Synopses & Reviews
Artists from the kingdom of Kongoandmdash;a vast swath of Central Africa that today encompasses the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angolaandmdash;were responsible for outstanding creative achievements. With the influx of Portuguese, Dutch, and Italian merchants, missionaries, and explorers, Kongo developed a unique artistic tradition that blended European iconography with powerful indigenous art forms. An initially positive engagement with Europe in the 15th century turned turbulent in the wake of later displacement, civil war, and the slave tradeandmdash;and many of the artworks created in Kongo reflect the changing times.
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This comprehensive study is the first major catalogue to explore Kongoandrsquo;s history, art forms, and cultural identity before, during, and after contact with Europe. Objects range from 15th-century andldquo;mother-and-childandrdquo; figures, which reflect a time when Europeans and their Christian motifs were viewed favorably, to fearsome mangaaka, power figures that conveyed strength in the midst of the kingdomandrsquo;s dissolution. Lavishly illustrated with new photography and multiple views of three-dimensional works, this book presents the fascinatingly complex artistic legacy of one of Africaandrsquo;s most storied kingdoms.and#160;
Synopsis
Many masterpieces of central African sculpture were created to amplify the power of sacred relics that affirm a family's vital connection to its ancestral heritage. This important volume, focusing on some 130 works representing a diverse variety of regional genres, illuminates the purpose and significance of these icons of African art, which first came to prominence because of their appeal to the Western avant-garde. While providing an overview of sources ranging from colonial explorers, missionaries, critics, artists, and art historians, the book breaks new ground in its examination of the complex aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the reliquaries. Its interdisciplinary approach brings together the perspectives of scholars in African and medieval art history along with those in African history, religion, and ethnography.
Synopsis
Richly illustrated, this monograph is the first devoted to the work of the Babembe people, who live on the banks of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their anthropomorphic statues, carved from wood, are characterized by incisions representing tattoos, scarifications, or skin decorations that the Babembe use during initiation ceremonies. These striking works, many of which have never been published before, are adorned with fabric, tools made of horn or stone jewels, and eyes made from faience or shell. The works represent ancestral spirits who link the sculptures commissioner with supernatural forces of the Babembes animist religion. Here, scholars analyze the aesthetic quality, style, and meaning of each fascinating sculpture.
Synopsis
Many masterpieces of central African sculpture were created to amplify the power of sacred relics that affirm a familyand#8217;s vital connection to its ancestral heritage. This important volume, focusing on some 130 works representing a diverse variety of regional genres, illuminates the purpose and significance of these icons of African art, which first came to prominence because of their appeal to the Western avant-garde. While providing an overview of sources ranging from colonial explorers, missionaries, critics, artists, and art historians, the book breaks new ground in its examination of the complex aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the reliquaries. Its interdisciplinary approach brings together the perspectives of scholars in African and medieval art history along with those in African history, religion, and ethnography.
Synopsis
A compelling examination of one of the most artistically rich and creative African kingdoms
Synopsis
This major study of Kongoandmdash;a central African kingdom responsible for astounding creative achievementsandmdash;explores its history, art forms, and cultural identity before, during, and after contact with Europe.
About the Author
Raoul Lehuard studied at the Sorbonne, founded the magazine Arts dAfrique Noire, and is an expert in the art of the Congo.
Daniel Klein, a collector of African and pre-Columbian art, is one of the creators of the new museum of pre-Columbian archaeology (the Casa del Alabado) in Quito, Ecuador.
Alain Lecomte is a gallery owner and African art critic.