Ife, Akan und Benin. Westafrikanische Kunst aus 2000 Jahren [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

West Africa has produced much of the most impressive art from the African continent. The West African objects depicted in this volume (which accompanied an exhibition at Germany's Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim) are an odd combination of ancient Nigerian metal and terracotta sculpture from the Nok, Ife, Igbo-Ukwu, and Benin cultures; recently produced ornaments from the Akan peoples of Ghana; and goldwork from the Guinea coast. No convincing explanation is offered as to what ties this disparate group of items together other than their geographic proximity. Each section of the book has an introductory essay by a noted expert, and while these essays address various aspects of the art that follows, they are far too short to allow the interested lay reader to develop an understanding. As a picture book of fine color photographs, this volume is certainly valuable, but unfortunately the limited text offers too little information to make it useful for anyone but specialists. Robin Poynor's African Art at the Harn Museum (Univ. Pr. of Florida, 1995) or Monica Visona and Herbert Cole's chapters in A History of Art in Africa (Abrams, 2000) both provide better introductions to West African Art. Recommended only for academic libraries with strong holdings in African art. Eugene C. Burt, Data Arts, Seattle
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is the first publication devoted to the collection of the Foundation "Forgotten Cultural Treasures", which includes superb bronzes from Ife. Sculpture and ritual objects from the ancient Benin empire as well as precious gold jewelry from the Akan groups of Ghana are further examples documenting the highly accomplished craftsmanship of West African cultures. Complementing the collection are gold weights in the form of imaginative miniature sculptures showing human and animal motifs, and used for weighing gold dust.

This is the first publication devoted to the collection of the Foundation 'Forgotten Cultural Treasures' which besides early terracottas from the Nok culture mainly includes superb bronzes from Ife. Sculpture and ritual objects from the ancient Benin empire as well as precious gold jewellery from the Akan groups of Ghana are further highlights documenting the highly accomplished craftsmanship of West African cultures. Complementing the collection are gold weights in the form of imaginative miniature sculptures showing human and animal motifs, and used for weighing gold dust. Previously, objects from this culture area could only be vaguely placed in a chronological and stylistic context. By using the most up-to-date research technology it is now possible to provide the objects with scientifically established dates, and this has resulted in questioning the whole edifice of traditional art historical attributions.