Very Fine Old Bamileke Beaded Figure "Museum Quality" Dimensions 28"H x 10"W x 10"D Age 19th Century Material Wood,Beads,Shells Great Piece!!! Bamileke Tribe The Bamileke tribe was originally from an area to the north known as Mbam. In the 17th century traders moved southward and are currently in the grasslands of western Cameroon. Today their population consists of about eight million people. Although the Bamileke are primarily farmers, they are also hunters and traders. Women are responsible for planting and harvesting due to the belief that women make the soil more fruitful. The major crops grown are yams, peanuts, and maize. The men in the tribe help with clearing the land and hunting. The Bamileke tribe worships a supreme god and their ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of deceased ancestors. Skulls of ancestors are kept to give the spirits a place to reside to prevent them from causing trouble for the family. If a skull is not kept a ceremony must be done to compensate. The Bamileke tribe is governed by a village chief who is supported by a council of elders. In the past, the chief was believed to have supernatural powers that allowed him to turn into an animal (elephant, buffalo, or leopard). The chief is responsible for the protection of his people, dispensing supreme justice, and ensuring the fertility of the crops and fields. Many of the art produced by the Bamileke tribe associated with royal ceremonies. Most Bamileke statues represent the chief. Art objects showed the position of a person it the hierarchy. As a person descended or ascended the social ladder the materials used and the number of pieces changed. In a chief’s residence one would find ancestral figures and masks, as well as headdresses, bracelets, beaded thrones, pipes, necklaces, swords, horns, fans, elephant tusks, leopard skins, terracotta pots, and dishware. All of this was used to assert the chief’s power. Beadwork and masks are common in this tribe. Masks were decorated with copper, cowrie shells, and beads. They were carved to represent male and female heads, stag, buffalo, birds, and elephant. The elephant masks and the buffalo masks represented power and strength. Bamileke masks were usually worn during ceremonies and rituals such as funerals and annual festivals. The art styles of the grassland tribes are had to differentiate because of the complex migration patterns of the region. Bamileke masquerader with a beaded Leopard crest. In the Bamileke, the Kuosi society, who reports directly to the king, is responsible for dramatic masquerading displays. This was formerly a warrior society, whose members today are made up of powerful, wealthy men. Even the king may don a mask for an appearance at a Kuosi celebration which is a public dance held every other year as a display of the kingdom's wealth. In the image to the left, you see the Kuosi masqueraders with their beaded elephant masks and feathered headressses. These feathered headresses were also worn by themselves with a cloth costume. The Kuosi society masks can resemble elephants or leopards, both of which are royal animals. While Bamileke masks and masqueraders may appear in royal festivals, they are normally associated with various men's societies, most of which are ultimately linked to the palace and the King. The societies are closed to outsiders, and only those who have the authrization to partake in the various activities may do so. Each society has its own special house, its own masks, costumes, dances and a secret language, and acting on behalf of the king to establish order and to preserve social and religious structures of the kingdom. We ship worldwide Contact seller for more info. Check my other items!!!