Mask - Cameroon (No reserve price)

Mambila, Donga Valley, Nigeria/Cameroon.
Wood inlaid with a deep dark-brown patina, pigments.
Remarkable and ancient statue « Tadep » linked to a healing association « Suaga ».
The figure in the masterful sculpture is depicted standing on short legs with a zigzag outline, a pregnant belly and, in a characteristic gesture, rests its hand on the chin. This statue stands out for the proportions of the head with a triangular face softened by the upper contour forming a heart, the eyes in a “coffee bean” shape, the mouth open and the compact coiffure composed of small wooden pegs.
When they were not used, the « tadep » were