameroon, New York 1979, p. 201