BAMOUN, BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon Pipe bowl showing three figures s - Lot 248

BAMOUN, BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon Pipe bowl showing three figures standing side by side, with generous bellies and hands resting on their torsos. Their expressive faces, with swollen cheeks, protruding eyes and open mouths, are sculpted in a striking naturalistic style. They share an arched headdress, decorated with finely worked zigzag lines. This accentuated modeling of the features lends the whole a vigorous, symbolic presence. Brown terra cotta, old signs of use Height. 31 cm. In the Grassfields of Cameroon, the pipe was an attribute of prestige reserved for chiefs and notables. The representation of three identical figures can be interpreted as a reference to a symbolic trilogy, linked to filiation, initiation or lineage continuity. Among the Bamiléké and Bamoun peoples, twins are considered special beings, bringing blessings and prosperity. Bibliography: Christie's, The Trevor Barton Collection of Unusual Smoking Pipes, London, 2011, lot 649, for similar examples.