BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon, 20th century. - Lot 238

BAMILÉKÉ, Cameroon, 20th century. Dance hood featuring an elongated head resting on an oversized neck, framed by two large circular ears. The eyes, nose and mouth are strongly modeled in relief. The entire piece is adorned with polychrome beaded decoration, organized in rhythmic geometric and floral motifs, dominated by triangular and cruciform compositions. The back of each ear features a stylized saurian, integrated into the decoration. Red and blue fabric, multicolored trade beads, wear marks. Height Height : 96 cm. Used for ceremonial dances, this hood is part of the vast corpus of Bamiléké masquerades associated with prestige, authority and symbolic power. 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.