Male tadep figure
Mambila artists have excelled at deploying the narrow pith, or core, of the raffia palm as a sculptural medium. Referred to locally as "bamboo," pith carries special significance as a building material, trade good, and source of sap for a popular fermented beverage. While tadep figures are fashioned from a single column of this pliable material, the broader proportions of related kike figures are achieved by pegging together three strips edge-to-edge. Both forms originated as healing agents and may have also served a protective function. This example was collected and documented in the Mambila cultural hub of Mbamnga. In that setting it was a public-facing work, affixed with netting to the exterior of a storehouse used by the local Sùàgà association.
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