Zemanek-Münster

Magnificent helmet-shaped bird mask (rooster) ·  Cameroon, Western Grassfields, Wum · ID: 3049669

sold EUR 6,000
Provenance
Acquired from dealer in Foumban-Cameroon (1976)
Rolf & Christina Miehler, Munich, Germany
Stefan Herzog, Munich, Germany
Hans Brockmann, Munich, Germany
Size
H: 24 cm
L: 65 cm
H: 9.4 inch
L: 25.6 inch

Description

wood, patina heavily encrusted in places, base

A stylistically comparable mask is published by Northern (1984, p. 159, fig. 90) in a photograph.

According to this, the bird mask was worn with a dramatic feather robe and sat atop the head of the wearer, whose face was concealed by a fiber covering.

However, the photograph was not taken in the field. The complete mask with mannequin was acquired by the Field Museum of Natural History Chicago from the Umlauff Collection, and photographed as it appeared in the Umauff sales catalogue of the early 1920’s.


The object Magnificent helmet-shaped bird mask (rooster) with the object ID 3049669 was part of the auction Sale 100 on April 15, 2023. The object with the lot number 59 achieved a sales price of EUR 6,000 with an asking price of EUR 3,000.

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

Northern, Tamara, The Art of Cameroon, Washington D.C. 1984, p. 159, ill. 90


Publications

Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 211; Privatsammlung Rolf and Christina Miehler, München 2007 (appendix)

AHDRC: 0011780


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