In the Grassfields, in northwestern Cameroon, there were (and still are) a number of small kingdoms. In these regions, not only every king has its own ‘court company’ for the performance of mask dances, but also important family, every village and every town have their own group of so-called ‘Juju dancers’. They perform during important events and feasts, such as the enthronement of a new king, the worshipping of ancestors, funeral rituals, etc. ‘Juju dancers’ wear their large, heavy masks not on their face, but on their head, slightly tipped forward. The dancer can see from under the mask through a net and wears a full body costume. On the grounds of its stylistic features, the present typical male head crest mask can be attributed to the Kingdom of the Bamum. It is carved from hard, heavy wood and was originally dyed black. It symbolises an important personality with high coiffure and carved beard. Its puffy cheeks are a symbol of age and dignity.
Overall a perfectly crafted object of its kind, with excellent, old, shiny and partly encrusted patina as a result of protracted use. Also on the inside, on the edge as well as in the centre, where the mask rests on the dancer’s head. Only minor age damage (old tears to the chin and to the upper section of the hairstyle).
Early or first half of the 20th century; H: 46 cm, W: 30 cm. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.: 'Kamerun. Kunst der Könige' by Lorenz Homberger, Rietberg Museum Zurich, fig. 34, catalogue ill. 4.