In contrast to many Bangwa figures, which tend to have a vertical structure, the design of this figure is much more dynamic: the headdress, torso and thighs form parallel lines that run down towards the viewer from above. The open mouth with bared teeth and the bent knees reinforce the impression of a figure that literally leaps out at the viewer. Kings of the Cameroon grasslands were often associated with leopards. Perhaps the artist has here created an image of the king in his "leopard nature". / P.J.