Arts of West Africa

(Excluding Music)

Michael E. Sadler, Michael S. Sadler

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9780429944093
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Anthropology
• Index: Social Sciences

Originally published in 1935, the aim of this book was to introduce the European to the art of West Africa. Many of the examples (extensively illustrated with black and white photos are from the regions between Senegal and Angola, primarily from Gambia, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Nigeria and the Cameroons. Although the art and sculpture of West Africa is coherent, there are tribal and territorial characteristics which are discussed as is the significance of masks in ritual ceremony.

EXPLANATORY NOTE REGARDING THE DESCRIPTION OF PLATES

THE description is arranged so as to treat separately each of the specimens reproduced in the Plates, and for the sake of convenience the method adopted for the first specimen illustrated in Plate I is maintained similarly for each specimen in the succeeding plates. The order used is as follows: The first paragraph indicates the subject which the specimen represents; the second paragraph, the materials employed, also the measurements in inches; the third paragraph, the provenance given, if any, with the specimen, as in a label; the fourth paragraph, the probable provenance in the opinion of the writer, if differing from that indicated in the previous paragraph, with name of the tribe, if possible, as distinct from the present purely political area; the fifth paragraph, the name of the collection where the specimen belongs at the time of writing, also the date when it was acquired, and also name of the explorer or other means, if known, by which it was obtained in Africa. The remaining paragraphs are intended as a commentary based on available information regarding the purpose or use of the specimen, being, in the opinion of the writer, relevant as well as helpful to the aesthetic appreciation of the West African artist’s work.

The measurements are given by means of abbreviations in the following manner: H = height, L = length, W = width, D = depth from front to back, Diam. = diameter.

In some of the plates an attempt has been made to show the subject of the photograph in surroundings appropriate to it or emphasizing the utilitarian and functional aims of West African figures, masks, as well as implements. For this purpose minor objects which are not necessarily West African are introduced in the background or elsewhere, and mention of them in these descriptions is accordingly omitted.

In addition to the acknowledgements already given in the foreword, the writer owes thanks to the Royal Anthropological Institute for allowing him to use their library, also to his brother the late G. R. Carline (then Keeper of Bankfield Museum) for his care in revising and verifying most of these descriptions.

LIST OF PLATES

I.	THE RECEPTION	Carved group in wood, painted	Lagos, Nigeria (Egba-Yoruba tribe)
II.	THE DRUMMER and another figure	Carved in wood, painted	Loango, B. Congo (Bavili (?) tribe)
III.	THE LISTENER	Another view of seated figure in Plate II
IV.	GODDESS AND CHILD	Wood, painted	Lagos, Nigeria (Egba-Yoruba tribe)
V.	GODDESS AND CHILD	Another view of figure in Plate IV
VI.	BEARDED MAN	Carved in wood	Ivory Coast (Baoule (?) tribe)
VII.	WOMAN WITH BOWL	Carved in wood	B. Congo (Ba-Luba tribe)
VIII.	MOTHER SEATED with children	Carved in wood	N. Nigeria (Yoruba tribe)
IX.	ANCESTOR FIGURE and two others with offering bowls	Wood, copper-sheeted	Gabun (Bakota (?) tribe)
		Carved in wood	Nigeria (Yoruba tribe)
		Carved in wood	B. Congo (Ba-Luba tribe)
X.	WOMAN SUPPORTING STOOL	Carved in wood	B. Congo (Maniema tribe)
XI.	A WHITE MAN VISITS A CHIEF	Panelled door in wood, painted	Nigeria (Yoruba tribe)
XII.	A CHIEF WITH HIS WIVES	Red earthenware	Gold Coast (Fanti (?) tribe)
XIII.	THREE-FACED MASK	Wood covered with skin, decorated with paint, metal eyes	Cross River, Cameroon (Ekoi (?) tribe)
XIV.	APRONED WOMAN; MAN IN CAP; MAN WITH DRESSED HAIR	Carved in wood „ „ „ „ „ „	Sierra Leone (Mendi tribe) Gabun (?) Gabun (?)
XV.	WOMAN’S HEAD	Mask carved in wood	Ivory Coast (Baoule (?) tribe)
XVI.	WOMEN ANCESTORS	Masks in painted wood	Lagos, Nigeria (Egba-Yoruba tribe)
XVII.	CRESTED HEAD and TWO-FACED HORNED HEAD	Masks carved in wood and covered with skin, metal eyes	Cross River, Nigeria (Ekoi (?) tribe)
XVIII.	BOY’S INITIATION MASK WITH PLAITED HAIR	Carved in wood, fibre coils	B. Congo (Ba-Pende tribe)
XIX.	GHOST MASK OF WOMAN	Painted wood	Gabun (Ashira (?) tribe)
XX.	WHITE MASK WITH SCARLET EYES	Ghost mask in painted wood, with eyes encircled by scarlet seeds	S. Nigeria (Ibo (?) tribe)
XXI.	WHITE MASK WITH SCARLET EYES (another view)	See XX above
XXII.	WATER-POT with a frieze in relief (snakes devouring frogs)	Black glazed earthenware	Gold Coast (Ashanti tribe)
XXIII.	LIDDED VESSEL for ceremonial use with symbolic figures in high relief	Painted earthenware	Dahomey
XXIV.	TWO STOOLS	Light wood	Gold Coast (Ashanti tribe)
		Blackened wood	„ „ „ „
XXV.	GOURDS		Angola (Kongo (?) tribe)
			Fernando Po (Bubi tribe)
			Nigeria (Efik (?) tribe)
			Sierra Leone (Mendi tribe)
			Gold Coast (Fanti (?) tribe)
			S. Africa (?)
	BASKET TRAY		Angola (Bihe tribe)
XXVI.	MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS	Harps, Harpguitar	See Plates XXVII, XXVIII
		Fiddle with gourd resonator	B. Congo (Basonge tribe)
		War gong (iron)	N. Nigeria (Guari tribe)
		Drum	S. Nigeria (?)
XXVII.	HARPS	Another view, see Plate XXVI	Gabun (Commi (?) tribe) Gabun (Bakalai (?) tribe)
XXVIII.	HEAD OF HARP GUITAR	Another view, see Plate XXVI	Gabun (Chekiani (?) tribe)
XXIX.	CEREMONIAL...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Significance and Vitality of African Art
• Educational Significance of Indigenous African Art
• Teaching Wood-Carving at Achimota
• Arts of West Africa
• Explanatory Note Regarding the Description of Plates
• Bibliography of Indigenous Art in West Africa