BAMUM BEADED FIGURE   by  Ying Tao

           Beaded figures from the Bamum Kingdom in Cameroon (Emil Igwenagu, 11 Feb, 2004. PC) are objects which express the prosperity of the Kingdom during the 19^th and 20^th centuries.[1] These figures are a representation of the kingdom’s wealth due to the fact that the Bamum, as well as many other African peoples, have always treasured beads and used them in trade.  Evidence of bead trading cross Africa and India has been discovered and dated back as far as A.D. 200![2]  The production and accumulation of beads were controlled by the King (Fon) and therefore there is also a close association of beads with royalty and there is a precious and valuable nature to the beads.[3]  

The little round beads on this figure are what are called memmi- which are generally about 2-3 mm in diameter and solid in color (non-translucent).  The colors which are widely used among the Bamum include: white, black, different shades of blue, red, yellow, orange and green.[4]  All of these colors besides green are used on this particular figure (see illustration one). The beads that are used on this figure are less valuable than the ntam (little tubular or cylindrical beads in dark blue and brownish red) and cowry shells which the Bamum call mbün which actually means “money.”[5] This could have some significance since other beaded works from the Bamum will sometimes include the more valuable items- giving them more significance and a closer association to the King.  This figure, though covered in beads, may not have as strong or high value in the royal court than other figures which might be constructed from the ntam beads or have cowries incorporated onto them.

The figure is about twenty nine and a half inches tall, ten inches wide, and five inches deep (H x W x D: 29.5 x 9 x 5). It is carved out of wood and is extremely heavy.  Looking at the wood, one can tell that the object is old (the number of rings which have formed on the wood). The bottom of the piece is falling apart, showing its age.  The cloth is falling off and that is how the wood can be seen. This is probably from the late 19^th century or early 20^th century.   The figure was probably first carved from “where the tree fell…and brought into the palace after completion.”(Geary, 42) The wood used was probably from the kapok tree, reserved for the king. Beads are added on to turn these figures into pieces which show the power of the King.[6] The carvings are then covered with a burlap-like cloth or raffia cloth held in place by iron pegs. Then beads are threaded together and attached through the use of the “lazy-stitch” (a stitch after every sixth to tenth bead or so) as opposed to the “overly stitch” which is a technique that uses a stitch after every other bead  to fasten the beads to the cloth.[7]  The cloth may have been affixed to the carving through the use of gum or rubber adhesives (straight from a rubber tree).

This beaded figure appears to be a man because it does not have anything clothing on besides what appears to be a loincloth.  The figure also lacks the distinct beaded breast pattern (two concentric circles with black beads marking the inner circle and white beads surrounding the black beads) that the Bamum use for female beaded figures (see illustration 3). The oval to almost triangular face is a feature present in most Bamum sculptures. The large round eyes are also a feature which the Bamum are known for.  The eyes are almost always composed of black beaded circles encompassed by white beaded circles (much like the composition of the breasts in Bamum female figures).  Another feature which is common to Bamum beaded figures in the flat nose bridge and the flared nostrils.[8] The man appears to be holding some sort of instrument or tool shaped like a horn and orange in color, most likely a weapon or a drinking horn. The Bamum are a conquering tribe and weapons signify power.  It could also be holding a drinking horn as a tribute to the King.

The figure appears to be turning a little and is looking down a bit. The arms are bent so that the figure is holding the instrument with the right hand holding the top of the instrument and the left holding the bottom.  The hands holding the instrument/tool are covered with speckles of white (to separate the fingers) and there are also blue and black beads.  The figure is in a wide-leg stance with its leg spread about eight to nine inches apart.  The figure’s features do not seem to be as out of proportion as those of some other Bamum figures with longer torsos and legs. The head is somewhat out of proportion with the rest of the body, that is, it is bigger than it should be.  The arms also appear to be longer than they should be – which is typical for most Bamum beaded figures. 

The figure is covered in dirt so certain bead patterns cannot be seen.  The multi-colored beads covering the figure include orange, black, white, aqua blue, red, and yellow.  There are speckles of red around the face and eyes.  Red is a color which signifies power and danger in African cultures, so the red around the face may show that the figure has some importance. There are also some white beads around the eyes which seem to accentuate them.  The mouth and nose are not very well defined – or not as defined as the eyes, although there are some red beads on the nose.  One can see that the mouth is formed by black beads with white beads representing the teeth, another common feature among the beaded figures from Bamum. The man’s head seems to be covered in a pattern of orange, blue, and yellow beads composing a headdress perhaps. On the back of the head, however, there is a white stripe going down the middle of the head.  It is perhaps just a decorative measure and may signify the richness of the culture in its size and color. 

The back of figure is not quite as dirty as the front and one can see vibrant colors of yellow, blue, and white beads all over.  The use of bright and vivid colors is another trait of Bamum culture that is present in many of its beaded figures.  The beads seem to be in a pattern; they are not randomly placed.  There is a design and a purpose for that design, as will be discussed in the next paragraph.  The legs have blue beads scattered all over and towards the bottom there are yellow, blue, and white beads. The feet have orange, red, and white (separating of the toes) beads. 

            The figure appears to have an important Bamum motif all over its body.   There are black and aqua blue beads forming the “four headed” spear. The spear is represented by the triangular shaped “checkered” patterns.  The spear configuration of the patterns represent prowess in war and refers to the fact that the Bamum relied on warfare to secure their “political and economic rights within the region.” (Tour Highlight: Kingly Things) The beads are never just “scattered on,” there is an image and a picture that the embroiderer wants to tell and the only way to do so is through placing beds in a well-known symbolized pattern.

            Despite many similarities among some known beaded figures from the Bamum people, there are also variations.  One is size. Many other beaded figures are either life-sized or smaller at around 15-20 inches.  This particular figures falls somewhere in between.  Another variation lies in the fact that this particular figure does not have the large, round protruding ears that some other beaded figures have.  This figure actually appears to have no ears at all! Such variations may signify a change in the culture of the Bamum from the 19^th century into the 20^th.   Or they may reflect the differences in significance or value. Life-sized figures tend to be adorned in cowry and glass and the beads form patterns which help identity the figure as a commemorative portrait of a nobleman or even a king.[9]  This particular beaded figure is smaller and has no bracelets, anklets or necklaces such as a figure of importance would have.  The only motifs present on this figure are the spears, although the dirt on the beads makes it difficult to determine if other patterns and motifs are present.  Other figures will often have sewn on them a checkerboard pattern, indicating the spots of a leopard (power and equivalence to king), frog or toad-like designs referring to fertility and propagation or bold blue and white geometric designs to represent the spider (wisdom and divination) to enhance their importance and perhaps show viewers that the figure is a royal memorial figure.[10]   Since this particular piece has none of those symbols, it is probably not a commemorative portrait of a royal person but perhaps a figure representing a king’s servant or a warrior.

             The Bamum people of the Grassfields region of Cameroon lived in a centralized state where the king controlled most if not all the power. Bamum was a warrior state and those they defeated in war, they held in subjugation.  Many of those subjugated were forced to become laborers under the Bamum elite. Without their leaders (many of whom were forced to relocate by the Bamum), they willingly became part of the Bamum culture.  As a result of this expansion by force, the Bamum gained access and control over many trade routes and valuables, such as beads (Geary, 16). The Bamum had access to trade with Europeans by the 15^th century and the millions of glass beads that were brought over to Africa. Since the King was in control of the beads and amassed those great numbers, he was able to commission works of art which he showed off at public ceremonies to awe the common people and to prove his power and wealth. 

            The history of beadwork in the Bamum kingdom actually began with the subjugation of a group of people- the Megnam.[11] The Bamum had expanded from a small state to a large kingdom and in their particular region of the Grassfields, beads were extremely rare. The memmi beads (the same kind of beads used on this particular figure) had to be imported from other African countries, such as Nigeria and from Europeans.

          The Megnam were bead embroiderers and under Bamum rule, began to cover wood carvings carved by the Nguot (another subjugated group under the rule of the Bamum) with colorful beadworks. Bamum kings had relocated the Megnam bead workers to the Bamum palace, where they worked on pieces exclusively for him and the other royalty. The representations of men and women as seen in the beaded figures serve to signify the king’s great wealth, not just in money but in people.[12] Many of these works were to be displayed at the Bamum court to show off the king’s power as seen through the motifs of the beadwork that was sewn on to the figures and other pieces of art. [13]

            Warfare was central to the Bamum culture and therefore, many of the important symbols in the culture refer to prowess in war.  The zigzag (or checkered) triangular motif, as noted before, a representation of a spear- alludes to prowess in war. The leopard shown through checkered patterns suggest power and the two-headed snake represents one former king’s ability to fight off a two-front war.[14] The emphasis on warfare is unmistakable.

             Beaded figures are most often part of a greater whole- as part of the King’s throne.  The beaded thrones of the Bamum are among the most spectacular pieces of work from that region.  The throne has a rich history which the beaded figures lack but at the same time, are also a part of.   Before the thrones are brought into the palace, ceremonies were held to transform them from carvings covered by beads to “powerful pieces of regalia” (Visoná, 343). After the ceremony, only the high-ranking retainers may touch the throne, for the act of touching this object is considered extremely dangerous.  These thrones, like the beaded figures, or more so than the beaded figures represented the sovereignty of the king and the power that the king possesses.  The thrones typically consist of a cylindrical base and a disk shaped seat and are decorated completely with beads.  The beads form images of leopards, frog, elephants, buffaloes, spears, and etcetera, all to emphasize the rule of the king (Visoná, 342). It is interesting because the back of some of the thrones actually are made into shapes of male and female figures. The supports for the king.  The figures represent the high-ranking retainers who wait on the king.  At the base of certain thrones there will be warrior figures (see illustration 3) - a reference to the warring capabilities of the Bamum. It is interesting to note that the beaded figures on the back of the thrones did not appear until later on in Bamum history.

Both the throne and beaded figures represent the power and wealth of a country.  Though a beaded figure is included on the royal throne, it has significance in and of itself.  Instead of representing high-ranking retainers serving the king (as they would represent on a throne), a beaded figure by itself could portray several different ideas.  The beaded figure might just be an emblem of the king’s power.  It might be a royal memorial figure (see illustration 4) or it could be a portrait.  However, the beaded designs on the body of this particular figure suggest that it is probably a representation of a warrior, and so it is an emblem f the personality and history of Bamum culture. The beads themselves signify the great wealth accumulated by Bamum kings because they combined their favorable location vis-ŕ-vis the trade routes with the political dominance of the area. Thus this figure tells a great deal about the Bamum culture and history.