Descripción
#6 ANCIENT AFRICAN TRIBAL BRONZE FETISH FIGURE SCULPTURE (Bronze Tikar Fetish)
Bronze Tikar Fetish
The Tikar people populate the western part of central Cameroon which is located within the secondary dense forest of
medium altitude, along the Mbam. Within this ecotone, the “tikar plain” (which takes its name from its current
occupants) constitutes a depression which leans respectively to the west and to the north to the Mbam massif (and its
tributaries Mapé and Kim) and the first foothills of the Adamaoua plateau. It extends to the east and south over a
long drainage area of the main rivers in the center of the country (Djerem, Sanaga, Bénoué). At the viewpoint
ethnic, the current limits of the Tikar country coincide with those of the Bamun to the west (Foumban), the Mambila to the
northwest, Foulbé in the south, Babouté in the southeast (Yoko) and small individual groups (Djenti, etc.)
scattered across its borders.
The Baule are one of the Akan peoples. They moved to western Côte d’Ivoire more than 200 years ago and adopted sculptural and masking traditions from their neighbors, the Guro, Senufo and Yaure peoples.
Baule figures may be among the most elegant and designed pieces in Africa. Many show careful execution of the face, hairstyle and scarification details, with refined forms but without loss of expressiveness and power. Calm and dignified figures can embody a nature spirit, asie usu, or serve as a spiritual spouse, blolo bian or blolo bla; either must be carefully placated. They functioned as the home of a spirit to whom sacrifices were made.
Most of Baule’s figures are made of wood; This is made using the complex traditional lost wax process and then cast into a solid copper and bronze.
Original patina.
Height measurement 15 cm (6”)
weight, 598 grams
STARTING PRICE $ 750