Cameroon – Royal Palace, Foumban
Bamum

Bronze
Prior 20th century

Height: 40 cm
Idiophone – Struck Directly – Bell with Clapper

This altar bell comes from the royal palace of Sultan Ibrahim Njoya. Provenance shows that it was purchased from his son, Njimoluh Njoya, who ruled the Bamum (Bamoun) people of Cameroon from 1933 until his death in July, 1992. When the Grass fields controlled by the French became independent in 1960, he brought back many of the Bamum (Bamoun)  sacred objects to the Royal Palace. Njimoluh (hn-Gee-mo-lu) felt that to strength the identity of his people, he would promote Bamum artwork to show the Bamum vision of beauty. The bell has darken with the heavy-leaded alloys used by the Bamum, while the copper content has resulted in an attractive greenish verdegris. It displays elaborate filigree work with the handle of the bell ornamented with a bird (possibly a Black-Crowned Crane). Authorization papers from the palace validate this bell.