A decoration for a men's house, made of terracotta and gourd, from the Mamaroum chiefdom in the Sultanate of Foumban, Cameroon.

1. The Piece

The decoration belongs to the men's house of a Bamun chiefdom. A related piece from the same chiefdom is also part of the collection.

2. The Men's House

According to the catalogue, the men's house is of central importance in the social and ritual life of the men of the community. Only initiated men, those admitted to a secret society, may enter. The buildings are usually much larger than ordinary huts, and their entrances are marked by carved and sometimes richly ornamented posts. Inside are ancestor figures, masquerade garments and ritual objects that women may not see, as well as carved load-bearing pillars and fireplaces where contact with the ancestors is made. Large clay pots appear in nearly every ritual, and palm wine is drunk from them in quantity using calabashes shaped as drinking cups.

Summary

A men's house decoration from the Mamaroum chiefdom, belonging to the ritual world of initiated men.