Grassland, Cameroon

Ceremonial headdress. The northern part of Cameroon has been Islamized and has no sculpture; on the other hand, the savannas of the west, the Grassland, are composed of three ethnic groups with ancestors in common. The Grassland is divided into 90 small independent kingdoms and chiefdoms, whose powers are counterbalanced by male and female societies. All young boys belong to association based on age classes, covering periods of five years each, focusing on military and technical apprenticeship. Masks and masquerades are normally associated with a variety of men’s societies. Each society has its special shrine, its own masks, costumes, dances, and secret language. Each acts on behalf of the king to establish order and to preserve the social and religious structure of the kingdom. Masks that elicit fear and apprehension are the work of societies responsible for repression. Such headdresses were fixed to the head during festivals for dancing or kept in shrines.

Material:  wood, horns, vegetable fiber, basketry, textile

Size:  H. 14”, W. 14”, D. 11”

Price: $275+$29 (S&H)                         .                   [#S1G7M478]