Tikar (Tikari, Tikali, Ndob, Tingkala, Ndome), Grassland, Cameroon

Ancestor figure. The northern part of Cameroon has been lslamicized 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; they speak a Bantu language and have closely related social structures. There are the 1 million Bamileke spread over the southwestern plateaus, in communities that have from 50,000 to 100,000 people, the Bamum in the northwest, with a population of 80,000, and the 500,000 Bamenda-Tikar in the north. The art of Cameroon is the art of a royal court that had a complex protocol and numerous rituals. Regalia and objects of prestige were created for the fon and dignitaries of the different kingdoms; hence the multiplicity of styles. Art objects were symbols of position in the hierarchy: their number, the materials from which they were made, and their iconography changed progressively as one descended or ascended the social ladder. Competition among sculptors was often great, for the artist's "office" was not hereditary. Sculpture's goal was to commemorate and celebrate the royal ancestors of the present fon. Despite a relative structural similarity, works of a great diversity of style were produced by these small kingdoms. This unusual Janus-type figure came from the Tikar area and represents an ancestor. Its specific function is not clear.

Material: wood

Size: 34”x5½”x6½”

Price: $290+$45 (S&H)                                          [#R9T9S358]