Book Description
In 1928 in central Nigeria tin miners uncovered clay shards which, when
reconstructed, were found to be fragments of terracotta sculptures. The
unique representations of human heads and other figures date from 500 BCE
and are attributed to a culture known today as Nok. One hundred
authenticated pieces, many shown here for the first time, are collected in
this exciting introduction to an enigmatic culture that is thought to be
the oldest known organized civilization in sub-Saharan Africa. While much
about the Nok people remains unknown, their craftsmanship and attention to
detail speak volumes about their talents, understanding of beauty, and
sophistication. Lavishly illustrated throughout and with essays discussing
Nok art, this collection offers an intriguing glimpse into an important
chapter in the history of African art.
About the Author
GERT CHESI is the founder of the Ethnographical Museum in Schwaz, Austria.
The author of many pioneering books on African art and cultural practices,
he has lived in Africa for many years.
GERHARD MERZEDER is a photographer and avid collector of African art.
report by Jose Javier: Although there is no much scientific
information, this catalogue gives a good revision of the different
styles and characteristics of Nigerian terracotta's from Nok culture,
and also from Sokoto and Katsina ones. The book allows you the access to
a good amount of superb photographs (I think about 65)from which you can
catch all the details you miss in the majority of the current books
about African art.
Book Description
This new history of over 5000 years of African art reveals its true
diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions
that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Peter
Garlake uses the latest research and archaeological findings to offer
exciting new insights. All the main regions are covered: southern
Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe,
and the East African coast. Acknowledging the universal allure of the
African art object, this book restores it to its original social and
historical context, helping us to understand more about the ways in
which this art was produced, used, and received.
About the Author
Peter Garlake was Inspector of Monuments, Rhodesia, 1964-70; Senior
Research Fellow, University of Ife, Nigeria, 1971-3; Nuffield Research
Student, British Institute in Eastern Africa, 1962-4; and Lecturer,
Department of Anthropology, University College London, 1976-81. He has
done archaeological fieldwork in Rhodesia, Nigeria, Mozambique,
Tanzania, Kenya, and Somali coasts, Qatar. He has spent the last ten
years doing research on the rock art of Zimbabwe.
Yoruba
: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought (Hardcover)
From Publishers Weekly
Arising around A.D. 800, the ancient, walled Yoruba kingdoms were complex
city states headed by sacred rulers, both male and female. Their modern
descendants, Yoruba-speaking peoples of Nigeria and Benin, have preserved
traditional art forms rooted in a view of the cosmos as alive and in
constant flux. The stunning catalogue of a traveling exhibition, this
volume serves as a window onto a world where "character is
beauty," where rebirth occurs continuously and where spirits, gods
and the life force are all-pervasive. Naturalistic terracotta heads,
beaded crowns, ceremonial staffs topped with stylized birds, and objects
in ivory, bronze, stone and wood display rare artistry. Many of the pieces
shown are best understood in a ritual context, provided by Drewal, an art
historian at Cleveland State University, and Pemberton, a professor of
religion at Amherst.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Robert Thompson has called the study of Yoruba art "the Shakespeare
studies of African art" because so much research has been focused on
this one African culture. This book, which accompanies a major exhibition,
fully justifies all that scholarly attention. Yoruba-speaking peoples are
the largest ethnic group in Africa, one which has been urbanized for over
1000 years. The visual arts of the Yoruba are thoroughly explored as
aesthetic objects in their social, religious, political, and historical
contexts. This book, which deserves the highest recommendation, may well
be the finest example of African art scholarship yet published. - Eugene C. Burt, Seattle
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Superb overview of Yorubaart,useful for all interest levels, November 29, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
This examination of Yoruba art covers a lot of ground, temporally and
geographically. It covers the Yoruba kingdom by kingdom, looking at
historical objects within each area. Accessible even to those without any
knowledge of African art, it also has lots to interest the
specialist--some controversial views on women's roles in Ife art,
assignment of Esie carvings to the Yoruba and some previously unassigned
bronzes to Ijebu, identification of particular artists' work and more.
Written by three experts who specialize in different Yoruba areas, the
writing is seamless and well-edited, neither talking down to the reader
nor unduly academic in tone. The accompanying illustrations are superb,
and many are contextual images. This book introduces Yoruba philosophy,
religion, oral literature, and political organization interwoven with art,
providing an excellent cultural overview. I use it as a university text,
but it would serve as a beautiful addition to the library of anyone
interested in Africa, particularly those who want to know more about this
creative ethnic group which has left such an impact on the cultures of the
Americas.
Keramik
aus Schwarz-Afrika und Alt-Amerika
Author: Karl-Ferdinand Schädler; Keramik aus Schwarz-Afrika und Alt-Amerika:
Die Sammlung Hans Wolf, Zürich = Ceramics from Black-Africa and ancient
America : the Hans Wolf Collection, Zurich (Edition Primart AG Zürich)
Superb overview of 
