Bamileke (Mbalekeo, Mileke), Grassland, Cameroon

Seremonial Mask. Up to eight millions Bamileke spread over the plateaus, in communities that have from 50,000 to 100,000. They are organized into a hundred kingdoms. The Bamileke are part of a larger cultural area known collectively as the Cameroon Grasslands. Within the Bamileke complex there are numerous smaller peoples who are loosely affiliated and share many similarities while retaining separate identities. They are organized into a hundred kingdoms. The various societies had their masks. Most of the kingdoms used the same types of masks: buffalo, stag, elephant, birds, and male human heads. The masks are primarily worn during state ceremonies such as the funeral of an important dignitary, or during annual festivities. The mask does not cover the face of the wearer but rather tops a kind of bamboo cage surrounded by a tufted collar.

Material: bronze or brass

Size:   14”x12”x8½”

Price:   $300+$28 (S&H)                                                   [#L9B8B596]