Africa. Cameroon, Bamileke - Dance mask. H. 46cm The Bamilék - Lot 75

Lot 75
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Estimation :
1000 - 1200 EUR
Africa. Cameroon, Bamileke - Dance mask. H. 46cm The Bamilék - Lot 75
Africa. Cameroon, Bamileke - Dance mask. H. 46cm The Bamilékés are a people of Central Africa, coming from Cameroon (West region) in the region of Grassland where also live the Bamoun, the Tikar, close to them by their common ancestors, their similar social structures and their languages. The work of D. Toukam ("Histoire et anthropologie du peuple bamiléké", Paris, L'Harmattan, 2010 and 2016; ...) concludes that the Bamiléké would most likely be descended from the Baladis of ancient Egypt (natives of Upper Egypt). In Egypt, the present Feelahins/Copts are largely recognized as Baladis converted by force, but still retaining huge parts of their ancestral culture. The Baladis-Bamilekes left Upper Egypt in the 9th century AD and arrived in the Tikar region in the 11th century. They were neighbours of the Tikar, but were never descendants of the Tikar, contrary to popular belief. The Bamilekes are, in spiritual matters, of great complexity. Their traditional religious organization is composed of initiation practices, meditations and rituals. Their production of objects related to their various cults was very rich and some cults are still in progress today by using old masks kept in certain chiefdoms or with certain notables or so-called "replacement" pieces created to replace old pieces that were worn, too damaged or because their use was limited in time. (Africa, African Art, Civilization and ethnic groups).
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