This companion to Knoxville s McClung Museum exhibition contains detailed annotations about the history and use of the ninety objects exhibited. Works from the southern and eastern parts of the continent, as well as the more familiar West African forms, emphasize the active role of art in African culture and life. A wide variety of media and both ancient and contemporary pieces illustrate concepts of leadership and governance, geography, history, economics, and the interaction among Africans of different societies.
Two chapters about African art and culture have been contributed by Dele Jegede, chair of the Art Department at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, and Rosalind I. J. Hackett of the Department of Religion at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The book includes appendices, bibliography, and a color map of the African continent.
The Author: William J. Dewey is an assistant professor of art at the University of Tennessee.
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