(rhythmic music)
- My name is Amadou Njoya
and I come from a very long-time
blacksmith family in West Central Africa.
I am very proud to show this collection here
at the QCC Art Gallery.
(rhythmic music)
This mask has two faces.
There was like Janus face, Bangwa, not society mask.
This was used, also, during funerals of the kings
and enthronement of the new ones.
It is a shoulder mask.
They always worn it on shoulder.
And, also, during important ceremony in the kingdoms,
the mask would come out, and they would display it
right near the king.
(rhythmic music)
This statue here represent a titleholder,
a woman in the kingdom,
and she's wearing royal beads.
This woman was pregnant with the firstborn in this kingdom.
(rhythmic music)
This is what we call, in the Bamileke kingdoms,
the night society mask.
Each mask here was used only by the owner.
Those people always come from the royal family
or important people in the tribe.
And many of these mask was used by people
who have visions.
This one here has a owl face.
Owls have visions and power.
That's why they add it into this mask.
(rhythmic music)
They call this leader mask.
This represent face of an ancestor.
The people found the Kingdom of Come.
This mask was made at the beginning of 1800s.
It's full of spirits and beauty.
(rhythmic music)
This snake,
which is one of the important piece of the collection.
They call it Guardian Post.
(rhythmic music)
This kind of post was placed into a ritual house
where they are storing ritual mask.
The snake is like the guardian of all the spirits
that are contained into masks.
The Bangwa believe that the snake is the reptile
that will transmit the soul to the afterlife.
(rhythmic music)
This head piece was made with brass and copper.
It represent the face of founder ancestors
in this aggressive look.
Those big bulging eyes means power.
Those are eye of rulers.
The nose is very aggressive.
The face has a very huge beard,
all look like they're moving.
The mask is wearing a crown which is in the form
of a ceramic pot.
Because in the grass field,
each country have a pot that contained
all sacrificial material, all protect their people,
that have connection with the living people and the spirits.
I can see here five chameleons,
which is a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, and power.
(rhythmic music)
This is the most powerful object of the collection.
It's a leader mask.
The eyes of the mask are looking straight up,
which means the dancer will be getting
communication with the ancestor who passed.
(rhythmic music)
(tribal chanting)