Mask of a dignitary
Cameroon Grassfields, Oku
sold
EUR 1,200
Provenance
Ferdinand Herrmann, Heidelberg, GermanyNagel, Stuttgart, 7 November 2000, lot 604
Heinz Kolerski, Fellbach near Stuttgart, Germany
Size
H: 39 cm
H: 15.4 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, kaolin, helmet-shaped, voluminous forms, a big mouth revealing two rows of regular teeth, crowned by a bulbous headgear in openwork design with spider motif, dam., cracks, small missing part (chin), slight traces of abrasion;
the spider motif is widely spread in the Grassfields of Cameroon. The spider is a symbol for wisdom and plays an important role in truth telling.