In Bandjoun, precious and rare leopard pelts adorn their backs. They hold horsetail whisks with beaded handles, may wear heavy ivory bracelets, and anklets with rattles. A beaded, wide belt may recall the mask's color scheme and design. They sport exquisite bodices with bead embroidery in patterns resembling the ones on the panels of the masks. The masqueraders wear tunics made from ndop, a cloth reserved for royalty and wealthy men, which also lines this mask. An orchestra of drums and iron double gongs accompanies their vigorous dance. During funerary manifestations and large royal displays, the elephant masqueraders emerge in single file from a large house in the palace and enter the dancing field and market place in front of it. Elephant masks belong to men's prestige societies, which exist in many Bamileke kingdoms. Thus, early masks tend to have a more limited palette. Colors, design, and density of beading were the result of aesthetic preferences as well as of the supply of beads. This elephant mask compares favorably with other elephant masks created between ca. The recent fabric on the leopard's neck and feet, dating from the 1960s or 1970s, may well have been attached later on. Since the headdress may be older than the cloth part of the mask, it seems likely that Bamileke artists combined the headdress and cloth part, a practice of recycling and re-using that has been observed in the Cameroon Grassfields. The leopard figure compares favorably to conventionalized larger leopard figures topping many Bamileke elephant masks and prestige headdresses dating back to the turn of the 20th century. The rectangles created by the beadwork on the animal's body allude to leopard spots. The quadruped depicts a leopard, recognizable by the gapping open mouth and the long tail. Many of them have headdresses like the mask under examination. They are intricate in detail, and in their many different configurations demonstrate the African artists' delight in variation and innovation. Object Details Bamileke artist Label Text Worn as part of an ensemble by a masquerader representing and performing an elephant, masks of this type are among the best known, most flamboyant works of art from Africa.
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