Elephant Mask, c. 1900

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

Elephant masks belong to members of the Kuosi society, a secret society of the Bamileke of Cameroon that maintains the political and social order of the kingdom. Membership of the Kuosi society includes royalty and wealthy title-holders, as well as men of warrior status. It is considered a great privilege to wear an elephant mask as it symbolizes force and strength. The Kuosi society performs ceremonies in the elephant masks and other regalia biannually and at the death of one of their members.

Explore

Audio

Bamilek, Elephant Mask (#920)
Details
Title
Elephant Mask
Role
Artist
Accession Number
94.2
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.