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Crest (tsesah)

19th century
Not on view
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
The finely incised patterns that fill the forehead create a kinetic effect in this example collected in Bandjoun. This field of abstract design ingeniously combines a checkerboard grid with nested lozenges. According to Bandjoun carver Paul Tahbou, the patterns are a stylized evocation of the belly of a crocodile, a ubiquitous figure in the royal iconography of the Grassfields region. These geometric motifs are found across media, from the beaded patterns on the surface of the fons’ palm wine containers to enormous indigo resist-dyed ndop textiles that delineate an area for court ceremonies. The carver seems to have responded to the grain of the wood in carving the cheeks, adding to the overall dynamic effec

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Crest (tsesah)
  • Date: 19th century
  • Geography: Cameroon, Grassfields region
  • Culture: Bamileke peoples
  • Medium: Wood
  • Dimensions: H. 34 13/16 × W. 21 1/4 × D. 12 1/2 in. (88.5 × 54 × 31.8 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Private collection, Courtesy of McClain Gallery
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing