Mambila Tadep figure

This anthropomorphic representation is imposing, with a hunched posture, the head inclined towards the chest, the arms with a horn  wrapped around a burst flaring towards strong, slightly bent legs. The face, distinctive with its heart shape, is decorated with a multitude of tenons. A crusty patina covers the surface, with a thin film of locally cracked clay, showing desiccation cracks.

Despite their limited number, around thirty thousand, the Mambila, also known as the Mambere, Nor, Torbi, Lagubi, Tagbo, Tongbu, Bang, Ble, Jull, Bea,  all residing in the north-west of Cameroon where they produced masks and statues recognizable by their heart- shape faces. They believed in a creator god named Chang or Nama. They worship their ancestors. Their leaders are buried in attics like wheat symbolizing prosperity. Masks and statues are forbidden to be seen by women.