Bamum
Trophy Cup
Possibly Bamum, 1799-1999
Scroll
Bamum
Trophy Cup
Possibly Bamum, 1799-1999
Physical Qualities
Horn, 8 x 6 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (20.3 x 16.5 x 7 cm.)
Credit Line
Anonymous Gift
Object Number
2007.267
Among the kingdoms of the Cameroon Grasslands, the head of a noble lineage received three insignia upon his investiture: a cap, a stool, and an intricately carved cup made of buffalo horn. This cup is decorated with dramatically tactile relief-carved portrayals of royal masks and abstracted royal symbols, such as spiders, frogs, cowry shells, and lizards, which reinforce the owner’s connections to royal, ancestral power and prosperity.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2007; Private Collection, Baltimore, Maryland; James Camp
Nichole Bridges, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Hand Held: Personal Arts from Africa," Sept. 25, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012.
Karen Milbourne, 'BMA Receives Major Gift of African Art,' "BMA Today," Winter 2007-2008, ill. p. 9.
