Description:

Palace architecture is commonly associated with monumentality, primarily conceived of in terms of solidity and grandiosity. The palace architecture of northern Cameroon requires an expanded sense of monumentality, operating through control of the individual rather than through visual awe. This difference may perhaps be traced to a political system that relied historically on the control of human resources, as opposed to natural resources or territory.

Mark Dike DeLancey, PAS Visiting Scholar, is associate professor of history of art and architecture at DePaul University. His research is focused on Cameroonian architecture and Mauritanian manuscripts and calligraphy. His book, Conquest and Construction: Palace Architecture in Northern Cameroon is forthcoming with Brill Press.

This is part of the Buffett Institute Faculty & Fellows Colloquium. Find it on Facebook.