#bamun

Bamun sultan, Cameroon, by Photokadaffi

A formidable metal memory of a great ruler King Ibrahim Mbouombouo Njoya (Bamum: ꚩꚫꛑꚩꚳ ꚳ꛰ꛀꚧꚩꛂ, Iparəim Nʃuɔiya) is one of those formidable persons that gets to be king and actually be a useful one. He took learnings from the German colonists and established popular education after their style. King Njoya also had an alfabet made, to conserve the memory, culture and history of the Bamoun kingdom. The old palace was replaced by a modern one, now the base for the permanent exhibition of Foumban culture and history. Being a man with an open mind, he went from Christian to Muslim faith, via a syncretic religion combining elements of both of those religions and traditional bamun religion. According to folklore, he liked the Bamun and Christianity allowing alcohol, and the Islam acceptance of polygamy. Sounds like someone enjoying all the best life has to offer. As a ruler, he often held open court outside his palace, to hear his people pleas and grievance directly, and to pass justice. A king out of the ordinary did of course get this statue showing the unique metal skills of his people. Visiting his capital Foumban in the western hills of Cameroon shows several great examples of local made metal work and art. As a lot of kings and local leaders who worked for their people and not for the colonial occupiers, the French got pretty annoyed. They took over Kamerun after the Versailles Treaty, and decided to punish the king and his fellow citizens by removing him from power, keeping his title. He was sent to the colonial main city Yaoundé, and died there a couple of years later. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Njoya #roadtrip #metalwork #art #design #kingnjoya #royal #statue #literate #culturalheritage #caretaker #2015CE #Kamerun #cameroon #africa #foumban #fomban #bamun #kingdom (ved Royal Palace of the King of Bamoun, Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, Foumban, Cameroon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS7zKaSpdP_/?utm_medium=tumblr

Bamun woman, Cameroon

Bamun and Bamileke have a lot in common(to us outsiders).  I view them as sibling cultures lol. One way to tell the difference is that the Bamun love indigo.  There’s a town in Cameroon called Ndop- I wonder if the Kuba ndop has anything to do with that? Seriously some sort of history seems to be goin on.

As fascinating and beautiful as this is, it all scares me lol.  Africans don’t play around when it comes to spirits.  It’s probably why the joke that a black man won’t hang around somethin haunted exists.  They know shit.

#cameroon #bamoun #bamileke #bamun #artprimitif #artpremier #africanart #primitif #ruedeverneuil

War Drum

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts