Masque Africain Bamoun du Cameroun en cire perdue - Milieu XXème - Statuette - Bamoun - Africa (No reserve price)

Bronze Lost-Wax Decorative Mask
Bamoun dignitary mask (or Bamum), originating from the Grasslands region in Cameroon

Made by a bronze foundry using the lost-wax technique. (see explanations below)
H 22 cm x 13 x 5 cm
Weight 636 g

Dispersion from my personal collection and from my father Mr. Germain BERTHEL’s private collection (1920 - 1998) dating from the 1950s.

Used original material, sold as is and having undergone no restoration.

Fast and careful shipping via Colissimo La Poste, registered with signature and insurance.
Items are pre-packed as soon as they go online on CATAWIKI
Command groupings are therefore not possible

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please be present or make arrangements to receive your order at delivery.
For obvious security reasons, this delivery is made by registered mail with insurance and signature required,
If you have not signed for receipt, the order will be returned to me.
If it arrives back, I can resend a second time if you cover the return shipping costs.

Note: If you are not present at delivery, your mail carrier will not leave a notice and will mark your address as incomplete to save time.

NOTICE: The Lost-Wax Foundry.

Lost-wax casting is a molding technique that involves reproducing an object in wax, then replacing it with molten metal.

The process begins with creating a wax model, often shaped from local or imported wax, depending on available resources.
The model is then surrounded by a refractory material, such as a clay-based paste, sand and other additives, which forms the mold.
The whole is then hardened and dried to withstand heating without cracking.
To obtain the mold, the wax core is melted at high temperature and replaced by molten bronze.

Bronze used is generally an alloy of copper and tin, sometimes enriched with other elements according to preferences and desired properties.
The technique requires mastery of temperatures: bronze melts around 950–1000 °C, well beyond the wax’s melting point.
The wax-to-mold inversion process is called “lost-wax” because the wax is completely evacuated from the mold before casting.
Once the bronze is poured into the mold, the metal cools and takes the exact shape of the wax model.

After solidification, the mold is broken to reveal the rough bronze sculpture.
Bronze pieces then require finishing steps: cleaning, deburring, polishing, and sometimes applying patinas.

In several regions of Africa, this technique is linked to local artistic and symbolic practices (jewelry, statues, ritual objects).
The wax used can be impregnated with aromatic substances or colorants to facilitate demolding and texture.
The choice of bronze and patinas reflects local resources and historical trade interactions (import of copper, tin, etc.).
Artisans develop precise sizing determinations to ensure scale and proportion of motifs.
Human intervention is essential: every step — from modeling to finishing — requires skill passed down through artisanal know-how.
The carved motifs vary: human figures, animals, geometric motifs, tribal or religious symbols.
Work may take place in family or community workshops, transmitting techniques from generation to generation.

Today, some workshops integrate modern tools (temperature-controlled furnace, safety equipment) while preserving traditional principles.

The heritage of bronze lost-wax casting testifies to African artisanship and its role in the cultural and commercial economy.