Small figure "mu po" · Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke · ID: 3042437
Description
wood, dark brown patina, remains of pigments, metal ring, striking long neck and well-rounded belly, min. dam., missing part (left foreleg), slight traces of abrasion, base;
Bamileke healers and soothsayers used such small wooden statuettes to represent their patients, who would be treated at a distance. Sometimes the statuettes have a cavity in the back into which magical substances would be placed and the cavity closed with a band of leather or cloth.
The object Small figure “mu po” with the object ID 3042437 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 354 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200.
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