BANGWA (?) SCULPTURE, Cameroon Wood with brown patina, accidents and missing parts. H. 61.5 cm Most probably made at the beginning of the 20th century, this sculpture, hollowed out on the back of a cavity, probably depicts a Cameroonian rifleman, his weapon in his right hand, the left hand brought to his hip. The supple arms are attached to full bulbous shoulders, leaving a significantly hollowed out fold in the chest. Under the military cap, the threatening treatment of the face, surrounded by ears in high relief, is in keeping with the local aesthetic, as is the description of the limbs: mouth open on blunt teeth, short nose, protruding eyes in small hollow sockets. With its obvious presence, this work bears witness to the plastic interpretation of a part of Cameroonian history, and more broadly of the colonial era, when armies of men were raised to join the Western troops in international conflicts.