Kaka Paternity Figure, Cameroon

Merton D. Simpson, New York
Private Collection, New York

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Thickly layered crusty surface of ritually applied material. Vertical age crack visible under crust to proper right side of head probably extending down into body. Some crust flaking and with some consolidation to fragile areas including varnish. Minor scuffs, marks, and abrasions. Permanently fixed to base with two metal pegs.
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Paternity figures are exceptionally rare in African art. Amongst the Kaka who live in western Cameroon in the Mbem area, south of the Mambila, the creations of such large scale works relates to ancestor veneration. Harter (1994: 47) notes: "Ancestor veneration seems to hold a place of prime importance for them. It is supervised by the wantop, one of the members of the chieftain's counsel, within the framework of the liturgies of the mbir male secret society. The heavy encrustation on the present figure indicates a long period of ritual use.