A Bangwa memorial ancestor Wood - 64 cm Cameroon In Cameroon, these figures, know as Lefem, are carved as representation of a king during or after his lifetime. They are kept in the palace and shown at the funeral of the leader or during the installation of his successor as a symbol of dynastic power and to fortify the royal ancestral authority. This commemorative figure represents a seated king presented as royal by their ceremonial attributes, chiefly cap, a sword and a pipe, a typical regalia of a Fon. During the ceremonies, the figures receive important sacrificial libations constituting the thick blacken incrustation. The figure illustrates perfectly the style of the Bangwa carvers and their values: power, pride and independence. Provenance: Collected by Bernd Muhlack in 1971.