Dimensions: H:55.9" W:7.9" L:7.9" Weight: 6.6 lbs.
Bamileke Elephant Mask of Bamileke tribe from Cameroon - The Bamileke from Cameroon created these intricately detailed elephant masks with multicolored beads. Only members of the Kuosi society (including royal family members) have the right to wear elephant masks. The Kuosi society is a men's secret society that maintains the kingdom's political and social order. The elephant's strength and intelligence are associated with the fon, or king. The masks are worn every two years during special society meetings or other important ceremonies, such as funerals for fon or kuosi members.
About the Tribe
The Cameroon-Bamileke Bantu people cluster encompasses multiple Bantu ethnic groups primarily found in Cameroon, the largest of which is the Bamileke. Between the 11th and 14th centuries, they moved to what is now northern Cameroon. They moved further south and west in the 17th century to avoid being forced to convert to Islam by the Fulani tribe. They live in a hilly and mountainous area in south-west Cameroon known as "The Grassland," which is bordered on the south by an equatorial forest and on the north by a savannah.