A helmet mask of wood and leather from the Madiembi Chiefdom, head of the Nji Kouoton Chiefdom, in the Sultanate of Foumban, Cameroon.
1. Form and Surface Treatment
The mask is made of wood and covered with leather, usually goatskin. According to the collection catalogue, this covering gives the facial features a special touch. The eyes are rimmed with kaolin, and the mouth is slightly open and shows white teeth. Together with the almost smiling features, these details give the mask a natural liveliness.
2. Meaning
The catalogue considers that the mask may not be the anonymous representation of just any human head. In view of the peculiarities of its facial features, it may be the image of a fellow tribesman, which would make it a portrait mask.
Summary
A leather-covered helmet mask with kaolin-rimmed eyes and a smiling mouth, possibly the portrait of a specific person.
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