African Art: The Arts of Mankind

Our knowledge of the arts of Africa, and of the circumstances in which they have been practised, is still very incomplete. Created over a period of several millennia in a vast range of techniques and materials , and extending to every field of human activity, African artefacts are newaly all essentially functional, but at the same time they can stand as pure works of art in their own right. The great dance masks of the secret societies, the carved ancestor figures, the beautiful bronze heads from Benin and the terracottas from Ife, the steatite bird-man from Zimbabwe - all these have a precise magico-religious function which in no way impairs their aesthetic value. In this book the authors have provided a detailed historical and aesthetic study fo the rich and varied panorama of African art. The first part of the book sets in context the historical relationship between the African and Western cultures, the aesthetic outlook of the African peoples and the place of Africa in the history of art generally. The second and third parts form a detailed account of the arts of Africa, considered first according to category, and then region by region. The final part contains a full bibliography, valuable iconographical information, a glossary and maps. Extensive research, has een devoted to the choice of photographs, which document every aspect of African artistic achievement.