Not Currently On View in Intersections
Mask of a lineage group
Cameroon
Wood and mixed media
19th century
L: 22.9 cm, H: 32.0 cm, D: 28.0 cm (L: 9.0 in, H: 12.5 in, D: 11.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Anonymous Gift. X86.3696
Masks from the Grassfields kingdoms are often associated with regulatory societies whose purpose is to ensure social control and law enforcement, as well as to check and balance the authority of the fon (king). These masks may depict either male or female characters. They appear in sequence with as many as thirty masks performing on a single occasion. The ”leader mask,” who symbolizes royal authority and lineage strength, wears a garment with tufts of human hair and carries two staffs.
Source: Gallery Wall Text, 2005