The sultanate of Bamum is ruled by a single, sacred king, known as the Fon, who resides in the capital Fumban. He is assisted by three officials and seven hereditary councilors to rule the people. Both the stature and the elaborate adornment of this bell suggest that, if it was not made for the Fon himself, it was a celebrated possession of one of his royal entourage. The detailed decorations, which are generally quite subdued in the art of the Grasslands of Cameroon, consist of a band molded in high relief across the body of the bell and the handle that is crowned by a figurative pair. The band contains a depiction of a bicephalous serpent coiled into a circle and an imposing spider. Both these elements are repeated twice. The band is bordered by two corrugated edges above and below while the interior is filled with a broad diagonal grid pattern. Meanwhile the handle is embellished with two pregnant figures who stand back to back and whose lower bodies merge into the shaft of the handle. Both figures feature large heads with clearly defined features and sinuous bulbous bodies. They each hold instruments of divination including a bowl and a horn, perhaps suggesting that this bell might serve the same function. Perhaps the bell was used to alert or awaken the spirits from this restful slumber in the other world. Clearly such a lovely work of art was the prized treasure of a member of the royal elite.