Large head sculpture "tu ngünga", before 1922

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Description

wood, small remains of black paint and white pigment, expressive head with large eyes and smiling mouth, rising from long conical-shaped neck, surface structure strongly marked by insect caused damage and weathering (cracks), missing parts above all at the neck, base;
for a work of the same artist see Homberger, 2008, p. 127.
Such headdresses performed as male/female pairs on large festive occasions in Foumban. Fixed to wickerwork bases they were worn on the head, while the dancer covered his face with a scarf. Nowadays they exclusively appear for entertainment. Originally they might have belonged to the warrior society “nsorro”, which performed its dances on the occasion of funerals of one of its members.

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Comparing literature

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

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