Ndam Mandu,

mid-20th century

This style of drawing, or <em>dessin Bamum</em> (Bamum drawing), originated in the Bamum Kingdom of western Cameroon in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in the circle of artists and scholars who worked as close advisers to the king, Njoya. Characterized by a central tableau and decorative frieze, <em>dessins Bamum</em> often depict important historical events, rituals, or objects, or, as in this drawing, significant figures in Bamum history. This work depicts Ndam Mandu, a Bamum warrior who played a central role in the conquests that expanded the Bamum Kingdom. Ndam Mandu strides into battle with clothing and accoutrements that establish him as a potent warrior: he carries spears and a shield and wears an embroidered scabbard and a beaded collar, an attribute of noble status. Ndam Mandu’s strength is suggested not only by his attire, but also by his powerful build, dexterous hands, strong feet, and wide-open eyes, all of which are signs of physical or spiritual force. A tall and commanding presence, his potency is also confirmed by two objects depicted above his forward-striding foot: a trophy calabash surmounted by a head, decorated with his deceased enemies’ jawbones, and a gong, also with a head, associated with the leader of the royal army. Unlike ritual objects, <em>dessins Bamum</em> were intended for sale to Bamum collectors and outsiders. Popular or successful compositions were often preserved and shared among artists using tracing paper maquettes. The maquettes enabled artists to reproduce compositions with precision. The drawings represent a striking visual mode of communicating knowledge about the kingdom’s history, art forms, and culture, which supplement older forms of art that also served as repositories of Bamum history and lore, such as carved and beaded works of art, cloths, and objects of cast and forged metal.