Title: Kwi’fo
Item Type: double bell
Key Words:
Kwi’fo, Kwi’fou, Nzeme Mmo, Bamileke, Cameroon, double bell, musical instrument
Dimensions: Each bell is 8cm x 20cm (including the handle)
Materials: Metal (most likely iron), raffia, twine
Production methods and techniques:
Unknown, but likely iron smelting and forging techniques were used.
Condition: Good.
Description
A pair of double bells with a raffia wrapped handle. It is accompanied by a separate metal gong, attached to the bell’s handle with twine.
Function:
This double bell is common to Northwestern Cameroon and is likely to be associated with the Bamileke people of the Cameroon grasslands. The kwi’fo is a symbol of the Kwifoyn, one of the all-male societies of the Bamileke people, who worked in close proximity with the king to govern. The bell holds sacred value and represents the power and prestige of this organisation. It is ceremonial and is used in royal dance ensembles, for example to announce the arrival of the king during a ceremony. It can also be used to communicate with ancestors and the supernatural. The pitches of the two bells are typically an interval close to a major second apart.
Provenance
Name of creator: Unknown, but likely by the Bamileke people.
Where the item was created/made:
Unknown, but likely in the Cameroon grasslands region.
Date Made: Unknown
Acquisition:
Unknown, but it was likely obtained by a PhD student of a member of staff at the University of Edinburgh during fieldwork and was then donated to the University of Edinburgh’s Social Anthropology Teaching Collection, where the Social Anthropology Department now has ownership. The nature of the acquisition is unknown.
Acquisition date: Unknown, but likely pre-1980s.
Current Location: 5th floor of Chrystal MacMillan Building on display.
General Notes
The name kwi’fo refers to the group of counsellors and delegates of the king, symbolised by the double bell. Whilst the kwi’fo refers to its sacred use, the name nzeme mmo is used to refer to the double bell as a singular object.
Sources:
Schrag, B.E. (2005) How Bamiléké music-makers create culture in Cameroon. PhD thesis. University of California.
Majolie Carine, D.T., Guia, E & Mbessa, M. (2024) The Concept of Aspectism in the Traditional Arts of the Bamileke People of Western Cameroon: Myth or Reality?. Available at SSRN: doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4844818.
Other Associations:
There is a potential link to objects SA041, SA014, SA044 and SA045 in the collection, as they could be from the same region and used in similar dances and performances, but this needs further researching.
Name of cataloguer: Astrid Everall
Date: 07/03/2025
Accession Number: SA 040