A brass pipe from the Masousoum chiefdom in the Sultanate of Foumban, Cameroon, made in the shape of a horse and rider.

1. Form and Casting

The collection catalogue describes a piece made by the lost-wax process, which shows the high craftsmanship of the casters. The pipe, the rider and the horse are all richly ornamented. Horse and rider are designed as a single unit, and so buoyantly that they almost seem alive.

The rider, probably a warrior, wears a highly elaborate headdress, which the catalogue takes as a sign of his high social status.

2. Use and Context

Because the object is a prestige piece, the pipe was never smoked. It served as a so-called side figure: at ceremonies and festive occasions, or simply at the chief's audiences, it was placed beside other objects that served the same purpose of satisfying the desire for personal prestige.

Provenance

Masousoum chiefdom, Sultanate of Foumban, Cameroon.

Summary

A lost-wax brass pipe in the form of a horse and rider, richly ornamented and made to be displayed at chiefly ceremonies and audiences rather than smoked.