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Babungo

Bamenda, Cameroon

The Babungo have live in the Upper Nun Valley for centuries, but their museum and palace have only been open to visitors since 2006.  The museum and palace are impressive both because of quality and quantity.  It is amazing that the Fon was about to keep so much of the chieftaincy’s art and ritual objects in their own collection while so much of the physical culture of Africa had been spirited off to high end commercial art galleries around the globe .(several dozen out of several thousand pieces) of the most significant, highest quality pieced were are displayed in the museum (carved and beaded thrones, stools, staffs, musical instruments, jewelry, masks, containers, pipes, etc.)  No photography is allowed in the museum so will have to either visit, image or buy the catalogue to appreciated that part of the collection. 

The quantity element can be viewed at the palace.  In the court of the palace there are thousands of sculptures lining the walls literally stacked to the rafters, and hanging from them as well.  Also impressive is the coverage of the art; every wall is decorated, every pillar and door frame carved.  A lot of the work displayed royal symbols like the double gong, leopard, tortoise, lizard and two-headed snake.Carved figures at fon’s or chief’s or king’s palace at Babungo in Ring Road area Grassfields region Northwest Province Cameroon West Africa Carved by fon himself as part of his traditional role of woodcarver and sculptor.

THE BABUNGO MUSEUM

Cameroon is one of the best places in West Africa to buy locally produced carvings. Carving is a very old craft in Cameroon going back many generations. The carvings have always been practical as well as decorative and are used in many ceremonies, particularly the masks. If you visit Babungo, the Fons (Kings) have an age old tradition of skills in wood carving and the palace contains more than 30000 traditional masks, some from more than 300 years ago. You can buy carvings in all the handicraft shops around the country. There is a large selection in the handicraft market in Douala. I found that Dschang was a really good place to buy, at the row of small craft stalls at the side of the road. Prices are reasonable, the goods are well displayed and clean and the sellers are not pushy.

Babungo Palace of the Fon in Cameroon, the table represents the universal circle of life.

Tropical Hardwood.

Babungo: memory, arts and techniques
The museum presents a sample of major and significant objects from the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Babungo, which was formerly the most important iron-work centre in Cameroon. The treasure of the talented sculptor-kings of Babungo with thousands of pieces still remains the most impressive of the Grassland.

Babungo is having a high reputation when it comes to craft work because of the its craft works of their former kings.And as such they posses one of the numerous well kept artifacts  in Cameroon store in history This old woman is 130 year old

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