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A prominent forehead, almond-shaped eyes, puffy cheeks and a long, flat nose characterize this wooden royal mask (tukah) featuring a latticework headdress with six carved lizards.

Believed to represent power and durability, the mask was carved for a king (fon) of the Bamendou chieftaincy in West Cameroon in the first half of the 19th century. Too large (c. 35 by 23 by 24 in) and heavy to have been worn, it was carried at the front of a parade—the only time the public saw it. At all other times, the mask was kept in a box guarded by the high council.

The Bamendou royal mask is on display in Le Musée du Quai Branly, Paris.