BAMUM/TIKAR Brass "Roi en Voyage" (110 cm — Kounden Chiefdom, Tikar-Cast)

This lost-wax cast brass tableau depicts a traveling king ("roi en voyage") being carried on a palanquin by retainers, surrounded by his entourage. The figures are detailed with complex textures replicating royal textiles, jewelry, and weaponry.

1. Aesthetic Style and Tikar Casting Brilliance

Although collected from the Bamum Kounden Chiefdom, the metallurgical complexity and dynamic composition of this group suggest the artistry of the neighboring Tikar people. Known in the Grassfields for their use of the cire perdue (lost-wax) technique, Tikar casters are associated with multi-figure, kinetic narratives. The composition captures the tension of the carrying servants and the elevated, serene posture of the chief, utilizing intricate surface texturing to translate the textures of woven cloth and beadwork into brass.

2. Ritual Function and the Privilege of Transport

This tableau is described as having no religious or sacrificial function; it is a secular object of political prestige. In the heavily stratified societies of the Cameroon Grasslands, the right to be physically carried by servants was a restricted privilege. As Hornek notes, however, the French term "le roi" used by the Tikar is not strictly equivalent to "king" — it can also designate an elevated notable or minister. Commissioned by high-ranking members of the hierarchy to decorate their audience chambers, this prestige object served as a demonstration of the owner's wealth, social importance, and courtly connections.

3. Patina, Material Weathering, and Age Characteristics

The brass surface exhibits an unpolished patina consistent with objects kept indoors as items of display. The deep, recessed areas of the casting retain dark oxidation and remnants of the original clay casting core, compatible with pre-industrial indigenous manufacture. The high points of the figures — the heads, shoulders, and knees — display a warm, golden-brown handling polish consistent with handling and display over time.

Summary

This "roi en voyage" brass group is a notable metallurgical work capturing the kinetic pageantry of a Tikar-cast royal procession housed in a Bamum chiefdom. It documents how high-ranking Grassfields notables utilized expensive art to project their social standing.