Mupo Bamileke figure, Grassland, Cameroon - Lot 28

Mupo Bamileke figure, Grassland, Cameroon First half of the 20th century Carved wood Height: 11 cm Provenance : Joaquin Pecci, Brussels Private collection, Paris --- Figure Mupo Bamileke, Grassland, Cameroon First half of the 20th century Carved wood, hair Height: 17 cm Provenance : Joaquin Pecci, Brussels Private collection, Paris This Mu'po anthropomorphic statuette, whose small size fits in with the aesthetic canons of the corpus, powerfully illustrates that the power of a votive object lies not in its dimensions, but in the spiritual intensity it concentrates. Mu'po effigies were the favored accessories of diviners in the Bamileke region, accompanying a variety of divinatory and therapeutic ritual practices. Sometimes attached to warriors' belts, sometimes hung as hunting talismans or installed in fields to watch over the harvest, they were also guarded by Ku'n'gan mask wearers, and were associated with fertility and protection for pregnant women. The superb brown crusty patina with reddish highlights of this effigy bears witness to the ritual anointing performed by the diviner, mixing sacrificial substances and medicinal preparations. The effigy is distinguished by a subtle formal asymmetry: the unequal bending of the legs, as well as the slight asymmetry of the gaze, contribute to a striking expressiveness, conferring on the figure a moving humanity. Mu'po statuettes are characterized by a wide variety of hand postures. On this example, the small arms, pressed against the bulbous abdomen and raised to chest level, illustrate one of these gestural variants. According to Pierre Harter, each of these gestures carries a specific symbolic meaning. This anthropomorphic mu'po statuette, whose small size aligns with the aesthetic standards of the corpus, powerfully illustrates that the strength of a votive object does not lie in its size, but in the spiritual intensity it concentrates. Preferred accessories of diviners in the Bamileke region, mu'po effigies accompanied a variety of ritual practices aimed at divination and healing. Sometimes attached to the warriors' belts, sometimes hung as hunting talismans or placed in the fields to protect the harvests, they were also kept by the bearers of Ku'n'gan masks and were associated, for pregnant women, with fertility and protection. The superb crusty brown patina with reddish reflections of this effigy bears witness to the ritual ointments practiced by the diviner, blending sacrificial substances and medicinal preparations. The effigy is distinguished by a subtle formal asymmetry: the uneven bending of the legs, as well as the slight dissymmetry in the gaze, contribute to a striking expressiveness, giving the figure an evocative humanity. Mu'po statuettes are characterized by a great diversity of hand postures. In this example, the small arms, pressed against the bulging abdomen and raised at chest level, illustrate one of these gestural variations. According to Pierre Harter, each of these carries a specific symbolic meaning. Vertical crack around the skull, along the frontal ridge. Bright patina and pigment residue, probably padouk. In good condition. Vertical fissure parting of the skull, along the aretenasale. Beautiful glossy patina and pigment residues, probably padouk. In good working order.