Synopses & Reviews
Over the centuries, artists across sub-Saharan Africa have memorialized eminent figures in their societies using an astonishingly diverse repertoire of naturalistic and abstract sculptural idioms. Adopting complex aesthetic fromulations, they idealized their subjects but also added specific detailsand#8212;such as emblems of rank, scarification patterns, and elaborate coiffuresand#8212;in order to evoke the individuals represented. Imbued with the essence of their formidable subjects, these works played an essential role in reifying ties with important ancestors at critical moments of transition. Often their transfer from one generation to the next was a prerequisite for conferring legitimacy upon the leaders who followed. The arrival of Europeans as traders, then as colonizers, led to the dislocation of many of these sculptures from their original sites, as well as from the contexts in which they were conceived; thus, today, they are seen primarily as timeless representations of generic archetypes.
Heroic Africans reexaminesand#160;the sculpturesand#160;in terms of the individuals who inspired them and the cultural values that informed them, providing insight into the hidden meaning and inspiration behind these great artistic achievements.and#160;
Author Alisa LaGammaand#160;considers the landmark sculptural traditions of the kingdoms of Ife and Benin, both in Nigeria; Ghana and Cand#244;te d'Ivoire's Akan chiefdoms; the Bangwa and Kom chiefdoms of the Cameroon Grassfields; the Chokwe cheifdoms of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.); and the D.R.C's Luluwa, Kuba, and Hemba chiefdoms. More than 140 masterpieces created between the 12th and the early 20th centuryand#8212;complemented by maps, drawings, and excavation and ceremonial photographsand#8212;reveal the religious and aesthetic conventions that defined distinct regional genres.
Review
Winner of the Prix International du Livre d'Art Tribaland#160;English edition of 2012.
Synopsis
Challenging conventional understanding of key masterpieces of African sculpture, this important book acknowledges the eminent figures who inspired the works and the cultural values that informed them
Synopsis
A compelling examination of one of the most artistically rich and creative African kingdoms
Artists from the kingdom of Kongo a vast swath of Central Africa that today encompasses the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola 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 trade and many of the artworks created in Kongo reflect the changing times.
This comprehensive study is the first major catalogue to explore Kongo s history, art forms, and cultural identity before, during, and after contact with Europe. Objects range from 15th-century mother-and-child 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 kingdom 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 Africa s most storied kingdoms."
Synopsis
This informative and beautiful volume sheds light on the enduring significance of textiles as a major form of aesthetic expression across Africa, relating long-standing cultural practices to recent creative developments. Some of the finest and oldest preserved examples of West African textile traditions are presented, and both their artistic and technical qualities are examined. Wrapped around the body, fashioned into garments, or displayed as hangings, these magnificent textiles include bold strip weavings and intricately patterned indigo resist-dyed cloths.
The influence of African textiles on contemporary artists is also explored, featuring artworks by eight individuals who work in media as far-ranging as sculpture, painting, photography, video, and installation art. A monumental metal tapestry by the Ghanaian El Anatsui that pays tribute to traditional kente prestige cloth while constituting an inventive new genre is discussed in detail.
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.
Synopsis
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.
and#160;
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;
About the Author
Alisa LaGamma is Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge, Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.and#160;
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