Monumental Royal Beaded Helmet Mask, Grassfields Region, Early–Mid 20th Century

Monumental prestige mask from the Grassfields region of Cameroon, Bamileke or Bamum, carved from wood and richly decorated with hand-applied glass beads in blue, green, yellow and red. The strongly stylised facial features with prominent nose and expressive eyes reflect court-related sculptural traditions associated with authority and representation. The mask is surmounted by a carved circular superstructure composed of multiple human figures arranged in a continuous ring, a motif commonly interpreted within Grassfields art as symbolising lineage, court hierarchy and the collective foundation of power. The interior retains old leather and textile elements, while the woven fibre base forms part of the original construction and ceremonial presentation.

The surface shows age- and use-related wear with minor losses and abrasions, including some damage to the fibre elements at the lower edge, overall stable and well preserved for an object of this scale and complexity.

Height approx. 80 cm; head diameter approx. 35 cm.

Material: Wood, glass beads, leather, textile, fibre.

From an old private collection of African Art, assembled in the second half of the 20th century.