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Helmet Mask

early 1900s
Wood, paint, organic material, and iron alloy
Overall: 33 x 63.5 x 41.9 cm (13 x 25 x 16 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Wixom in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph M. Coe 1971.66
Location: not on view
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Description

Deliberately distorted and exaggerated facial features reflect the awesome powers of a great chief. The quadrupeds on the mask’s head suggest the close association between the leopard and the king. In the Cameroon grasslands, masks are typically related to a regulatory society that guards ancestral mores; society members wear the masks and dance in the secrecy of the night.
Helmet Mask

Helmet Mask

early 1900s

Africa, Central Africa, Cameroon, possibly Kom-style maker

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