This powerful old figure of a woman and
child
was made by one of the Grasslands peoples
of
Cameroon, probably the Bamileke. It shows
a
standing woman of status, as indicated by
her
bracelets, ornate loincloth and extravagant
coiffure/headwear. She is also smoking a
highly
decorated pipe, and the child is not in a
pose
indicative of maternity figures – rather he (?)
is
squatting before her and lifting his hands in
supplication. The rendering is extremely
impressive, with details of muscles and other
anatomical characteristics picked out with
exquisite care. The face is set in the
traditional
Bamileke grimace, with bared teeth, a sharp
nose and rimmed almond-shaped eyes. Her
hat
is encrusted with fabric and dark material
that is
presumably the remains of libations.
The Bamileke are one of many Bantu-
speaking
groups who live on the high Grasslands
plateau
of the Cameroons. They are themselves
divided into over one hundred groups which
approximate to chiefdoms under the rule of a
Fon (king), and have internal subdivisions
(including the Bafang, Bafoussam, Bandjoun,
Bangante, Bawaju, Dschang, and Mbouda)
that
had a higher significance prior to the arrival
of
the European colonial forces; today they are
generally considered to be a single entity.
They
migrated into the area with the Tikar and
Bamun prior to the 17th century in order to
avoid the Fula invasion of the Adamawa
Plateau, and there were at least four further
waves of migration. Their society is largely
agricultural, and village units are based
around
large agrarian plots that are technically
owned
by the fon, who is accorded political,
economic
and spiritual powers over the populace. His
power is balanced by a council of nobles
known
as the Kamveu, and he is personally
influenced
by his mother, the Mafo.
The Bamileke are Christian, Islamic and
animist. The latter still produce paraphernalia
to
assist them in ancestor worship, which is
achieved through retention and spiritual
manipulation of their forefather’s skulls.
Health
is maintained through traditional medicine,
while they also use a divination method
similar
to that of the Baule mouse oracle, but
involving
a spider. Most of their large sculptures
represent members of the royal family and
their
antecedents, and were usually displayed in a
court context and during ceremonies to
manifest the fon’s authority.
This may represent an important woman of
the
court, most likely the queen mother herself.
Whatever she represents, however, this is a
powerful and important piece of courtly
paraphernalia, which would be a credit to
any
collection of the genre.
