Bamileke Ceremonial Royal Pipe, Based

Rows of arches run back from the brow, and small heads ride on top.

Bamileke artists of Cameroon, Central Africa, made this ceremonial royal pipe of terra cotta in the mid 20th century. It is now mounted on a base. Among Grassfields kingdoms, pipes of this size were marks of rank, associated with rulers and the title holders around them. The bowl is a face with closed, almond-shaped eyes, bulging cheeks and small pursed lips, textured with fine stippling. Thick curved ribs arch over the back of the head, with small forms clustered along the top. It stands 28 inches high on its base.

The expression suggests a long afternoon of holding it in.