Mask of "kungan" society ·  Prairie Camerounaise, Bamiléké · ID: 3037641

Description

wood, camwood powder, coating with kaolin rubbed off in some areas, revealing a shiny middle brown patina underneath, well-balanced facial features with narrow nose and a tiny mouth, slightly dam. (ears, coiffure), minor missing parts (forehead, rim backside);
masks from the Bamileke area were not worn on the head like masks from the eastern and northern Grassfield region, but rather in front of the face, just like the present mask which presumably belonged to the most important Bamileke secret society called “kungan”.