The Bamileke are a people of Central Africa, coming from Cameroon (West region) in the Grassland region where the Bamoun, Tikar also live, close to them by their common ancestors, their neighboring social structures and their languages. .

The work of D. Toukam (“History and anthropology of the Bamileke people”, Paris, L’Harmattan, 2010 and 2016; …) conclude that the Bamileke would most likely come from the Baladis of ancient Egypt (natives of Upper -Egypt). In Egypt, the current Feelahins / Copts are largely recognized as Baladis converted by force, but still retaining huge parts of their ancestral culture. Departing from Upper Egypt in the 9th century AD, the Baladis-Bamileke arrived in the Tikar region in the 12th century. They were neighbors of the Tikar, but were never descendants of Tikar, contrary to popular belief.

The Bamilekes are, in spiritual matters, of great complexity The whole of their traditional religious organization is composed of initiation practices, meditations and rituals.

Their production of objects linked to their different cults has been very rich and some cults are still in progress today by exploiting ancient masks kept in certain chiefdoms or with certain notables or pieces called ” replacement “created to replace old worn, too damaged parts or because the use was limited in time.

Ofo, Igbo, Nigeria

In a cult universe rich in an extraordinary quantity of objects, Ofos sculptures from Nigeria seem to be by far the most important. Presumably composed from simple fetish twigs from a sacred tree, the Ofos have thus evolved to become objects or masks with immediately identifiable forms for those who have seen them at least once. Thus their artistic form was it built from the use of wood and iron but it also adapted to the imagination of each sculptor, the expected use of the Ofo as well as its native territory . A head of heavy wood, a metallic aura gives a body without a limb a most mystical look for long Ofos as well as Ofos formalized by their only head.

The Ofo presented here comes in the form of a particularly thin and slender body compared to those that are more commonly encountered. It also has the rare characteristic of having a double face sculpted and decorated with metallic irons on both sides of the aura. It is thus “januiform”. A strong pigmentation visible on the entire sculpture suggests an intense use for this emblematic object of authority and power.

Literature: ”  OFO Anam, Regards sur un statuary Igbo  “, Alexandre Espenel and Rémy Houdart. Editions Rage, 2001.