BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon, 20th century. - Lot 236

BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon, 20th century. Dance hood featuring a stylized face with strong volumes, eyes, nose and mouth in high relief. The surface is entirely covered with multicolored beadwork organized in geometric registers, alternating lozenges, chevrons and stylized floral motifs, punctuated by dotted lines. The contours of the face and the large circular ears are highlighted by a band of red fabric, accentuating the frontal aspect and visual presence of the whole. Fabric, multicolored beads, wear marks. Height Height : 132 cm. Used for ceremonial dances, this hood is part of the vast corpus of Bamiléké masquerades associated with prestige, authority and symbolic forces. The richness of the beaded decoration underlines the rank of the patron, while the presence of saurians, animals associated with regeneration and protection, reinforces the apotropaic dimension of the ensemble.