Kiavia Headdress/Mask Representing an Ancestor or Spirit

Origin: Mambila Tribe, Cameroon
Composition: wood, pigment stain

The unusual facial expression, elongated, concave face, and round fiber headpiece (to hold something or for additional display?) with unknown function reflects the wild artistic license of Mambila carvers.

Like many African tribes, the Mambila carve and caste images of ancestors, often abstract, and call upon their spirits for health, protection, and healing. They also participate in ceremonies related to harvest, funerals, and annual celebrations.

This piece is thought to represent an embellished ancestor or spirit. The mask is not intended to cover the face of the Mambila dancer but would be placed atop a thatched “cage” with raffia surrounding it, concealing the dancer’s face, head, and upper part of the body. The dancer would lose their identity during the dance and take on the spirit of the headdress.

The grassland region, in south-west Cameroon, is a hilly and mountainous area covered by equatorial forest in the south and a savannah in the north. The Mambila area is occupied by around 250,000 people who speak different languages, but yet claim common ancestors. It is divided into two main geographical sub-groups. The first includes village-dwelling people who live in round huts covered by conical roofs and whose artistic output is largely associated with 19th century bronze pipes. The second sub-group occupies the north-west highlands and they predominantly carve statues and masks (Bacquart,  Tribal Arts of Africa).