Bowl Figure
| Origin | Cameroon Grasslands |
|---|---|
| Culture | Kom |
| Title | Bowl Figure |
| Date | Early 20th century |
| Medium | Wood, glass beads, fiber, raffia cloth, and and iron |
| Dimensions | Object: 35 1/2 × 11 1/4 × 17 in. (90.2 × 28.6 × 43.2 cm) Overall: 35 1/2 × 11 1/4 × 17 in. (90.2 × 28.6 × 43.2 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 68.190 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A seated figure covered in beads, mostly dark blue beads, with white beads around the ankles, on top of the hair, and as a necklace/around the neck. The figure holds a large bowl in its lap, which is also covered in dark beads.
Many small kingdoms dot the Grasslands of western Cameroon, each historically ruled by a king, or fon, assisted by a complex hierarchy of titleholders and retainers. Much of the rich artistic production in the form of spiritual, ritual, and prestige objects from this area is traditionally connected with these leaders and their courts. This bowl figure, once part of the treasury of the fon of the Kom kingdom, was kept at the palace in Laikom, the capital, and most likely displayed in the king’s audience hall, where it held kola nuts and palm wine for guests as signs of hospitality. As befitting its association with royalty, this bowl is decorated with imported glass beads: the cylindrical blue beads that dominate this piece were especially prized.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Bowl Figure | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=68.190