Through forty-one masterworks, Mumuye reveals some of the most accomplished statues made by this Nigerian tribal group. It was not until the late 1960s that statues from the Mumuye culture of northeastern Nigeria appeared on the European art scene. Their impact was immediate and profound: African art aficionados marvelled at Mumuye artists' abstract interpretation of the human body, which recalled the approach to anatomy by artists of the Cubist and Expressionist movements. Indeed, anthropomorphic Mumuye figure sculptures demonstrate an astonishing range of variations, testifying to their makers' unbridled creativity and limitless inventiveness. Here, a meticulous analysis of the extraordinary forms of Mumuye figures - paying attention to their striking inherent sense of motion - leads to a new style of classification that recognises different workshops and even the hands of individual masters. A summary of the scant field-based studies discusses the figures' primary role as emblems of status and rank, their connections to ancestral veneration, and healing and divination practices. Through a selection of masks and other objects, this book reveals the beauty of Mumuye figurative sculpture.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.

Resoconto annuale degli acquisti relativi ai vari settori del Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

This volume, originally published in 1970, presents a survey of the languages spoken in an area extending from the Atlantic coast at the Sengal River eastward to the Lake Chad region. The area covered by this volume is mainly a goegraphical one, so it follows that not all the languages included are related to one another, though a certain degree of homogeneity appears.

The art of sub-Saharan Africa reveals the marvelous achievements of unknown artists over thousands of years. Their aesthetic ideal finds form in wood, ivory, fabric, bronze and iron. This illustrated study of traditional African art includes pieces from Western Sudan, the Congolese Basin, the Guinea coast, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and East and South Africa. Each piece is characterized by its own traditions and artistic forms. The earliest works date from the beginning of the first millennium, the most recent from the early 20th century. Unique and rare examples are documented, many heretofore virtually unknown.

No detailed description available for "Vol. 1".

The phrase ''Middle Belt'', evokes contradictory emotions among Nigerians, especially those from the former Northern Protectorate. There are those who see it as affront on the sanctity of Northern Unity and of course, there are those who see it as a demonstration of the struggle of freedom from oppression.However, both those for the Middle Belt and those against it, always demonstrate some profound ignorance of it. There appears to be a general lack of clarity of what it means; which groups are part of it; whether it is a geographical entity or is just an ideology and concept. Even among its proponents, there have been very heated debate on who should be part of the Middle Belt and who should not.My Possibility and objective in this book, is to provide clarity to both the proponents and opponents to enable more useful engagement. It is obvious that most of the ethnic groups of Nigeria are in the area called the Middle Belt and, these groups are by no means homogenous.The first chapter, lifted from the first edition of Northern Nigerian In Perspective (NNIP) lists the ethnic groups. Of course, some of the languages have disappeared and many more are on the path of disappearance. The second chapter quotes the different and sometimes, contradictory definition of the Middle Belt.Excerpts from the Willink Commission report are reproduced here. The Commission was established by the British colonial authorities to investigate the fear of minority ethnic groups. The Interviews that follow, especially, those of Bello Ijumu., Jonah Asadugu further explain the frustration of the ethnic Nationalities during the Colonial era.There are people in the Middle Belt areas who do not agree with the concept of the Middle Belt. Alhaji Yahaya Kwande (Goemai) and Ahmadu Jalingo (Mumuye) belong to this group. Case Studies Atyap, (Harrison Bungun) Kilba (Free Nation Magazine) Sayawa (Dr Bukata) are also reproduced.

Explores the dynamics of African masquerades and mask performances on the continent, linking performative expressions to societal characteristics. What is the meaning of masks and masquerades in African traditions and how can we understand their role in rituals and performances? Why do we find masks in some African regions and not in others, and what does this 'mask habitat' say about the general dynamics of masquerades in Africa? Though masks are among the most famous art icons of Africa, exploration of their uses and the way in which they articulate social characteristics of African societies has been underexamined. This book takes an anthropological perspective on the phenomenon of masquerades on the African continent to show how mask rituals are an integral part of African indigenous religions and societies, and are informed by and linked to specific types of social and ecological conditions. Having established the commonalities of mask rituals and a mask typology, the authors look at the varieties of mask performances and the types of rituals in which masks function in rites of passage and in rituals of gender, power, and identity. The following chapters focus on different types of rituals featuring masks, from initiation and death ceremonies to secrecy, kingship, law and war. With its broad examination of the use of masks on the continent, from Angola to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, this well illustrated book will stand as an authoritative study of the use of masks, of interest not only to those in African Studies but to anthropologists and ethnographers worldwide.