Tikar (Tikari, Tikali, Ndob, Tingkala, Ndome), Cameroon

Pigmy prisoner (?). The northern part of Cameroon has been Islamized and has no sculpture; on the other hand, the savannas of the west, the Grassland, are composed of three ethnic groups with ancestors in common; they speak a Bantu language and have closely related social structures. Among them there are 500,000 Bamenda-Tikar in the north. The art of Cameroon is the art of a royal court that had a complex protocol and numerous rituals. Regalia and objects of prestige were created for the dignitaries of the different kingdoms; hence the multiplicity of styles. Art objects were symbols of position in the hierarchy: their number, the materials from which they were made, and their iconography changed progressively as one descended or ascended the social ladder. According to one source, this figure carved presents a Pigmy in captivity. The Tikar people carved such figures to show their dominance over the Pigmy people. According to another source, it is an ancestor figure.

Material: wood.

Size: 16”x 9”x 8”

Price: $270+$43 (S&H)                                                     [#R8T9S627]