Three Illustrious Fons and a Queen before the Old Foumban Palace

1961

Three Illustrious Fons and a Queen before the Old Foumban Palace, 1961. Ibrahim Njoya (Bamum Kingdom (Cameroonian), c. 1887–1962). Paper, ink, watercolor, carbon; wooden frame carved by the artist; paper: 78.7 x 96.5 cm (31 x 38 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2022.47 This drawing depicts Sultan Njoya and his ancestors in front of the old Bamum Kingdom palace: King Mbombo “the Giant” (r. 1757–1814); Queen Ngoungore (r. 1863); King Nsa’ngu (r. 1863–1889); and Sultan Njoya (r. 1889–1913). Each past ruler wears or holds elaborate regalia, such as staffs, necklaces, headpieces, and fly whisks. Sultan Njoya (at right) wears a turban and a large embroidered tunic, reflecting his conversion to Islam. The artist Ibrahim Njoya based the portrait of Sultan Ibrahim Njoya (at right) on a photograph.