Janus headed night mask of the secret society "troh" ·  Cameroon, Bangwa · ID: 3034293

Description

light brown wood, thick encrusted dark brown patina, helmet-shaped, with almost identical facial features: circular eyes, open mouth with pointed teeth and inflated cheeks, one face with protruding forehead scarifications and cavity underneath the right eye, min. dam., small missing parts, traces of abrasion;
the masks of the Night society are astonishingly varied in form. Most of them show a violent facial expression, corresponding to their frightening role. Night masks remain unadorned, without feathers, mirror glass, paint or animal skin. Years of repeated libations give them a thick patina which enhances their effectiveness as emblems of the Night society.

Comparing literature

Homberger, Lorenz (Hg.), Kamerun, Kunst der Könige, Zürich 2008, p. 183 von Lintig, Bettina, Cameroun, Paris 2006, p. 101