African Art- Cameroon Grasslands

        This elephant mask made by the Bamileke people is made up of glass beads, raffia splints, and a variation of dyed cloth.  The mask itself is visually stimulating with the use of various colors and designs.  The geometric design found on the elephant mask is to represent a leopard’s pelt.  This mask is to combine the speed of the leopard and the might of an elephant.  The mask is very detailed with many beads making it very attractive and interesting to look at.  Having it be made in such a creative way, it will keep audiences interested in the elephant mask dance even when the dancers are not moving.  

        The Bamileke tribe is governed by a village chief who is supported by a council of elders.  In the past, the chief was believed to have supernatural powers that allowed him to turn into an animal such as an elephant, buffalo, or leopard.  The Bamileke chief tends to represent all of these animals but he most popularly represents the elephant.  The elephant is most commonly represented because it is a rare animal of Africa.  The elephant is represented through the masks worn by the dancers during the elephant masquerade.  The elephant is a great importance to the Bamileke society because the elephant is seen as one of the most ‘commanding’ land creatures in African culture.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This being said, these elephant masks are appropriate symbols of the leaders of the Bamileke communities since the leaders are seen as the most commanding in the community.  These elephant masks represent kingship, wealth, and mysterious powers of the king.  These powers are believed to be given to the king by a god.  The elephant masks are generally worn by the powerful members of the Bamileke society, which include members of royalty, wealthy title holders, and ranking warriors.  Or they are worn by the members of the mkeen to entertain the powerful members who are being represented in the dance.  

        Along with representing the king, these elephant masks hold religious importance by being worn during funerary rituals of the Bamileke society.  In the African culture, they believe that at time of death, the body dies but the spirit and soul live on and continue to surround the living.  When a member of the Bamileke society dies, the mourning process lasts a few days.  When the mourning process is over, there is a masquerade to celebrate the life of the deceased one.  They most commonly honor either the king of the community, or a member of the mkeen.  At this masquerade, the dancers will wear the elephant masks.  The dancers wear the masks during this masquerade so that they are protected from an attack of the dead man’s spirit.  But it is to be believed that at the end of the celebration, the spirit of the deceased member is to have reached the spirit world.  

        The elephant masks of the Bamileke people are similar to the masks worn during the ‘gelede’ of the Yoruba peoples.  The Bamileke elephant masks are to represent the king and men of the society, where the gelede masks are to represent the women of the Yoruba society.  The gelede festivals are staged by the men of the community to honor the deceased and living women of Yoruba.  These festivals are held annually and focus the celebration more towards the elderly women of the community.  The Yoruba people believe that the powers of a woman can be comparable to gods, spirits, and the ancestors which is why this celebration takes place.  The gelede mask is wooden and is detailed with bright colors and patterned textiles.  The wooden mask is carved with the naturalistic features of a woman’s face.  The purpose of the gelede ceremony is to entertain community members and remind them the importance of their mother or the women figures in their lives.  The gelede masks and dance are to inspire the women of the Yoruba society to use their ‘extraordinary’ powers for the well-being of the community.  The gelede performance tries to shape the Yoruba society in a constructive way.  Like the elephant masks, these gelede masks may be used during a funerary ritual.  Again, at the end of the mourning process, Yoruba would celebrate the life of the deceased member by celebrating and wearing the festive masks.  Though these two masks have their differences in physical features, they hold the same purpose for celebratory and religious purposes.  

        Even though all African art is noted for some unique characteristic, the artwork of the Cameroon Grasslands and their use of elephant masks stand out the most.  Though most of them today are used as display for African art, their original and main purposes are for celebratory, political, and religious purposes.  There are even similar masks to the elephant one like that of the Yoruba people and their gelede mask.  Most African masks serve more than one purpose and this has been made clear by researching the Bamileke’s elephant mask.  The elephant mask holds a great importance to the Bamileke society and will continue to be used in celebratory and religious ceremonies.  

---