African Mambila Carved Wooden Housepost Totem. Three similarly shaped figures form a tall structure that would adorn a doorway or focal point in a home. 

Size: 13 x 7 x 94 1/2 In. 

The Mambila (or Mambilla) people of Nigeria migrated to the region some 5,000 years ago, and today most of them live on the Mambilla Plateau, although a small fraction of migrants left the Plateau for the Ndòm Plain (also known as northern Tikar Plain) on the Cameroon side of the international border as well as in a couple of small villages. Combined, there are nearly 130,000 people who identify as part of the tribe, all that remain of the British occupation that decimated many of the Bantu-speaking populations in the area. They are well-known for their sculptures and wood carvings, and their art is intrinsically entwined with their rituals and cultural beliefs, like many African tribes. Although few of their artifacts from before the 20th Century survive due to infighting, pillaging, and forced migrations, their pieces adorn many museums and are indicative of numerous ancient techniques that spread from this tribe to others during their diaspora. 

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