Royal Mask (Male)

Origin: Bamum or Bamileke Tribes, Cameroon (Grasslands)
Composition: wood, pigment dyes

In royal ceremonies in the Cameroon Grasslands, a mask called N’kang is always first to perform, and is then followed by masks depicting royal women, men, and animals. This mask bears the typical male characteristic of a coiffure split into two buns, but otherwise, its function is known only by the tribe’s royalty. In addition to royal ceremonies, these masks are danced during annual festivities and royal funerals.