Mask of a dignitary · Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke · ID: 3040667
Sebastian Fernandez, New York, USA
Description
wood, blackish brown patina, kaolin, redwood powder, helmet-shaped, disc-shaped superstructure with stylized spider motif, eyes, ears and mouth accentuated by paint, min. dam., fine cracks, metal base;
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.
The object Mask of a dignitary with the object ID 3040667 was last part of the auction 83rd Tribal Art Auction at May 28, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 325.
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
Gardi, Bernhard, Kunst in Kamerun, Basel 1994, p. 87