Bowl
Bamum; Bamileke; North West Province
Description
Subject Matter:
Throughout the Grassfields region of Cameroon, material culture acted as a signifier of a person’s place within the social hierarchy that many kingdoms in this area share. This included pottery as well. Many ceramic containers or vessels were—and continue to be—produced in Bamessing and Babessi. With large, local clay deposits, Bamessing and Babessi gained a reputation for their strong and elaborate pottery. Women created these containers, which were prized all over the Grassfields region by elites. Vessels with more decoration conferred more prestige on their owner, as did bowls with raised legs.
References Cited:
Forni, Silvia. 2007. "Containers of Life: Pottery and Social Relations in the Grassfields (Cameroon)."African Arts 40.1: 42-53.
Gebauer, Paul. 1979. Art of Cameroon. Portland, Or.: Portland Art Association.
Homberger, L. 2008. Cameroon: Art and Kings. Zürich: Museum Rietberg.
Northern, Tamara. 1984. The Art of Cameroon. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
Page, Donna. 2007. A Cameroon World: Art and Artifacts from the Caroline and Marshall Mount Collection. New York: QCC Art Gallery Press.
Physical Description:
Round bowl with a dark patina and raised lip. Around the top edge of the bowl is a row of raised triangular projections.
Usage Rights:
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