Head crest "tu ngünga" ·  Cameroon Grassfields, Bamum · ID: 3040701

Description

wood, brown patina, proportionally small triangular face with exremely voluminous balloon-like coiffure with grooves and large projecting ears, rising from a long neck with rectangular breakthrough (for attachment), the face marked by large eyes in wide oval eye sockets, slightly dam. (ears, coiffure), cracks, traces of insect caused damage (above all backside), base;
the head crests were balanced on the dancer’s head, while his face was completely wrapped in cloth. The masks appeared in pairs male/female and danced to the sounds of an orchestra. Nowadays they perform for entertainment of the audience, but in former times they surely had ritual purposes. Research suggested that they once belonged to the war society “nsorro”, which performed masquerades on the occasion of funerals of important members.

The object Head crest “tu ngünga” with the object ID 3040701 was last part of the auction 83rd Tribal Art Auction at May 28, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 333 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,800.

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Comparing literature

Homberger, Lorenz (Hg.), Kamerun, Kunst der Könige, Zürich 2008, p. 116 ff.