Fragment of male protective figure · Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke/Batie · ID: 3042034
Olivier Larroque, Nimes, France (2015)
Private Collection
Description
wood, encrusted black patina, beard from real hair, spherical head with “tonsure”-like coiffure, both hands resting on the breast, neck with notched ornaments, two deeply hollowed openings backside, slightly dam., insect caused missing parts (both legs), base;
placed over doorways or near beds figures such as this one warded off evil beings. They were the works of ritual specialists. The holes were used to insert magical loading.
The object Fragment of male protective figure with the object ID 3042034 was last part of the auction 85th Tribal Art Auction at March 4, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 306.
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Comparing literature
Geary, Christraud, Bamum, Mailand 2011, Pl. 19