Africa, The Art of a Continent

Munich and New York: Prestel, 1995. First Published on the occasion of the exhibition Africa, The Art of a Continent, Royal Academy of Arts, London 4 October 1995 through 21 January 1996. Large 4to. 12" x 10". Black cloth covered boards. Spine stamped in red. 620 pp. with 854 illustrations, 801 in colour. As new condition./Dust jacket also as new.. Commentaries on the objects, the vast majority of which are illustrated, have been provided by more than 100specialists in the fields of archaeology, ethnography, anthropology and art history. Four introductory essays examine specific aspects of African art and its reception in the West. The contents are arranged geographically in a 'grand tour' that divides the continent into seven areas. Beginning with Ancient Egypt and Nubia, the tour proceeds through Ethiopia and the Sudan to the eastern coast and southern Africa, then moves up through central Africa to the coastal areas of west Africa and the countries of the sub Saharan region. The survey ends in northern Africa, coming full circle with discussion of Egypt in its Christian and Islamic periods. Within each of these seven sections objects are arranged in broadly chronological order. They demonstrate the wide range of styles in African art, inspired by different religions and cultures, and the equally astonishing variety of materials, from dung to gold and including bronze, ivory and terracotta, as well as superb wood carvings from all over the continent. Works of art from major public and private collections in Europe and the USA are juxtaposed with the finest from Africa itself.