La poterie a longtemps été le principal ustensile de cuisine chez les Bamilékés. Par contre, cet usage a presque ou totalement disparu aujourd’hui. Or, il y a quelques années, le savoir-faire en matière de céramique était pratiqué dans la presque totalité des chefferies et était connu comme un art réalisé par les femmes (Dole 2001, 15). La terre argilo-siliceuse utilisée permettait de mouler une variété d’objets, lesquels, décorés selon le goût et la classe sociale du-de la commanditaire, était cuite à haute température sur du feu de bois. Les femmes produisaient alors des objets tels que des marmites pour la cuisson, des écuelles pour le service, des contenants pour usage divers (rituels et domestiques), ainsi que des pipes d’apparat. De nos jours, seules les poteries rituelles sont encore produites, notamment celles du rite des jumeaux/jumelles. Ces dernières sont une relique de ce savoir-faire et tiennent lieu de supports religieux, servant de contenants aux fluides purificateurs distribués pendant le rite.
Pottery has long been the main cooking utensil among the Bamilekes, though today this function has almost completely disappeared. However, a few years ago, ceramic skills were practiced in almost all chiefdoms, and were known as an art performed by women (Dole 2001, 15). The silica clay allowed for a variety of objects to be created, which–decorated according to the taste and social class of the patron–were fired at high temperatures over a wood fire. Objects such as cooking pots, serving bowls, ritual and domestic containers, and ceremonial pipes were produced by women. Today, only ritual pottery is still produced, notably objects to be used as part of the twin rite. Such objects are the relics of this know-how, and serve as religious supports, containing the purifying fluids distributed during the rite.
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