African Arts Gallery

The Sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in traditional African art. Dazzling prestigious African adornment, worn by notables, in red. br /> It was on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso, that members of the Kuosi, Kwosi society, wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multi-colored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng, a cloth cloth, ndop, adorned with monkey fur and a leopard print belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. Hats were once made with parrot feathers, today from wild guinea fowl, the rarity of which resulted in a high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fibres. A society originally made ...

Namji hat accompanying initiation rituals. Attached to a basketwork structure, a fertility doll, a stylized effigy draped in glass bead necklaces. Talismans in the form of leather bags and sheep horns adorn the whole. Patina of abraded use.
The dolls of the Namji or Dowayo, an animist mountain people living in northern Cameroon, represent the human body in stylized elementary forms. These African tribal dolls are carved in wood by the blacksmith, initially for the play of little girls. But these dolls are mainly used by sterile women in complex fertility rituals, the doll becoming a surrogate child that they will treat as such. In some cases the groom offered it to his future wife, the doll representing their future offspring. The decoration of the doll can also reproduce the ...

This type of headdress is worn by members of the highest ranks of the bwami secret society, governing the lega social structure, open to circumcised adults and their wives and who instruct their adherents in terms of moral perfection. These objects are part of the masengo, meaning that they are sacred and can therefore only be worn by initiates. The owner cannot part with it during his lifetime. Bwami has different degrees, with yananio and kindi being the highest. The materials used vary, it can be buttons of clothes, cowries, pearls or cocoa beans. On a carefully braided natural fiber cap, this headgear is entirely covered with manufactured buttons (Mukuba). This old skullcap is originally surmounted by elephant hair in reference, under an imperturbable appearance, to the destructive ...

Sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African headdress, worn by notables, this example offers a trim of bright yellow feathers.
It was on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso ,that members of the Kuosi , Kwosi , society wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng ,a cloth fabric, ndop , decorated with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. The hats were once made from parrot feathers, now from wild guinea fowl, whose scarcity meant high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fiber. A ...

The sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African headdress, worn by notables, this example offers a trim of fuschia feathers.
It is on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso ,that the members of the Kuosi , Kwosi , society wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng ,a cloth fabric, ndop , decorated with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. The hats were once made from parrot feathers, now from wild guinea fowl, whose scarcity meant high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fiber. A ...

A ceremonial object worn during ceremonies, this prestigious headdress is adorned with hundreds of cowries lining the underlying fabric in a refined arrangement alternating successions of bouquets, lines, starry patterns. A small protrusion at the top represents a head whose features are made of pearls and shells. The contours of the hat are laced with colored beads, the colors of which have a symbolic meaning. Height on base: 32 cm.
The Kuba are the most prolific group in Kasai Occidental. Kuba art mainly developed around the royal person. This prestigious culture, made famous by its masks, including the large royal masks, objects of power and currency of exchange between groups. The royal statuettes and the "velvets of Kasai", magnificent ceremonial costumes, are part of their ...

This type of headdress is worn by members of the highest ranks of the bwami secret society governing the lega social structure, open to circumcised adults and their wives and who instruct their adherents in terms of moral perfection. These objects are part of the masengo, meaning that they are sacred and can therefore only be worn by initiates. The owner cannot part with it during his lifetime. Bwami has different degrees, with yananio and kindi being the highest. The materials used vary, it can be buttons of clothes, cowries, pearls or cocoa beans. Manufactured buttons line a carefully braided natural fiber crown. This type of headgear was originally topped with elephant hair in reference to the animal's destructive power beneath an unflappable appearance. This prestigious accessory, ...

The bird's head and symbolism in traditional African art.
This authentic hat called ten, composed of vermilion feathers of the parrot Psittacus erithacus , was worn during a ceremony obeying a set of rules established by ancestors for thousands of years. Originality, it can be folded when not worn. The feathers are attached to fabric-covered wooden strips, placed around a circular frame bound by a basket of wicker fibres. The red feathers of the touraco wings also marked the entry into the adult world. In Cameroon's Grassfields region, men were required to wear headgear under any circumstances. But to add feathers, it required the authorization of the fon.

It was during the elephant dance, tso, that the members of the hierarchical warrior brotherhood Kuosi, Kwosi , ...

This type of head adornment is worn by the members of the highest ranks of the secret bwami society governing the lega social structure, open to circumcised adults and their wives and who instruct their adherents in terms of moral perfectionThese objects are part of the masengo , meaning that they are sacred and can therefore only be worn by the initiates. The owner cannot part with it during his life. Bwami has varying degrees, with yananio and kindi being the highest.

The materials used vary, they can be clothing buttons, cauris, shells, pearls or cocoa beans. On a carefully braided cap of natural fibres, this head cover is completely covered with rows of buttons, glass beads and long braids of vegetable fiber. This headdress was once topped with elephant hair in reference ...

The sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African adornment, worn by notables, this example is trimmed with bright yellow feathers.
It was on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso, that the members of the Kuosi society, Kwosi, wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng, cloth, ndop, adorned with monkey fur and a leopard sash. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. Hats were once made with parrot feathers, today from wild guinea fowl, the rarity of which resulted in a high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fibres. A ...

Ex-collection Italian African art.
This type of headdress is worn by the members of the highest ranks of the secret society bwami governing the social structure lega, open to circumcised adults and their wives and instructing their adherents in terms of moral perfection. These objects are part of the masengo, meaning that they are sacred and therefore can only be worn by initiates.  The owner cannot part with them during his lifetime.  The Bwami has different degrees, the yananio and kindi being the highest. The materials used vary, they can be buttons for clothing, cowries, beads or cocoa beans.  On a carefully braided natural fiber cap, this chef's blanket is entirely covered with manufactured buttons. This antique cap is originally topped with elephant hair in ...

Sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African headdress, worn by notables, this example offers a trim of bright yellow feathers.
It was on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso ,that members of the Kuosi , Kwosi , society wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng ,a cloth fabric, ndop , decorated with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. The hats were once made from parrot feathers, now from wild guinea fowl, whose scarcity meant high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fiber. A ...

The Sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in traditional African art. Dazzling prestige African finery, worn by the notables, emerald green color.
It was during the elephant dance, tso , that the members of the Kuosi society, Kwosi , wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng , a cloth material, ndop , adorned with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. Hats were once made with parrot feathers, now wild guinea fowl, the scarcity of which resulted in a high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker fibers. A society ...

Sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African headdress, worn by notables, this example offers a feather trim of different shades of purple.
It is on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso ,that the members of the Kuosi , Kwosi , society wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng ,a cloth fabric, ndop , decorated with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. The hats were once made from parrot feathers, now from wild guinea fowl, whose scarcity meant high cost. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of ...

The sumptuous Bamileke headdresses in African art.
Prestigious African headdress, worn by notables, it offers a brightly colored feather trim.
It is on the occasion of the elephant dance, tso ,that the members of the Kuosi , Kwosi , society wore these impressive headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng ,a cloth fabric, ndop , decorated with monkey fur and a leopard belt. These dances were performed during festive ceremonies and funerals. The hats were once made from parrot feathers, now wild guinea fowl feathers, the scarcity of which made them expensive. The feathers are attached to wooden strips covered with fabric, placed around a circular frame consolidated by a basket of wicker ...