Rietberg Museum, Zurich
Cameroon - Art of the Kings
268 pages, paperback, 310 x 230 mm, 300 colour illustrations
PRICE: £28.00
ISBN: 978 3 907077 36 8
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Edited by Lorenz Homberger, with contributions by Christraud N Geary and Hans-Joachim Koloss
The ancient kingdoms of the Cameroon Grassfields are famous for their splendid artworks – thrones ornamented with precious European beads, wooden figures sculptured by unknown masters, enormous drums, finely carved jewellery made from ivory and brass, as well as fabulous masks.
This exhibition catalogue presents 150 impressive masterpieces from the courts of the Grassfield kingdoms. Historical photographs illustrate the magnificent life at the courts so enthusiastically described by the first European visitors in the late 19th century. Additional field photographs taken in recent years show that the traditions in the Grassfields are still alive and cared for today. Two leading scholars in the field of Cameroonian art give an important introduction to the fascinating and complex world of the Grassfield kingdoms – their rituals, secret societies and, above all, the outstanding meaning of art in this context. Christraud M. Geary explores the dynamic of palace art in the kingdom of Bamum, which repeatedly adapted to ever-changing conditions and maintained a continuous dialogue with the outside world. Hans-Joachim Koloss gives a detailed overview of court art in the North West Province, focusing in particular on the numerous masks which are owned by the palaces as well as the secret societies.
Accompanies an exhibition at the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, 3 February - 25 May 2008
Distributed for the Rietberg Museum, Zurich
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