Traditional Pottery as Expression of Art Therapy in Western Bamileke Cameroon

Abstract

Amongst the Bamileke people of the West Region of Cameroon, is associated with the phenomenon and practice of traditional rituals. Essentially, these rituals contribute to practitioners' good mental health, which is consistent with the Community action clauses that appeared in Quebec during the 1960s concerning art therapy. The goal is to improve the living standards and health conditions of the individual and the social group. In the various Bamileke groups, the activity of pottery faced some prejudices likely to discourage anyone wishing to make a career in this profession. Prejudices that, among others, the activity would be reserved for sterile and menopausal women, etc. The present study, led by the desire to bring a denial of these preliminary misunderstandings, presents the traditional pottery of the Bamilekes in its environment as the expression of art therapy. Indeed, pottery objects as well as the other forms of art of the said tribe accompany the individual or the group in the accomplishment of his deep aspirations. In each situation, the object and ritual that accompanies it provide a relatively effective solution. Our argument first consists of briefly presenting the concept of art therapy and some theoretical approaches supporting it, then present the pottery as therapy in a general way, and the pottery as the therapy in Bamileke. The argument continues with the unfolded prejudices related to the job of the potter in the Bamileke territory. Here we bring a denial by stating that if the traditional pottery materializes the concept of art therapy, it would like to say that it promotes fertility and not sterility. Finally, we ponder about the future of pottery as a therapy in the context of the Bamilekes. The different points approached allows us to investigate and understand the use of pottery objects in many rituals of the Bamileke people, considered as a form of practicing the art of therapy. The different rituals to which objects are associated have a single purpose: to seek the psychosomatic welfare of the individual and the community.

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