Prestige Stool: Leopard
Not on view
The Grassfields region of western Cameroon was a prosperous nexus of trade that gave rise to numerous wealthy kingdoms. Their rulers have long been important patrons of the arts, commissioning lavish palace complexes and regalia for themselves and members of their courts. This type of small, portable throne is typically used for private occasions, and the leopard that forms its support signifies the seat's royal pedigree. Bamileke and Bamun master beaders collaborated with sculptors in the creation of such works. Trimmed with cowrie shells sourced from the Indian Ocean, this work was fashioned with small glass beads that were made in Venice and Prague and exported to West Africa.
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