The Tribal Arts of Africa : Surveying Africa's Artistic Geography by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart - September 2002

London: Thames & Hudson, September 2002. Paperback. First Paperback Edition (stated). Near Fine. Unmarked. Interior pristine. Spine straight, tight and uncreased. Light rubbing to covers. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. 240 pages. 9.25 x 12 inches. 865 illustrations and photographs.

The marvelous achievements of African artists over thousands of years are revealed and superbly portrayed in this book. The earliest pieces date from the beginning of the first millennium, the most recent from the early twentieth century before the commercial production of art for the tourist trade. All were made by Africans for their own use. The author has divided Africa south of the Sahara into forty-nine cultural areas. Each section studies the most important tribe within that area, surveying its social and political structures as well as its artistic production. The art is analyzed according to type: in most instances masks, statues, and everyday objects such as utensils, furniture, and jewelry. When appropriate, further information on artistically related tribes is provided. Each section contains lavishly presented color photographs of all the major object types, documentary black-and-white illustrations, and its own bibliography. A detailed reference section with information on key collections open to the public and a glossary completes this invaluable publication, the only one to present the entire range of sub-Saharan African art in accessible form.