Art and Craft in Africa. Everyday Life, Ritual, Court Art

(Paris: Terrail, 2001) 2879390982. 300 x 240 mm; laminated pictorial wrappers; pp. 207; lavishly illustrated in full colour. Some foxing to inside of covers and outermost leaves. Very good condition. "There is nothing arbitrary about an African object: Each one draws upon the fundamental myths of the collective experience, while respecting aesthetic and symbolic norms, and they are almost always the product of ancestral techniques. Presented by theme, the magnificent objects in this book, chosen from more than a hundred ethnic African groups, express a wealth of aesthetic and technical solutions. Each object, whether a ceremonial or household instrument, has its roots in the collective memory. The stunningly detailed full-colour illustrations, depicting vessels and spoons, furniture, pounded bark and fabric, arms, musical instruments and ornamental apparel, perfectly complement Laure Meyer's authoritative text to demonstrate convincingly that in Africa the Western distinction between fine art and the decorative arts does not exist. Africa's arts and crafts are here shown to be truly captivating with their symbolic force and formal beauty." .