ABSTRACT
The recent call for the creation of modern museums in some palaces of the Western Grassfields and the refusal by some kingdoms to participate because of the ‘sacred’ nature of their objects has brought to light, once more, the question of ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ objects across the region. The initiative to construct modern museums in targeted palaces in the Grassfields was provoked by the need to re-traditionalise the palaces and, more particularly to address the multiple problems plaguing the royal treasury or traditional palace museum. To this end, it was anticipated that all palaces were going to welcome and embrace the initiative. It was also anticipated that the palaces were going to take advantage of the modern facilities associated with the modern museum in order to be able to promote and preserve all treasures held in the royal treasury. However, this was not the case. Imbroglio emerged when Kom, one of the chosen kingdoms openly turned down the offer on grounds that most of the kingdom’s objects were not for public display. Moreover, even kingdoms that welcomed the initiative, (such as Mankon and Babungo), and had modern museums constructed in their palaces still did not give access to all objects held in their collection stores, arguing that not all objects were meant for the public. This suggests that in Grassfields traditional palace museums, there are objects that are not only ‘hidden’ from the public but are also strictly for a select few. This chapter combines my knowledge (as a native of one of the kingdoms) and the literature on the Grassfields to examine the motivations for the continuous existence of ‘invisible’ or ‘sacred’ objects in the Bambui Palace collection with the aim of unveiling some of the missing links in the literature on region’s traditional palace museums.
