African Arts Gallery

The chiefs of the Cameroonian Grasslands, the Fon, reputed to hold treasures of works of art, bracelets, necklaces, statues, bells, valued the founders and sculptors in the service of the kingdom. These productions, without which the chef lost his prestige, aimed to magnify the role of the fon. The technique used was lost wax casting, the decorations varying according to the status of the recipient to whom the king wished to grant a reward. The Bamoun sometimes bought works from the Tikar, who were also gifted in metalworking. From 1920 the founders no longer worked exclusively for the court. Located in the border region of Nigeria, the North-West 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. This heavy bell with complex iconography illustrates Tikar art. A subject surrounded by strips like a mummy, and whose meaning is unknown to us, sits at the top as a figure evoking motherhood. Flat faces, with bulging eyes, regularly protrude from the sides of the object. Concentric and spiral patterns alternate on the surface. Dark skates with golden highlights.