photo: Austin Kennedy
On view
African Art
Kam or Akam mask,
before 1979
Artist unrecorded
probably Kom
2015-6
The open mouth, rounded cheeks, and almond-shaped eyes of this wooden headdress are typical of northern Grassfields sculpture. The beard and hairstyle made of actual hair enhance its realism. The same headdress could have different meanings and uses across kingdoms, including the Kom of the northwestern Grassfields, who preserved the skulls of deceased ancestors, believing the skulls to contain their spirits. The head was therefore an important subject for that region’s artists. Performed at elite male funerals, this headdress was worn atop the head with netting that covered the masquerader’s face.
Information
Title
Kam or Akam mask
Dates
before 1979
Maker
Medium
Wood, human hair, plant fiber, and organic material
Dimensions
43.2 × 26.7 × 16.5 cm (17 × 10 1/2 × 6 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Museum acquisition from the Holly and David Ross Collection, with the support of the Fowler McCormick Fund
Object Number
2015-6
Place Made
Africa, Cameroon, Grassfields
Culture
Type
Materials
Techniques
Subject
Jean Edouard Charpentier, Abidjan, Ivory Coast; [purchased by Michael Oliver, New York, NY, in Abidjan, ca. 1975-79]; [purchased by Alexander Gallery, St. Louis, MO by 1986]; purchased by Holly and David Ross, Princeton, NJ, 1986; purchased by the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, 2015.
