Review
"With an excellent introduction which creates a tight framework for what follows, the book adds up to an important contribution to our knowledge of early encounters between Africans and Westerners mediated through art. Each article enriches our knowledge of the subject and of the various subtexts--racial, colonial, economic--that underlay these encounters." Journal of Anthropological Research
"A collection with unusual unity, thanks to articles that were carefully selected and edited." American Anthropologist
Product Description
The contributors to this volume trace the life history of artifacts that were brought to Europe and America from Congo toward the end of the nineteenth century, and became the subjects of museum displays. They also present fascinating case studies of the pioneering collectors, including such major figures as Frobenius and Torday, discuss the complex and sensitive issues involved in the business of "collecting," and consider how these objects were used in the invention of Africa by the West.