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Portrait Figure of Metang, the 10th King of Batufam

A carved wooden figure wearing a conical hat, with an elongated neck, torso, and arms, sitting on a stool and holding a drinking vessel and a horn.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A carved wooden figure wearing a conical hat, with an elongated neck, torso, and arms, sitting on a stool and holding a drinking vessel and a horn.

Date:

c. 1912-1914

Artist:

Carved by Mbeudjang (Eastern Bangwa, active early 20th century)
Bamileke
Kingdom of Batufam, Cameroon
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

This stylized portrait of Metang was commissioned around 1912, when he was initiated into kingship. The ruler holds a buffalo drinking horn and a gourd container, two of the most important regalia throughout the Bamileke kingdoms in the Cameroon Grassfields. This figure was photographed several times, always next to the entrance of the Batufam palace, arranged with a portrait of his senior wife and several other sculptures of kings and queens.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Bamileke

Artist

Mbeudjang (Carver)

Title

Portrait Figure of Metang, the 10th King of Batufam

Places

Cameroon (Object made in), Africa (Object made in)

Date

1912-1914

Medium

Wood and pigment with traces of chalk and camwood

Dimensions

130.5 × 43.2 × 31 cm (51 3/8 × 17 × 12 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment

Reference Number

1997.555

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/148330/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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