Description:
On offer from our personal collection is this MASSIVE & dramatic helmet mask/headcrest from the Bamileke peoples of Cameroon. Worn on top of the head, such masks are danced during rituals celebrating the harvests & also during ceremonies honoring tribal royalty.
A HUGE mask, all of its features are wildly exaggerated... eyes set in large hollows accented by braided grasses; wide, flared nostrils; bulbous cheeks; broad, toothy smile bedecked by horns on either side, accented by a thin moustache of braided grasses across the upper lip; large zoomorphic ears; a horn-like protuberance jutting forth from the brow; a superstructural crown bearing three animals; & a slender beard of braided grasses extends from the chin. Rolled & braided grasses are wrapped around the inside of the bottom of the mask, & around the bottom chins of the animals atop the crown.
Despite imperfections in the wood, including old scrapes, chips, & dry age cracks, a hole near the bottom rim behind the left ear, & a few old gouges including the back of the left ear, the bottom rim of the crown's mount (left side), & on the side of the animal on the mask's left side, this spectacular mask is in good overall condition. Good patina, encrusted in places. An overwhelming display, the carving makes a most exciting, dynamic statement!
Please note: this is a LARGE piece, & will require a large shipping container. For any non-U.S. buyers interested in this mask, please contact the seller first to inquire about shipping availability to your country.
