Sur La Route Des Chefferies Du Cameroun Du Visible À L'invisible

Exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, from 5 April to 17 July 2022

This exhibition catalogue highlights 300 treasures kept by the chiefs and family lineages selected by the Association la Route des Chefferies to evoke the living and dynamic art of the Grassfields, a vast expanse of highlands in western Cameroon.

The book is divided into three main parts richly illustrated with both object images and documentary photographs. The first part presents Bamileke society, in which politics, religion and social organisation are intrinsically linked in a complex cosmogony. The second part evokes the relationship between art and power, through the role of the chief and the queen, a true duo, social, economic and political pillar of the kingdom. Finally, the third part evokes the other political forces, those of the secret societies, through masks and other attributes.