Bilingual Publications
Hairstyles and Headdresses
2003
Bilingual French and English
Authors
PRESENTATION
In Africa, the art of arranging one's hair, of ornamenting and glorifying one's head, has given rise to the creation of incomparable coiffures. The Pharaohs and priests of Ancient Egypt, the nomads of the Sudan, the kings and diviners of the great Bantu civilisations, the spokesmen of Yoruba deities and the initiates of the powerful brotherhoods in West and Central Africa can all be identified by their hairstyles and headdresses. The repository of collective memory, coiffures have been transposed by sculptors onto masks and figures. Taken from the Dapper Collection, from leading museums and from private collections, the hundred or so objects we have reproduced reveal the astonishing diversity of hair arrangements and headgear - as well as the accessories that go with them. Among the diaspora in the United States or the Caribbean, following in the wake of Angela Davis or Bob Marley, many people have turned their hair into a sign of protest, in order to assert their identity and their difference, thereby influencing others throughout the world.
Éditions Dapper
24 x 32 cm
Lavishly illustrated throughout, in colour & b/w
Hardback version with dust jacket
€42,65 (excl. VAT) / €45,00 (incl. VAT)
ISBN : 978-2-906067-94-3
Paperback version
26,54€ (excl. VAT) / 28,00€ (incl. VAT)
ISBN : 978-2-906067-95-0
Ghana,
Yesterday and Today
2003
Bilingual French and English
Authors
PRESENTATION
Ghanaian metal-casters, goldsmiths, weavers, sculptors and ceramists have, from time immemorial, created objects glorifying political and spiritual power. Of varied origins - Asante, Fante, Ga, Ewe or Brong -, these pieces are the expression of ways of living and thinking that have been passed on from one generation to the next. For centuries, Ghana, previously known as the Gold Coast, based its economic influence on the trading of gold. Its colour and symbolism are intimately associated with the figure of the Asantehene - the King of the Asante. The jewellery belonging to the royal family and to palace officials are examples of sophisticated craftsmanship, while alongside these pieces, other insignia of high rank, such as the stools, are invested with a sacred dimension.
Ghanaian spiritual life, which accords special importance to relations with the deceased, has fostered the production of anthropomorphic terracottas, such as those unearthed at Koma-Bulsa and those of the Akan groups. Today's researchers posses descriptions of the latter dating from as early as 1601. This book presents a vast array of remarkable items exemplifying many different regional styles.
This book devotes a great deal of space to such contemporary creativity and highlights several outstanding examples, notably the work of Owusu-Ankomah, whose theme of bodies in movement embraces a resurgence or reworking of “traditional” motifs. It also presents the innovative approach adopted by Almighty God, whose paintings are teeming with symbols. His perpetually evolving art fuses text and images, and favours faithful portraiture or hyperrealism.
Thanks to contributions from today's foremost specialists, this reference work allows the reader not only to explore ancient kingdoms but also to discover modern Ghana and its rich cultural heritage.
Éditions Dapper
24 x 32 cm
424 pages
Lavishly illustrated throughout, in colour & b/w
Hardback version with dust jacket
Retail price: €42,65 (excl. VAT) / €45,00 (incl. VAT)
ISBN : 978-2-906067-92-9
Paperback version
Retail price: €28,44 (excl. VAT) / €30,00 (incl. VAT)
ISBN : 978-2-906067-93-6
