Babanki Elephant Mask, Western Grasslands, Cameroon

Ambassador Hume Alexander Horan, Washington, D.C.
The Robbins Center For Cross Cultural Communication, Washington, D.C., acquired from the above in 1984

The College of Wooster Art Museum, Wooster, Ohio, Art of Africa: Objects from the Collection of Warren Robbins, January 16 - March 5, 2007; additional venues:
William Weston Clarke Emison Museum of Art, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, September 21 - December 16, 2007
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 18 - May 18, 2008
Ruthmere Museum, Elkhart, Indiana, May 31 - September 14, 2008
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, West Virginia, October 3 - December 29, 2008
Meredith Gallery, Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia, January 23 - March 22, 2009
Haggin Museum of Art, Stockton, California, April 26 - July 19, 2009
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Florida, August 7 - October 4, 2009
Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science, Evansville, Indiana, January 17 - March 14, 2010
Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire, September 1 - October 27, 2010
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery at College of the Holy Cross, Worchester, Massachusetts, January 26 - April 1, 2011
Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, Iowa, April 21 - June 19, 2011
Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., September 5 - November 28, 2011
Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana, January 13 - March 10, 2012

Sharne Algotsson and Denys Davis, The Spirit of African Design, New York, 1995, p. 75

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor scratches, small chips, marks, and surface abrasions. Age crack visible at back of proper left ear, not extending through to the front of the ear. Proper right ear with an area of old fill, representing a native repair possibly to a knot in the wood. Small circular cavity below this area in front of proper right ear. Restoration to tip of proper right tusk. Exceptionally fine aged dark brown patina with remains of red and white pigment. Surface possibly with some added finish for consolidation of dry/flaking areas. Three holes for attachment on the reverse, two in top edge of rim and one in bottom edge.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In her discussion of a closely related mask in the collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller in Geneva, Hahner-Herzog (1997: pl. 63) notes: "Most of the wooden masks from the Cameroon Grasslands now in Western collections were once in the possession of individual lineages. [...] The lineage masks, which appear principally at memorial services for the dead, include both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic types, the latter representing such animals as buffaloes, apes, sheep, bats, and various species of birds.  Elephant masks are only occasionally included in this group, since the elephant, like the leopard, is considered a royal animal and the use of an elephant mask is therefore the special privilege of certain lineages. 

"Whenever an elephant masquerader is present, he assumes the second most important position after the human kam masquerader.  The elephant figure is the first to appear on the dance ground and the last to leave it, and in accordance with his status, his movements are stately and slow."