Helmet mask · Cameroon, Tikar · ID: 3032653
Galerie Wolfgang Ketterer, München, 21. Mai 1980, lot 254
Richard Rüegg, Zurich, Switzerland
Description
light brown wood, remains of dark brown paint, the face projecting to the front, showing a laughing, teeth-revealing mouth, ears and mouth accentuated by white paint, rectangular hole at the back of the head, min. dam., cracks, minor missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
present mask probably typifies the stoic, non-committal expression of the faithful household servant of a feudal lord. Application of white chalk around eyes, ears, and the mouth identify the bearer as a carrier of bad news.
The object Helmet mask with the object ID 3032653 was part of the auction 69th tribal art auction on June 2, 2012. The object with the lot number 196 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,000 with an asking price of EUR 2,500.
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
Gebauer, Paul, Art of Cameroon, New York 1979, P 15