Details
ITEM NAME:
Bassa Figure
ITEM #:
4032
ETHNICITY:
Bassa
COUNTRY:
Cameroon, Liberia
MEDIUM:
Wood
DIMENSIONS:
22.5 inches tall (57.2 cm)
CONDITION:
Fair.
PROVENANCE:
Private Estate Collection – Florida, USA.
CATALOGUE NOTE:
The Bassa people originated in Egypt in the 6th Century BC, but soon migrated to coastal West Africa and other parts of the region, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, and Congo. Over time, these geographically separated groups developed their own unique culture, language, and society. It is believed that the Bassa people are connected to the Basari people of Togo and Senegal, the Bassa-Mpoku people in the Congo region, and the Bassa people of Cameroon.
Evidence from their language and oral traditions suggests that the name “Bassa” may be derived from “Bassa Sooh Nyombe,” which translates to “Father Stone’s people.” Early European traders found it difficult to pronounce the full phrase, so the shorter form “Bassa” has been commonly used in Western literature.
