African Arts Gallery

Ex-Belgian African art collection

The Batouffam region, in Bamileke territory, produces this type of African mask with bulging cheeks associated with blower, globular eyes, a long buzzed nose and trimmed teeth. Mask intended to be worn on the head, it is hollowed out to reduce its weight and has a bushy raffia collar. Located in the border region of Nigeria, the northwestern province of Cameroon, Grassland is made up of several ethnic groups: Tikar, Anyang, Widekum, Chamba, Bamoun and Bamileke. Several centralized chiefdoms, or kingdoms, based on customary associations, secret societies, are organized around the Fon which would have broad supernatural powers including that of being able to transform into an animal such as the python, the elephant , the leopard, or the buffalo. A religious leader, he is also a judge and a warlord. His position, however, included many obligations that he had to fulfil in order not to be put to death.