Songye: The Impressive Statuary of Central Africa

Featuring stunning color illustrations, this book presents the rich artistic statuary tradition of the Songye people, a tribal group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Published in French in 2004, this English edition is presented in an oversized format (10.25x11.75") replete with full-page color plates of superb quality of a large selection of individual sculptural works, most of them in private collections. Neyt, a specialist in the art of central Africa who lives in Belgium, has written an extensive text to accompany the plates, briefly describing the area's history, the history of collecting, and in more detail, the stylistic features that distinguish the sculpture, grouping them into different groups. Neyt describes the specific materials used in the sculpture, including the symbolism of some of the materials, describing how the sculptures are effigies of ancestors and more broadly, assert a link to the cosmos. The volume concludes with an extensive bibliography. It is not indexed. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

A tribal people located in the Democratic Republic of Congo,

the Songye are best known for their distinctive statuaries and

masks, which for centuries have been used to protect villages,

ward off enemies, and bring fertility and wealth. Approximately

one thousand of these pieces are shown in this vibrant collection.

The Songye often named their statues and decorated them

with horns, skins, beads, tacks, shells, and bits of cloth. As a

result, each item displays a singular, impressive identity.

Considered to be imbued with magical energy and used only

by village shamans, these statues have enormous cultural and

historical significance, and they are also powerful works of art

in their own right.