The Decorative Arts of Africa

Fülszöveg

THE DECORATIVE ARTS
OF AFRICA
Louise E.Jefferson
Most of us are familiar with the beau-
tiful sculptured figures and masks of
Africa, but the African artist has not
expressed himself only in these forms.
For centuries he has produced skillfully
fashioned objects in gold, bronze,
ivory, and leather; he has also shown his
proficiency in the arts of weaving and
textile design, basketry, and pottery.
Many of the motifs, symbols, and pat-
terns recognized as African are known
to date back to the most remote epochs
of human time, and they are still used
today by African craftsmen who com-
bine new materials, techniques, and
ideas with the finest and most meaning-
ful traditional designs. This introduc-
tion to the decorative arts of Africa de-
scribes and illustrates — in beautiful
drawings and photographs — examples
drawn from all over the continent and
from different periods in time. Included
are such famous objects as Benin
bronzes, Ashanti goldweights, and... Tovább

Fülszöveg

THE DECORATIVE ARTS
OF AFRICA
Louise E.Jefferson
Most of us are familiar with the beau-
tiful sculptured figures and masks of
Africa, but the African artist has not
expressed himself only in these forms.
For centuries he has produced skillfully
fashioned objects in gold, bronze,
ivory, and leather; he has also shown his
proficiency in the arts of weaving and
textile design, basketry, and pottery.
Many of the motifs, symbols, and pat-
terns recognized as African are known
to date back to the most remote epochs
of human time, and they are still used
today by African craftsmen who com-
bine new materials, techniques, and
ideas with the finest and most meaning-
ful traditional designs. This introduc-
tion to the decorative arts of Africa de-
scribes and illustrates — in beautiful
drawings and photographs — examples
drawn from all over the continent and
from different periods in time. Included
are such famous objects as Benin
bronzes, Ashanti goldweights, and
Ethiopian crosses, as well as all kinds of
personal ornamentation (ceremonial
costumes and jewelry, scarification pat-
terns and hair styles) ; utilitarian or rit-
ual objects (calabash bowls and shields,
musical instruments, furnishings, and
wall decoration). This is an invaluable
handbook for all who are interested in
the richness and diversity of African
culture, as well as for anyone concerned
with the importance and effectiveness
of excellent design. Vissza