Art of the Lega - Softcover

Cameron, Elisabeth Lynn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0930741889 ISBN 13: 9780930741884

Publisher: Univ of California Museum of, 2001

Synopsis

This volume accompanies the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History exhibition of the art of the African Lega. African art specialist Cameron provides information about the physical world of the Lega people and then discusses their social community and the three structures that provide the framework for Lega life family, circumcision camp, and the Bwami society. She discusses artistic practice and aesthetics, indications of identity and status, and the art objects themselves. The book is extensively illustrated with color reproductions of the art works, as well as a few color and b&w photographs of the people. Oversize: 9x12<">. Distributed by the U. of Washington Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Drawing on diverse sources, Elisabeth Cameron investigates the culture and the art of the Lega people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among the Lega, art is only created for and used by the Bwami Society, a complex organization that forms an essential component of the political, social, and religious structure of the Lega. Within Bwami artworks are used in conjunction with proverbs, anecdotes, and performances to form complex layered metaphors and to serve as mnemonic devices. As initiates move up through the ranks of Bwami, different artworks assist them in recalling the vast corpus of complex aphorisms. The many beautiful examples of Lega artworks illustrated in this volume are taken primarily from the Jay T. Lat collection and include masks, animals, human forms miniature tools, and spoons.

About the Author:

Elisabeth L. Cameron is an assistant professor of art history at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

About this edition

• Publisher: Univ of California Museum of
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0930741889
• ISBN 13: 9780930741884
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 231