Bamum (Bamoum, Bamoun, Banun, Mom, Mum), Cameroon

King’s Necklace. There are about 80,000 Bamum people. Bamum is the most important Cameroon grassland kingdom in the east of the region. Their art is in a great part the art of a royal court that had a complex protocol and numerous rituals. The king and his court is a focal point of the Bamum, and exert powerful influence upon the development of the plastic art that tends towards dramatization, power and sumptuous luxury. Such necklaces were used in some royal ceremonies although their specific function is not clear.

Material: African bronze and iron

Size: 15½” (diameter) x 1”