Bamileke Mbap Mteng elephant mask - 146cm - Bamileke - Cameroon

These long masks made of fabric embroidered with beads in very rich polychromy were worn by high-ranking members
rank in Bamileke society.
Displayed at the funerals of certain warriors, the bearer would flap its ears and simulate the charge of
the elephant, the animal that this mask symbolized.
In African art, the animal kingdom holds a prominent place due to its omnipresent physical proximity.
Certain animals have therefore become deeply embedded in the cosmogonies of many ethnic groups. The elephant is one of them.
an obvious example, and works that symbolize them are attributed royal virtues.
The Bamileke society had several initiation associations, including the mwola and the komiyo; these are the
societies from which the men authorized to wear these masks originate.

It was during the elephant dance, tso, that the members of the Kuosi society, Kwosi, displayed...
Impressive feathered headdresses. They were worn over a multicolored costume consisting of a large
beaded mask with large circular ears, mbap mteng, made of fabric, ndop, adorned with fur
monkey and a leopard-skin belt. These dances took place during festive ceremonies and funerals.
The Bamileke, a subgroup of a larger people also including the Bamoun and the Tikar, are famous
for their African art pieces covered in beads, a sign of prosperity and wealth, conferring upon the royal object the
A brilliance that distinguishes it from common objects.

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