The lion as a symbol of power and strength appears frequently in the grasslands in Cameroon. This lion is one of the very early casts and dates from a pre-tourist period. This reference is important because this motif for export continues into the present and was often recast.
This lion and the one pictured on the previous page were owned by Mr Josué Pamansie, a coffee plantation owner from Foumbot in the Cameroon grasslands. The proceeds from the family property were used to support his daughter in France. Since the 19th century, sales to Europe have mostly been used to make investments within the family. When the economies of Cameroon and Nigeria suffered in the 1980s, many old bronzes came onto the market, mostly to enable the children to study in one of the western countries.
We sell on behalf of the former buyer.
Translated with DeepL |