King as a throne: The symbolism of Afo-a-Kom in Kom artistry

The subject of mystery and royal symbolism as incarnated in sacred objects among African peoples has never attracted as much curiosity as did the emblematic throne-statue, Afo-a-Kom, of the Kom kingdom in the Cameroon Grasslands. Crafted in the royal workshops of Laikom (1860s) and reminiscent of its patron, Foyn Yu (1865-1912), the antiquity became the subject of a highly mediatized Western campaign shrouded in controversy. Was Afo-a-Kom a prototype of African primitive art whose sole norm was wholesome superstition and witchery as painted by the West, or was it a noble standard of royalty and the intestines of a state as upheld by its kinsmen? Whisked off to the US in 1966 but restituted in 1973, Afo-a-Kom became the symbol, par excellence, of an organized rape of African art masterminded by Western collectors. This paper examines the role of Afo-a-Kom as a sacred object in kom culture and artistry, discusses its special traits, functions and significance, and assesses controversies surrounding the antiquity. In this endeavor, three questions beg for answers: What was the place of Afo-a-Kom and sacred art in Kom society? What were its peculiarities, functions and symbolisms? How far have controversies surrounding the antique subsided? Hinged on the theory of functional conservation (AO Konare, 1995) and the conservation debate (VB Ngitir, 2014), the study blends qualitative data and oral tradition, analyzed on the basis of content, iconography and chronology. From the study Afo-a-Kom emerges as soul of the Kom people, yet controversy persists on its alleged mystical manifestations both in the US and back home.

Keywords: King, throne, symbolism, Afo-A-kom, Kom.