Despite their small number, the thirty thousand Mambila (or Mambila, Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbo, Bang, Ble, Juli, Bea)(the "men", in Fulani), settled in the northwest of Cameroon, have created a large number of masks and statues easily identifiable by their heart-shaped faces. Although the Mambila believe in a creator god named Chang or Nama, they only worship their ancestors. Their leaders were buried in granaries like wheat as they were believed to symbolize prosperity. Masks and statues were not to be seen by women. Made according to recurring canons, these statues supposed to embody the ancestors frequently have small tenons as a hairstyle. An orifice was made on the barrel bust of the effigy which was to be dedicated to a therapeutic rite. The head is extended by a beard that the character grasps. The stocky, chubby legs are flexed. Grey-brown patina imprinted with burgundy highlights, numerous erosions and desiccation cracks.
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