A Cameroonian Elephant Mask Lot n° 10

Elephant mask Cameroon Ohne Sockel / without base Wood. H 43 cm. Provenance: - according to H. and M. Zimmer: Fritz Schaufelberger (1960 acquired in Bali). - Helmut (1931-2021) and Marianne Zimmer, Zurich. The numerous kingdoms and principalities of the Cameroon grasslands possessed a variety of masked figures. They danced mainly on important occasions, such as the coronation of a new king or commemorations of important ancestors, and represented the authority of the ruler as well as the interests of the state. According to Hans-Joachim Koloss (op. cit.), a mask ensemble, which basically consisted only of male dancers, could consist of more than twenty masks. These represented the most diverse characters: To each group, however, belonged indispensably kam, the leader mask, as well as ngoyn, his wife, who embodied a woman of the royal line. Other masks of the ensemble were e.g. nkem, who was responsible for the transport of fruits and hunting prey with his basket construction, foche the "big man", mukong the spear warrior, tatah the old man, nkieh the running juju spirit, fenun the bird, keyak the ram, fukvuk the bat, ketam the elephant (also called "ntshen" in Babanki) and nya the buffalo. Most masks are large and bulky, the faces often stylized. The mask wearer always appears in the prescribed mask garb. His face remains hidden behind a net, which, however, allows him to see. Usually the mask was worn as an attachment and thus protruded quite a bit above the heads of the spectators. Special features are the large, rimmed eyes, the strong nose with broad nostrils, the open mouth with sharpened, sometimes bared teeth and the protruding, reduced ears. The surface is dark brown to black in color. The headgear knows many variations: from the simple, flat coiffure with human hair up to highly piled up superstructures. Further reading: Koloss, Hans-Joachim (2000). World-View and Society in Oku (Cameroon). Baessler Archive. Contributions to Ethnology. Neue Folge. Beiheft 10. Berlin: Verlag Dietrich Reimer. CHF 400 / 800 EUR 400 / 800