The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form

Rating:
Summary: Diverse and rich artwork
Review: An allure of this book is the many (206) illustrations of art from the kingdoms of west and central Africa. Of these, some 140 are in full colour and show the impressive skill of the court artists.

In Benin, Dahomey, Yoruba and other kingdoms, there were flourishing scenes. Each distinctive and fascinating. Readers may be familiar with the centuries of European artwork and how these varied between those countries. One thing this book makes clear is that central Africa had an equally rich and diverse history that, sadly, has not been often recognised by outsiders.

The book can be read at several levels. The first and most immediate is simply an appreciation of the illustrations. A deeper level is to integrate that visual appreciation with an understanding of the cultures from which they derived.

Rating:
Summary: excellent, difficult to find quality like this.
Review: One of the finest books on African Art I have studied. I showed my copy to a business assoicate from the Republic of Congo. She is from the Kuba tribe and deals in art from this area. She asked me to get a copy for her work and a friend of hers wanted another copy. If the African people approved of the book, what else can I say. Top reference book.

Rating:
Summary: excellent, difficult to find quality like this.
Review: One of the finest books on African Art I have studied. I showed my copy to a business assoicate from the Republic of Congo. She is from the Kuba tribe and deals in art from this area. She asked me to get a copy for her work and a friend of hers wanted another copy. If the African people approved of the book, what else can I say. Top reference book.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, fascinating photos, detailed text, overview weak
Review: This is a rare good book. We have too little exposure to the great arts of Africa; this book is a remedy. ABy linking the art chosen to the royalty of West Afarica kingdoms, whe illustrates how close the connections were between power and art; power including raeligious and ritual power as well as temporal. The book lacked only an overview analysis to tie all the sections together amorae firmly.