King Ibrahim Mbouombouo Njoya (c. 1860 – 1933), 17th king of Bamum, in modern-day Cameroon, seated on his throne known as the Mandu Yenu, which means “rich in pearls”. Photograph by Marie-Pauline Thorbecke, 1912.

King Ibrahim Mbouombouo Njoya (c. 1860 – 1933), 17th king of Bamum, in modern-day Cameroon, seated on his throne known as the Mandu Yenu, which means “rich in pearls”. Photograph by Marie-Pauline Thorbecke, 1912. 

“The Bamum throne consists of several solid pieces of assembled wood, lined with a mesh of European glass beads and cowrie shells (mbüm) (used as currency, payment of dowries, etc.). The seat of the throne is cylindrical and carved with two-headed serpents (an attribute of royal power). At the back, attached to the seat, we find two human figures representing a pair of twins of both sexes who are the monarch's protective guardians, carrying ritual objects. At the front of the throne, a rectangular prism-shaped footrest is placed, which is carved with a frieze of subjugated enemies at the front, and spiders on the sides. On the footrest, there are also two warriors armed with rifles on both sides of the throne. This multi-coloured scenery creates an iconographic and symbolic atmosphere that envelops the monarch's events, emphasizing his earthly and spiritual power.” -Santiago Rodríguez Pérez

From 1905 onwards, King Njoya was pressured by the Berlin Ethnologisches Museum in tandem with German military and colonial authorities, to surrender his throne. In 1908, Njoya ultimately agreed to give the throne to Kaiser Wilhelm II as a “sign of friendship”, while commissioning a copy of the original throne for his personal use [pictured], which remains in the Foumban Palace & Museum till this day. The original throne is still held in Germany, at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin.