See the music, hear the dance : rethinking African art at the Baltimore Museum of Art / edited by Frederick John Lamp.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Lamp, Frederick.

Baltimore Museum of Art.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Baltimore Museum of Art--Catalogs.

Baltimore Museum of Art.

Art, African--Catalogs.

Art, African.

Genre:

Catalogs.

Physical Description:

301 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color map ; 31 cm

Place of Publication:

Munich ; New York : Prestel, 2004.

Summary:

This innovative look at African Art presents the wonders of one of America's best known African collections within the ritual context for which the artworks were first created. Drawing on The Baltimore Museum's renowned African Collection, this vibrantly illustrated exploration of African rituals uniquely encourages readers to look beyond the solitary artifact and toward an understanding of African music and dance as fully sensory experiences. The one hundred objects presented here are parts of ceremonies that rely on sounds, sights, smells, and tastes to deliver their ultimate effects. Color reproductions of the objects, including masks, sculpture, and ceramics, are accompanied by brief essays explaining the contexts within which each was created. The essays focus on costumes; dance, movement and gesture; music and other sounds; storytelling; audiences; staging, and lighting. Field photographs and archival images help bring to life the African ceremonial experience, which we can better understand with the aid of this groundbreaking work.

Contents:

Map of Africa 17

Overture: A Consideration of the Fragment 19

The Surface: Renewal and Identity 28

1 Weathering, Restoration, and Formal Criticism: a Senufo Figure (Poropya) / Till Forster 30

2 Youthful Faces: an Ogoni Mask (Elu) / Keith Nicklin 32

3 Renewable Art of Containment: a Djerma Vessel / F.J.L. 34

4 Surface as Key to Identity and Place: an Egyptian Relief / Thomas Kittredge 36

Accumulative Form and Ornamentation 38

5 Mask of Wisdom: a We Mask (Gbona Gla) / Marie-Noel Verger-Fevre 42

6 Implements of Temple Ritual: an Egyptian Amulet / Thomas Kittredge 46

7 The Body as Billboard: Ndebele Beadwork / F.J.L. 48

Costuming. Concealment. and Revelation 52

8 The Ambiguity of Gender: a Loma Mask (Angbai) and Cow-Tail Switch / Christian K. Hojbjerg 56

9 Embodying the Ancestors: a Kota Reliquary Figure (Mbulu-Ngulu) / L.M.B., F.J.L. 60

10 Countering the Evil Eye: an Egyptian Child's Tunic / Anita Jones 62

11 The Bird Is Faraway Meat: a Hausa Hunter's Headdress / Alice R. Burmeister 64

12 Masking, Dancing, Fighting: Celebrating Male Aggression: an Igede/Ogoja Headdress / Sidney Littlefield Kasfir 66

Dance, Movement, and Gesture 68

13 Gestures of Healing: a Kongo Fly Whisk Finial (Nsesa) / Robert Farris Thompson 72

14 The Illusion of Lightness: a Baga/Nalu Headdress (Banda) / Frederick John Lamp 74

15 Steps of Aggression and Peace: a Loma/Kpelle Mask (Kpakologi Sinei) / Christian K. Hojbjerg 78

16 Protecting the Body and Spirit: a Luba Neckrest / L.M.B. 80

17 We Will Fight You Day or Night: a Fante Flag (Frankaa) / Doran H. Ross 82

18 The Speed and Color of Aggression: a Mossi Mask (Wan-Zega) / Christopher Roy 86

19 Dancing the Heat of Life: a Pende Mask / Z.S. Strother 88

20 Movement in a Funerary Procession: a Kuba Mask (Ishyeen Imaalu) / David Binkley 92

Sound, Music, and Spirit 94

21 The Transformation into Spirit Through a "Constellation of Arts": a Dan Mask (Tanke Ge) / Daniel Reed 98

22 Songs of Insult: a Senufo Headdress (Daagu) / Till Forster 102

23 Attracting the Attention of the Spirit: a Yoruba Divination Tapper and Bowl / F.J.L. 106

24 Tasting the Sweetness of My Songs: a Sukuma Figure (Mabinda) / Frank Gunderson 110

Narrative, History, and Message 112

25 The World Is Fragile... Life Should Not Be Lived with Force: a Yoruba Headdress (Igi Gelede Onijakadi) / Babatunde Lawal 114

26 A Reading of a Statement of Power: Nupe Door Panels / F.J.L. 118

27 When It Lies behind You, Take It: Akan Goldweights (Abrammuo) / S.E.G. 122

28 Man Is like Palm Wine: a Kuba Cup / L.M.B. 126

29 Personal and Social Messages: a Zulu Beaded Panel (Ubheshwana) / Carol Boram-Hays 128

The "Audience" 132

30 Dream Animals as a Link to the Spiritual World: a Bwa Mask / Emily Hanna 136

31 The Asye Usu Can Fall on You: a Baule Figure (Asye Usu) / L.M.B. 138

32 The Military Unit, the Festival, the Drama: an Ejagham Mask / P.K. 140

33 A Spectacle of Miracles: the Yoruba Forest Spirit Mask (Aroni) / Henry John Drewal 144

34 The Many Publics of the Bedu Masquerade: Nafana Male and Female Masks / Karel Arnaut 146

Associated Objects and the Ensemble 150

35 A Chorus of Visual Praise Offerings: a Yoruba Staff (Ose Shango) / Henry John Drewal 154

36 The Aura of Power and Mystery: an Asante Figure (Akua'ba) / Herbert M. Cole 156

37 Sculptural Biographies: a Lobi Figure / Susan Elizabeth Gagliardi 158

38 The Spectacle of Lineage and Hierarchy: Two Cameroon Headdresses / Tamara Northern 160

39 Air and Water, the Vertical and Horizontal, Tradition Versus Transition: a Baga Headdress (A-Bil-na-Tshol) / Frederick John Lamp 164

40 Where Is My Mate? The Importance of Complementarity: a Bamana Headdress (Ciwara) / Stephen R. Wooten 168

41 Ideology of Male and Female Movement: a Kuba Mask (Ngady Mwaash) / David A. Binkley 172

42 Transcendent Womanhood and the Scavenger: a Mende Mask (Ndoli Jowei) / Frederick John Lamp 174

Staging: Space, Arckitecture, and Enclosure 178

43 Orienting the Body: Egyptian Viscera Jars / Thomas Kittredge 180

44 Seeing between Worlds: a Moba Figure / Christine Mullen Kreamer 184

45 Spaces of Inclusion and Exclusion: an Ibibio/Annang Mask / Jill Salmons 188

46 You Are the Center, You Are the Village: a Pende Rooftop Figure (Kishikishi) / L.M.B. 190

47 It is the East that Has Power: Sapi Stone and Wood Figures / Frederick John Lamp 194

Timing and Duration 198

48 Alienating the Living from the Dead: a Senufo Mask (Ponyugu) / Till Forster 200

49 This Opportunity to Dance: Kuba Textiles / L.M.B. 204

50 The Fleeting Flamboyance of the Warrior: Maasai Ornamentation / L.M.B. 208

51 Making Passage in Momentary Appearances: a Yao Mask / Laurel Birch de Aguilar 214

52 Gendered Seats

Gendered Space and Time: a Lobi Stool / Susan Elizabeth Galiardi 216

Ligkting and Yisual Access 218

53 Sun, Fire, and Variations on Womandhood: a Baga/Bulunits Mask (D'mba) / Frederick John Lamp 222

54 We Cannot Live Without Such Beautiful Things: Weaving Heddle Pulleys / Frederick John Lamp 226

55 The Hidden Power of Status: a Kwele Currency Piece (Zong) / F.J.L. 230

56 You Haven't Seen the Wild Beast: a Manding Headdress (Komo Kun) / F.J.L. 232

57 The Invisible Scourer of the Deep: a Mau Mask (Komasu) / Marie-Noel Verger-Fevre 236

The Olfactory 238

58 Substances and Smells in the Pursuit of Evil: a Kongo Figure (Nduda) / Wyatt MacGaffey 242

59 Blood Sacrifice and the Official Memory: a Benin Head / F.J.L. 244

60 Fruitfulness, Sensitivity, and the Vow: a Pende Mask (Kipoko) / L.M.B., F.J.L. 246

61 The Aroma of Milk, the Container, and the Body: a Borana Milk Container (Gorfa) / Raymond A. Silverman 250

Taste, Touch, Feeling, and Yisceral Sensations 254

62 Idiom of Clairvoyance, Healing, and Shared Moral Inquiry: a Kongo Figure (Nkisi Iumweno) / Robert Farris Thompson 258

63 Cooling Double Trouble: Yoruba Twin Figures (Ere Ibeji) / F.J.L. 260

64 A Welcome to the Guest of God: a Gurage Basketry Table / F.J.L. 264

65 Virtuous Meats Against Sorcery: a Numu Mask (Gbain) / S.E.G. 266

Serendipity, Improvisation, and Creative Agency 268

66 Commenting upon Critical Beliefs and Values: a Mali Puppet (Jine-Faro) / Mary Jo Arnoldi 272

67 Celebrating Virtuosity: a Dan Female Figure / F.J.L. 276

68 Each Performance Is Unique: a Lwena Mask (Mwana wa Pwevo) / Elisabeth L. Cameron 278

Denouement 282.

Notes:

"Published on the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Baltimore Museum of Art, 2004"--Colophon.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-300) and index.

ISBN:

3791330365 :

OCLC:

56481246