Tribal Art

Despite a face with somewhat zoomorphic details enlivened by large pupils, this Mumuye statue, of an unusual figurative style, stands out for its frail and graceful adolescent morphology. Two-tone satin patina, abrasions and gaps.
The statuary emanating from the north-west region of middle Benoué, from the Kona Jukun, to the Mumuye and up to the Wurkun populations is distinguished by a relative absence of ornamentation and a refined stylization. The 100,000 Adamawa language speakers form a group called Mumuye and are grouped into villages divided into two groups: those of fire (tjokwa) relating to blood and the color red, guardians of the vabong cult and those of water (tjozoza ), linked to humidity and white color. Their iagalagana statues were stored in a box, tsafi, reserved for this purpose, while another box, java, housed an individual with magical powers and surrounding himself with ritual objects linked to his function and his prestige.