Gong, Metal

Bamun Royal Double Gong (B)

Cameroon
Bamun

Wood, Metal, Braided Ratton, Rope
ca. Mid-20th century

Height: 21 inches
Idiophone - Struck Directly - Metal Double Gong

This Bamun metal gong was played on royal or state occasions. The two bells are made of hammered iron. The fork is covered in wicker and the gong is surmounted by a beautifully-carved figure of a Fon (king) smoking a pipe. According to Yuri Raskin: "The art of Bamum is in a great part the art of a royal court that had a complex protocol and numerous rituals. The fon and his court is a focal point of the Bamum, and exert powerful influence upon the development of the plastic art that tends towards dramatization, power and sumptuous luxury. Tobacco pipes with long wooden stems are prestige items in the Cameroon Grassland. As regalia of Fons and title holders, they were indispensable personal prestige items, cared for, carried after their owners by retainers, and displayed as status indicators on ceremonial occasions. The king had to smoke the pipe not only in the palace, but when he traveled among the people, because the smoking of it was regarded as a rite that would make both the fields and the women fertile. The art of smoking was a vital part of royal ritual."

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-IDST-72-8

© Hartenberger World Music Collection