Royal Bamoun Statue Of Cameroon

Rare effigy of a King Bamoun in wood with a thick crusty patina Height 60cm plus wooden base High bilobed "Ndop" headdress, a sort of royal tiara. The left hand placed on the chin of the face projected forward representing all its power The globular almond-shaped eyes The arms adorned with sculpted bracelets Male sex drawn under a paunchy belly Half-open mouth revealing the teeth He is seated on a stool or are sculpted in semi-relief of turtles Thick dark patina covering a red ocher layer According to Pierre Harter "Ancient Arts of Cameroon" 1986 Royal commemorative portraits constitute a kind of memorial They are made during the lifetime of the sovereign, most often during the first two years of his reign and are exhibited on the occasion of an ancestral cult linked to the protection of the tribe, to the fecundity or fertility of the earth, and sometimes during major periodic solemnities. Origin; gallery Maud and René Garcia (remains of original label) free shipping worldwide