The king of Mankon (Cameroon) acts as a container of ancestral substances he distributes to his people. This book shows how the exercise of power in a contemporary African kingdom is based on the implementation of bodily and material technologies.

This book brings and blends together a dozen scholarly articles published by the author since the 1970s. It sketches two different yet related stories: first, that of one of the most ancient and prestigious African civilizations, the antiquity and sophistication of which are becoming more and more prominent as field research unfolds their many facets. Second, the story of the researcher himself, who has had to alter and shift his approach to that civilization as he got to meet Grassfielders, colleagues, friends and scholars who changed his views about the Grassfields kingdoms and their people. This book bears witness to those many encounters. Historical and anthropological research is not only a question of relevant theories and methodologies. It is also a human endeavour made of networks and friendships.

This book presents the artistic and cultural production of the small kingdom of Mankon located on the high plateau of Western Cameroon. Featured are objects which are linked with rituals, of prestige or more ordinary pieces all bearing the memory of the treasures of kings, notables and secret societies. Their production plays a fundamental role in cultural continuity, protects evidence of the past and preserves objects used in rites for the well-being of society. This is why they form an essential part of the artistic and cultural heritage of the whole of Mankon. They are extraordinarily rich, both regarding the quality of the objects, by the diversity of domains they approach and by the variety of decorative patterns, styles and themes.

We are thrilled to share with you this rich harvest of tributes on Fo Solomon AnyeGhamoti Angwafo III of the Kingdom of Mankon. The tributes are by people and institutions from Mankon, Cameroon and the world at large, that knew him well and generously responded to our call for memories, testimonies and reflections to mark his transitioning from Atsum to join his ancestors at Alankyi. The tributers share with the reader their thoughts on various aspects of who King Solomon Angwafo III was and what he meant to them. A common thread in the tributes is the irrepressible admiration for the ideas, ideals, principles and values he championed and lived by for 97 years. His leadership, wisdom, deeds, sociality and humanity are in focus. Fo Angwafo III had a lifelong commitment to cultivation. To him, living was not just about tilling the soil for sustenance, it was also about tending the mind and the soul. He valued agriculture and culture in equal measure. In this and other aspects he was a pacesetter all his life. He had a warm heart and welcoming smile for all and sundry. In conversations and good company, his distinctive laughter brightened and lightened the weights of hearts and minds. In leadership, he distinguished himself most as a servant. Fo Angwafo III was father of both the beginner and the expert, the pupil and the teacher, the fool and the philosopher. He was the father of all: the good, the bad and the ugly. His disappearance offers us an opportunity for introspection. He leaves us in the well-cultivated hands of Fo Fru-Asah Angwafo IV, an educationist, through whom his presence and inspiration will continue to be felt, and from whom we will continue to learn.

Royalty and Politics is the fascinating autobiographical account of a life rich in controversy, leadership, service, achievement and innovation. Born 1925 into the prominent and influential royal family of Mankon in the Bamenda Grassfields of Cameroon, Solomon Anyeghamot Ndefru least expected becoming king, only to find himself the chosen one following the death of his father in 1959. As Fo Angwafo III of Mankon, one of the most educated traditional rulers at the dawn of independence, he succeeded into Parliament first as an independent, and subsequently as a member of the Cameroon National Union. He has served as First National Vice-President of Paul Biyas Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement since 1990. In this unique, analytical and insightful reflection 50 years into his reign, Fo Angwafo III discusses growing up in colonial times; his surprise appointment as king; the 1961 Cameroon Plebiscite and his initiation into politics; being king and politician; coping with the hostility of the modern power elite towards his active involvement in politics; churches, schools and politics; life as an agriculturist; and investments in tending the Kingdom of Mankon. He argues that the best way of consolidating traditions is to make them modern, and that modernity can only make sense to the extent that it is firmly grounded in traditions. In many ways he feels his life encapsulates this negotiation and reconciliation of continuity and change.

This five-volume set presents some 1,000 comprehensive and fully illustrated histories of the most famous sites in the world. Entries include location, description, and site details, and a 3,000- to 4,000-word essay that provides a full history of the site and its condition today. An annotated further reading list of books and articles about the site completes each entry. The geographically organized volumes include: * Volume 1: The Americas * [1-884964-00-1] * Volume 2: Northern Europe * [1-884964-01-X] * Volume 3: Southern Europe * [1-884964-02-8] * Volume 4: Middle East & Africa * [1-884964-03-6] * Volume 5: Asia & Oceania * [1-884964-04-4]

Written as part of the Bambui Museum and Ecotourism Project (BMEP), this stunningly illustrated book introduces readers to the history of the Bambui fondom in the western Grassfields of Cameroon, and presents an exhaustive interpretation of the artistic and cultural heritage of the fondom. Initially conceived as part of an initiative launched in 2001 by Centro Orientamento Educativo, an Italian NGO, aimed at creating museums in some palaces of the Cameroon Grassfields, the book serves as a pilot endeavour towards addressing problems associated with antiques and other cultural assets such as theft and the illegal traffic of objects, the exploitation of poor fondoms by African art dealers and researchers from the West, and the lack of education about the different ways and means the fondoms could employ to transform these resources to the benefit of all. For anyone aspiring to learn about the rich and diverse art of Bambui, in particular, and the western Grassfields as a whole, this book will prove useful, especially since it is written by someone who has lived, and is still living, the Bambui experience.