Statue - Bamileke - Cameroon (No reserve price)

Female figure Bamileke – Evocation of motherhood
Cameroon – Western Highlands
Remarkable and rare object from a well-known private Belgian collection.

This remarkable Bamileke sculpture embodies with force and sobriety the universal theme of motherhood, here expressed in a posture at once restrained and profoundly expressive.

The figure stands upright, stable and frontal, in an attitude imbued with dignity. One hand rests on the hip, while the other protects and underlines the belly, a gesture evoking fertility, gestation, and the continuation of the lineage.
This positioning is never incidental in Grassfields art: it refers to the central value of the woman as social and spiritual matrix.

The treatment of the body is characteristic:

- Projected, pronounced chest, symbol of femininity and nurturer
- Slightly rounded belly, suggesting pregnancy or the capacity to bear children
- Solid, anchored limbs, conveying stability and vital power

The face, with stylized but attentive features, radiates a form of silent, almost meditative presence. The structured hairstyle, finely organized into volumes, reinforces belonging to a classic Bamileke stylistic corpus, where aesthetics dialogues with social status.

The surface reveals a deep ancient patina, mingle black satin tones and brown-red hues, testifying to prolonged handling and likely ritual or domestic use.
Natural wear areas emphasize the volumes and give the whole piece an authentic vibration.

In Bamileke societies, this type of figure could be associated with:

- fertility cults,
- domestic altars,
- or prestige objects linked to transmission and family memory.

A work at once powerful and intimate, where the balance of forms serves a profoundly human message: that of life, transmission, and permanence.

Presentation of our expert house

Based in Belgium, our expert and sales house specializes in African art and ethnography. A trusted seller on Catawiki for over 8 years, we enjoy a solid reputation and a history of several hundred sales with an almost 100% satisfaction rate.

We regularly assist with liquidations, successions, and dispersals of collections, in collaboration with private individuals and families in Belgium and neighboring countries. Our approach is rigorous, transparent, and accessible, with sales often offered without a reserve price.

Some pieces that have passed through our hands have joined international private collections and, for some, museum institutions.

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