Tsenya (head of a buffalo) helmet crest from a tseh-mepfeli masquerade
Membership in Mepfeli, one of the oldest Grassfields associations, is restricted to royal lineages. Its masks, called tseh-mepfeli, are charged with controlling the spirits of the dead, which are believed to haunt villages and the surrounding forests in animal form. Such masks appear during mourning ceremonies and may also participate in agrarian and fertility rites. The mighty buffalo, admired for its courage, is the most frequent subject of Mepfeli’s carved helmet crests. While some tsenya incorporate human or other animal features, this example presents the horned beast in its purest form. Its author has endowed it with flaring nostrils and an elongated muzzle. Crests in this style have been connected to the Baleng, Bandjoun, Batcham, and Dshang chiefdoms of the northern Bamileke region.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tsenya (head of a buffalo) helmet crest from a tseh-mepfeli masquerade
- Artist: Grassfields artist
- Date: 19th century
- Geography: Cameroon, northern Bamileke region
- Culture: Bamileke peoples
- Medium: Wood
- Dimensions: H. 14 1/2 in. × W. 15 in. × D. 28 in. (36.8 × 38.1 × 71.1 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Noble A. Endicott, 1980
- Object Number: 1980.557
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Grassfields artist
Late 19th–early 20th century
Grassfields artist
Late 19th–early 20th century
Grassfields artist
19th century
Grassfields artist
19th–early 20th century
Grassfields artist
late 19th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.