Anthropomorphic Figure ‘Enok Ateng’

Keaka, Cameroon

19th - 20th century

Wood, Encrusted Patina

51cm Tall

Provenance:

August Flick, Germany

Adrian Schlag, Cologne

Pace Primitive, New York

The Keaka are a cluster of ethnic groups from Cameroon, including Mbaw, Mbem, Mfumte, and Yamba. Their anthropomorphic figures are created to venerate deceased family members, with little known aside from their function in ancestral veneration. The present example is notable for the long beard, tilted head, and asymmetric arms which give the figure a distinct sense of movement not present in many African sculptures.