SONGYE

Description

First monograph on the statuary Songye. This book presents a sumptuous iconography, nearly a thousand statues and statuettes were collected and studied with akribeia morphologically, stylistic and historical. François Neyt, leading expert in the art of Central Africa, makes us discover all the strength and power of this fascinating art. This fascinating book is a reference tool for both art historians for collectors. Songye statues, it emanates an impressive beauty. Their power, their intensity and inspiration are unmatched in Central Africa. The creation of a Songye statue requires the intervention of three people: the blacksmith, the sculptor and the “nganga”, the diviner–healer, whose collaboration transforms statues active powers, effective and formidable. By measuring the forces of the universe, the human being develops a new political and social culture. Songye statues, silent witnesses of this transition, have finally gained their place in the history of art.