Bamileke Kwifo Society Mask
Tribe: Bamileke
Country: Cameroon
Material: Wood
Size: 30" Tall
Condition: Eroded, chipped and damaged - Years of use and some bug damage have left their tale on this mask. See images for evidence.
While Bamileke masks and masqueraders may appear in royal festivals, they are normally associated with various men's societies, most of which are ultimately linked to the palace and the King. The societies are closed to outsiders, and only those who have the authrization to partake in the various activities may do so. Each society has its own special house, its own masks, costumes, dances and a secret language, and acting on behalf of the king to establish order and to preserve social and religious structures of the kingdom.
For the Bamileke, like the neighboring Bamum, Kwifo society acts as a police force, carrying out punishments and executions at night (kwifo means night). As an agent of the king's administration, Kwifo also mediates significant conflicts and pronounces sentence in both civil and criminal cases.
Each Kwifo society has a mask that serves as the spokesman and representative. Known as mabu, this mask presents the decrees of the society to the community. It ushers members of Kwifo through the village, alerting the people of the approach of the group, and compelling them to behave appropriately.
Masks like this usually perform in groups of eight to thirty, accompanied by an orchestra of drums, xylophone and rattles. When they make special appearances at the burial and commemorative death celebrations of a member of the group, they are viewed with awe and reverance.
