Bamileke Helmet Mask Cameroon Rohner Collection

This Bamileke mask from the Grassfields region of Cameroon is a helmet mask and features a carved wooden face. 

The Bamileke are known for elaborate masquerade traditions in which such masks appear at royal ceremonies and community celebrations. Across West Africa, including among the Bamana of the Mande cultural group, masks and ceremonial objects reflect deep spiritual and political significance, with traditional and Islamic influences often existing side by side.

A strong and visually compelling example of African ceremonial art.

Mask cannot stand on its own.

Provenance: John R. Rohner Collection
Rohner, a museum curator for decades, aimed his practiced eye for authenticity to African art beginning in the early 1908s. His passion for this art only grew through the decades he built his collection––always with an aim for a broad and representative array of pieces. The collection appears in his book, Art Treasures from African Runners (2000, University Press of Colorado). 

Item #158 on pg. 99

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