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Source Description
The name given to masks like this, <em>mbap mteng</em>, means "animal with huge ears." In the Cameroon Grassfields kingdoms, the elephant signifies power, authority, prestige, and leadership. The colorful glass beads that decorate the mask’s surface were imported from Venice and Bohemia (in Europe) and signal wealth and prosperity. Its geometric patterns include triangles that evoke the leopard, another animal linked with royal power. Members of <em>Kuosi</em>, an elite male society, wore such elephant masks for ritual dances and funerary ceremonies. This mask would have been worn with a costume that included a feather headdress
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
152164
label
Mask (mbap mteng): Elephant (aka)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
152164
contentType
object
title
Mask (mbap mteng): Elephant (aka)
description
The name given to masks like this, <em>mbap mteng</em>, means "animal with huge ears." In the Cameroon Grassfields kingdoms, the elephant signifies power, authority, prestige, and leadership. The colorful glass beads that decorate the mask’s surface were imported from Venice and Bohemia (in Europe) and signal wealth and prosperity. Its geometric patterns include triangles that evoke the leopard, another animal linked with royal power. Members of <em>Kuosi</em>, an elite male society, wore such elephant masks for ritual dances and funerary ceremonies. This mask would have been worn with a costume that included a feather headdress
date
early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Mask
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 139.7 x 50.8 x 19.1 cm (55 x 20 x 7 1/2 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Cameroon, Grassfields region, Bamileke-style maker
accession
1985.1082
Source extras
tec
Cotton, burlap, glass beads, twine, leather, and wood
tombstone
Mask (mbap mteng): Elephant (aka), early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Cameroon, Grassfields region, Bamileke-style maker. Cotton, burlap, glass beads, twine, leather, and wood; overall: 139.7 x 50.8 x 19.1 cm (55 x 20 x 7 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund, 1985.1082
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Performers wore elephant masks with indigo-dyed robes, red feather headdresses, and leopard pelts. Leopards and elephants symbolized royal power.
citations
citation
Dr. Kristen Laciste, "Elephant Mask (Bamileke Peoples)," in <em>Smarthistory</em>, June 7, 2023, <a href="https://smarthistory.org/elephant-mask-kuosi-society-bamileke-peoples-cameroon/">https://smarthistory.org/elephant-mask-kuosi-society-bamileke-peoples-cameroon/</a>.
citation
"African Dress." <em>HALI </em>224 (Summer 2025): 38-41.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 39, fig. 5
creditline
The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:51:59.892000
sourceId
152164
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Cotton, burlap, glass beads, twine, leather, and wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
99c4b7f6bbbcabd6