SENUFO

Description

The Senufo Sculpture is among the richest and most varied of all African styles. It ranges from the delicate small symbolic human shields to the ferocity and the complication of helmet masks of animals known as “fire-eaters”, with their many hybrid characteristics. It includes gracefully streamlined sculptures and used to beat the rhythm of a funeral procession, equestrian groups, maternity sculptures, the insignia of power and doors. His most spectacular creations are perhaps the sculptures recently discovered birds, worn as headsets, fertility symbols. SENUFO SCULPTURE FROM WEST AFRICA is the first monograph devoted to the study of this remarkable art. The text of Robert Goldwater describes the use and meaning of these works, their use in religious ritual, and their links with the dominant secret society of the Senufo people. The many illustrations from museums and collections in Europe and America show the high quality of this art, its different regional styles and the distinction and individuality made by artists within a strong line of tradition. Dr.Goldwater is Professor of Fine Arts at the Institute of Fine Arts at the University of New York, and director of the Museum of Primitive Arts.