Tu-ngünga crest mask
Cameroon, Grassfields, Malantouen
Bamum kingdom. 19th century - early 20th century
Blackened Wood, fibres
Gift of the painter Émile Chambon in 1981; purchased from Pierre Vérité in Paris in 1935
MEG Inv. ETHAF 044292
Notice
Similar to the crest masks of the neighbouring Tikar, this tall Bamum mask was worn by a dancer hidden by a fibre collar. This old specimen represents a woman and was used during the masquerades of the great celebrations in Foumban, the capital of the Bamum kingdom. Was it used in rituals or simply in a festive context? These days, male and female tu-ngünga crest masks dance in pairs.
© 2015 Musée d'ethnographie, Genève
Ville de Genève, Département de la culture et du sport