36 - Important figure of motherhood

Important figure of motherhood with hands resting on her breasts Wood, old crusty patina, slight erosion, and localized surface wear. Bangwa, Cameroon H 104 cm Standing on massive, powerful legs, this woman has a rounded belly with a prominent navel, suggesting pregnancy. Her hands rest at the tips of her breasts, and her forearms are covered with bracelets. Her open mouth and half-closed eyes give her face a protective expression, crowned by a conical bun with hair marked by incised grooves. The Bangwa people live in the highlands of western Cameroon, where each chiefdom preserved portrait statues called lefem. They depicted not only the king but also queens, queen mothers, princesses, and mothers of twins, and served as the living memory of each dynasty. Carefully guarded in the palace, they were displayed during major ceremonies, particularly the annual rites in honor of royal ancestors, celebrated near sacred sites such as waterfalls, mountain peaks, or large trees. The rounded belly and the gesture of the hands resting on the breasts may have symbolized fertility and the continuity of the lineage. General Bibliography: Pierre Harter, *Arts anciens du Cameroun*, Arnouville, Arts d’Afrique noire, 1986. Jean-Paul Notué and Louis Perrois, Kings and Sculptors of Western Cameroon: The Panther and the Tarantula, Paris, Karthala / ORSTOM, 1997.