African Arts Gallery

Renowned for their buffalo masks, the Chamba communicated with the spirit world through statues. Their functions, however, remain little known. In the work “Arts of the Bénoué Valley” published by the Musée du Quai Branly, the authors indicate that these statues were used during rituals in Mapeo in Nigeria and in Yéli in Cameroon.
Crusty red ocher patina, locally flaking. Established since the 17th century on the south bank of the Benue in Nigeria, coming from the mountainous regions of the Cameroonian borders, the Chamba resisted the attempts of conquest by the Fulani, nomads who settled in large numbers in the north of Nigeria. They are known for their famous buffalo mask with its two flat jaws extending from the head. The statuary, less common, is divided into protective figures (tauwa, sing. tau) which are kept in a box located to the left of the entrance to the concession, and statues of ancestors, kona. The couple figures refer to the universal theme of the primordial couple.