Royal pipe
Bamun · Cameroon
Reference: PIP-9
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- Height
- 43 cm
- Material
- Bronze
This category of pipes is called real pipes. They are used in court ceremonies and by the so-called kings of Chefferies True feudal lords in their…
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Full original description
This category of pipes is called real pipes. They are used in court ceremonies and by the so-called kings of Chefferies True feudal lords in their territories. Bamún art, like bamileké, is closely linked to the world of the court, whose protocol gives rise to numerous rituals. The king is the center of the bamún world and exerts considerable influence on social life and the plastic arts.
Both the size and decoration of the heads' pipes obey a strict code depending on the social rank and wealth of the owner. Elephant heads, crocodiles, spiders and the numerous reptiles represented are a figuration of totemic animals and of belonging to certain secret societies.
Pipes are usually offered as wedding gifts and are not used for simple Western smoking. Most pipes are not smoked. They're prestigious objects.
Smoking has a rite value and it is thought that this smoke has a beneficial function for fertility, both of women and of land. Dark patina.
Further technical information
- Width
- 13 cm
- Attributed period
- Mid-century XX or earlier.
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Cameroon. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
