Bamendou Tukah Mask

Case Study

Bamendou Tukah Mask

At a Glance

Status

Contact

Researcher

Dr. Martin Donlefack

Belonging

The Bamendou Tukah Mask is a sculpture that is inscribed with, and prescribes, the social organisation of the Bamendou community.

Place of Origin

Bamendou in West Cameroon.

Significance

The Tukah Mask is “the material representation of traditional power in Bamendou”. It is brought out for public viewing on two special occasions – the enthronement of a new king, and as part of a community gathering held every five years. The latter seeks to foster connection, to increase the community’s wealth through the distribution of seeds, and to celebrate Bamendounian heritage. The Tukah mask also serves as evidence of sculpture as a pre-colonial African form of writing.

Current Location

The Bamendou Tukah Mask is currently housed at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, France.

Circumstances of Removal

In 1957, the Tukah mask disappeared from the Bamendou palace. It was later found that Dr. Pierre Harter – a French doctor – had taken the mask, claiming he had been gifted numerous cultural belongings from various communities in Cameroon, as a token of gratitude for his medical care. In 1991, Harter bequeathed his entire collection, which included the Tukah mask, to the Musée de la Porte Dorée.

Impact of Loss

When the Tukah Mask was despoiled in 1957, it led to the abandonment of the cultural and economic activities that revolved around it. This resulted in a disconnect between the Bamendou community and their identity. The effects of this has been seen in the divestment of community members from development projects in the region, in environmental calamities, and in the loss of community members in fatal accidents. Bamendou’s political and spiritual leaders, local scholars and community members believe that reinstating their Tukah mask will restore the dignity of, and pride in, their people’s identity, and rejuvenate both cultural and economic life in the region.

Chronology of Restitution Efforts

In 2017, the former President of Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Stéphane Martin, cited Harter’s collection of Cameroonian sculptures as a non-violent acquisition, to refute Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy’s assertion that African cultural heritage had been acquired through colonial crimes. The digital media coverage of this statement revealed the present-day location of the Tukah Mask.

In 2018, a demand from His Majesty Tshidi Gabriel, King of Bamendou, to return their Tukah mask was denied by the Louvre Museum. Despite this negative response, plans to restore the position of the Tukah mask in Bamendou’s community and cultural life went forth.

In 2019, Cameroonian sculptor Herve Youmbi created a replica of the original Tukah mask, and the Ministry of Arts and Culture funded the ngim nu cultural festival. The latter offered an opportunity for community members to celebrate their culture, to network both personally and professionally, and to learn more about the Tukah mask and its value, through an academic conference. The festival received support from community members, local businesses, other Cameroonian chiefdoms, and media houses. Although the festival was a success, spiritual leaders from Bamendou stated that two freak environmental incidents that occurred in Bamendou shortly after the festival suggested that the original mask was angry for having been abandoned in Paris, and replaced by the replica. They believed that they would have to appease the original mask, and transfer his powers to the replica, for the Tukah mask to be truly restored. This then became the focus of the Bamendou community’s restitution efforts.

In 2021, after fruitless discussions amongst themselves, His Majesty Tshidi Gabriel was contacted by Routes des Cheffries [a prominent association of museums in Cameroon] to see if they would be interested in displaying the replica of the Tukah mask at the Cameroon Cultural Season in Paris the following year. All those who had been involved in the discussions agreed that this was a fantastic opportunity to have the two masks meet. Routes des Cheffries then facilitated the dialogue between the Musee Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, the French Embassy and Consulate in Cameroon, and the Bamendou chieftaincy for a conference and ritual ceremony to take place in Paris during the 2022 Cameroon Cultural Season.

In February 2022, the second ngim nu festival was held, further strengthening the sense of community, and raising awareness about the value and restitution of the Tukah mask, through a conference.

In June 2022, with the financial support of their diasporic community [Association Bamendou d’Europe], a delegation composed of His Majesty Tshidi Gabriel, respected elders of the community, traditional religious officers, academics and heritage experts, travelled to Paris. They participated in a conference and ritual ceremony, which took place at Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and formed part of the broader Cameroon Cultural Season, curated by Cindy Olohou. Through the conference, the Bamendou community – for the first time – entered into a discussion with the French, presenting the various tragedies that had been endured by the removal of the Tukah mask, and the importance it still holds for present day Bamendounians. The ritual ceremony which followed the next day, was led by the traditional religious officers. A selection of plant parts and powders, as well as, incantations only known to them as chosen spiritual leaders, were used to calm the anger of the original Tukah mask and bring him into conversation with the replica, in the hopes that he would transfer his powers.

Current Status

Contact

Upon return to Cameroon, spiritual leaders advised that the transfer of powers had not succeeded, and that the ceremony would need to take place in Bamendou. The community is now seeking the temporary loan of the Tukah mask, to be able to perform the ritual at home. In addition, they are demanding reparations of 155 billion CFA francs, for calamities that have befallen them as a result of the removal of the mask. This would be invested in improved infrastructures and development of the Bamendou population.

Upon return to Cameroon, spiritual leaders advised that the transfer of powers had not succeeded, and that the ceremony would need to take place in Bamendou. The community is now seeking the temporary loan of the Tukah mask, to be able to perform the ritual at home. In addition, they are demanding reparations of 155 billion CFA francs, for calamities that have befallen them as a result of the removal of the mask. This would be invested in improved infrastructures and development of the Bamendou population.

Contents

Dr. Martin Donlefack

Case Study Researcher

Dr. Martin Donlefack

Dr. Martin Donlefack, who is a historian of civilisations and religions, conducted the research. He has been deeply involved in his community’s restitution journey over the last 7 years as both the Chairman of the Technical Organising Committee for the Ngim nu Cultural Festival, author of the “La sculpture africaine du visible à l’invisible : les enseignements du tukah des Bamendou au Cameroun”, and representative of the Bamendou community at the Cameroon Cultural Season in 2022.

Methodology and Field Experience

Through the use of his existing desktop research, archival documents located in the Bamendou chieftaincy, oral interviews with the King and members of the secret society, and media documentation of the various events, Martin was able to map critical events that have had an impact on this case in the last few years. During his field research, he found that it was difficult to access the archival holdings, even though these records are meant to be open to the public. There was also very limited digital infrastructure in the Bamendou region for internet connectivity, as well as regular electricity cuts in Yaoundé, which made his schedules for working on the open data platform irregular. Lastly, as a “lay” community member, there were only some aspects of the decision making that sat with the secret society / spiritual leaders, which he was not able to access or make public for others.

 

Duration of research

This research data was gathered as part of the first case study research cohort, from August – November 2023. The information in this case study profile reflects the status of this restitution case as at November 2023.

Bamendou Tukah Mask

Bamendou Tukah Mask

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