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Helmet Mask (Mambu)

A work made of wood and pigment.

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  • A work made of wood and pigment.

Date:

Early/mid–20th century

Artist:

Wum or Fungom region, Northwest Province, Cameroon
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

n Cameroon’s Northwest Province, all-male regulatory associations called Kwifon are in charge of social control and law enforcement and use masquerades to seek the guidance of supernatural forces. This mask, with its bulging cheeks and eyes and striated hairstyle, represents mambu. Dressed with a feather costume, this character precedes the arrival of more powerful and fearsome masks during burials and funerary celebrations of important association members.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Artist

Grasslands (Unknown Role)

Title

Helmet Mask (Mambu)

Place

Cameroon (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1900–1975

Medium

Wood and pigment

Dimensions

33.3 × 26.7 × 20.6 cm (13 1/8 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund

Reference Number

1966.411

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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