Early Bamum script on Banana [early 20th century]

Leaves: 2; Pages: 2; Measurements: 20cm x 17.5cm (“Rii nyi fà fu”) and 18cm x 17.3cm (“Akauku tùnte”); Dates Early Twentieth century; Script: Bamum; Condition: Very good; Comments: Oral testimonies around the Bamum kingdom confirm the use of banana leaves in thelate nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries among the Bamum. APRB 1168 represents the onlyextant specimens of Bamum script known to exist on banana leaves, and is written in Bamum script variants known as “Rii nyi fà fu” and “Akauku tùnte”. These items were long inthe possession of the donor family which has a distinguished military reputation within thekingdom (NJI Yacouba’s father and grandfather served as palace generals – “Manshüt Tupanka”– under the current and previous Bamum King; 1937-1940 and 1950-1993 respectively).