MEG

Divining horn
Cameroun, Grassfields, Bangangté
“Bamileke” kingdoms. Late 19^th century – 20th century
Horn, leather, mirror, feathers, cloth, cowries
Gift of the missionary Jean Rusillon in 1943
MEG Inv. ETHAF 019418
Geolocate the object

Comme le précise le registre d'inventaire du musée d’après une description vraisemblablement transmise par le donateur Jean Rusillon, il s’agit d’une corne divinatoire et non protectrice provenant du village dit "bamileke" de Bangangté.
Les deux miroirs incrustés permettraient au devin de "voir" les individus placés à sa droite et à sa gauche. La corne contiendrait des poils, des griffes et du sang de léopard, un animal "totémique" exclusivement réservé à la chefferie.

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Registres d'inventaires historiques

Les feuillets numérisés des registres d'inventaires historiques sont soumise à un copyright.
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Copie dactylographiée en 13 volumes de l'Inventaire original MEG manuscrit
Registres_inventaire_dactylographie/845.pdf

Registre d'inventaire original - non indexé
Registres_inventaire_original/Registre_07_019252_021230.pdf

The ambiguities of missionary collecting

Originally, the missionary movement aimed to spread the Christian faith and eradicate what it considered to be “superstitions.” When the “idols” of the beliefs they were fighting against were not destroyed at the same time, they were sent to Europe to illustrate the “error” that had been overcome. Examples were given to show that the converted peoples had mended their ways. These edifying exhibitions were designed to encourage the faithful to donate money to missionary works.

Missionaries

Tahiti –Papeete church, ca 1880. Photograph by the Mission Printer, gift of Professor David Tissot to the Musée des missions. ©MEG Inv. ETHOC 004766