Masque éléphant "ntshen" · Prairie Camerounaise, Babanki · ID: 3048368
Vendu
2 000 €
Provenance
probably Gottfried Künzi (1920-1979), Oberdorf / Solothurn SwitzerlandMartin Gross (1922-2017), Biel, Switzerland (1968)
Description
wood,
Among the peoples of the Cameroon Grassfields, the elephant, like the leopard, is considered a royal symbol. The use of an elephant mask is therefore a special privilege reserved only for certain lineages (kinship groups).
Wherever the elephant masks appear, they perform as so-called leader masks and occupy the second most important position after the human “kam” mask. In keeping with their status, the mask dancers move with dignity and deliberation.
Littérature comparée
Northern, Tamara, The Art of Cameroon, Washington D.C. 1984, p. 157, ill. 89