Cameroun

1910 · 117750 — c.1910. Extremely unusual series of anonymous watercolour sketches apparently taken from life in an oddly modernist and highly expressive style largely comprising sensitive individualised portraits virtually all of them incorporating detail of accoutrements and scarification. The majority of the images are half-length portraits in the main worked in thin slightly blotchy water-colour over sparse pencil underdrawing with the details of their various adornments introduced in denser brighter tones; the full-length sketches and one of the half-length have rudimentary splashily but highly effectively rendered backgrounds. The two photographic portraits the general characteristics of content and context and a handful of details suggest that these images were recorded in West Africa probably in Cameroon and from the type of album and the half-tones sometime in the early years of the 20th century. An infuriatingly enigmatic piece there is no maker's mark to the album - not inexpensive although it makes an odd sketchbook through necessity - the images are not signed or initialled they are in no way captioned there are no marks of ownership there is no suggestion of any formal direction to the exercise. The images are stylised simplified almost childlike but at the same time they are full of character and strongly purposeful. Where the figures might seem vaguely rendered fleeting they are always active the viewer's attention additionally drawn to the decisively delineated body decorations and modifications. The lasting impression is that it was the artist's intention to create a personal visual record of the striking exoticism of these encounters in an appropriately dreamlike register. An engaging evocation. Folio 300 x 240 mm album red morocco-grain paper over bevelled boards gilt decoration to front board and spine white moiré effect endpapers linen hinges 30 linen-hinged card leaves all edges gilt. 15 watercolours with light pencil underdrawing of African tribal people direct to the card leaves and two leaves with mounted half-tones of enthroned Cameroonian Kings one of whom has been identified as "Bamiléké King Kana I of Bafu-Fondong sitting on a beaded throne with an elephant caryatid and a footrest showing two leopards" Ross Archive of African Images Yale RAAI No.72 taken in 1909 by Joseph Eberhard and published in Calvert The Cameroons 1917 Somewhat rubbed particularly on the spine corners and bevels hinges a touch loose album leaves lightly browned and with some foxing one at present detached from its mounting a few small knocks to the edge overall very good. hardcover