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BELT MASK
The art of the Bamun peoples centers around the court of the king, or fon, and the judicial, social, and religious order that he ensures through elaborate royal ceremonies. Small bronze masks reflecting these royal ceremonies were given to high-placed individuals to wear on a belt and functioned as symbols of an individual's position in the social hierarchy of the court. This mask depicts the royal headdress known as the ndam tcheu dop that had its origins in a particular knitted cap worn by the fon. Its presence and that of the false beard suggests that this may be a replica of the k'ang mask worn by lead dancers in the royal ceremonies.
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