Twelve-year-old Layo, a Yoruba girl living in the area of eleventh-century Africa which is now Nigeria, attempts to reject the man who has been chosen to be her husband.

Pictures grotesques, masks, and headdresses of various African tribes as well as exploring the psychological and ideological meaning, and ritual function of masks

African Masks surveys 248 of the finest examples of masks from the Barbier-Mueller Collection, of which 100 are reproduced in stunning color illustrations. Leading scholars on African art describe the masks' historical and religious functions, and their symbolic significance.

"Spirits Speak presents a selection of the most important African masks found in major museums and renowned private collections around the globe: an overview such as has never been compiled in this way before. Artistic mastery, charisma, age and authenticity were paramount selection criteria with only the very best examples representing each well-known mask type. An introductory essay elucidates the conceptual intricacies and varying functions of the masks and sweeps away deep-rooted misunderstandings. Enlightening commentaries offer background information about the function and origins of each mask's use within the ethnic groups from which they originate, and a foldout map places them in their original geographical context."--BOOK JACKET.

This magnificently illustrated book covers each medium or craft in turn and examines in a clear and accessible manner the entire range of Black African art from aesthetic and ethnological points of view.

Describes how different types of masks are made and used in Africa and how they reflect the culture of their ethnic groups.

This beautiful book was born out of the passion and artistic insight of Marnix Neerman and Hugo Martens. One hundred and twenty-eight masks have been photographed in such a unique style that their artistic nature is revealed to the utmost. Each mask has been shot from the front and from the rear, and detail shots reveal each mask as an almost autonomous work of art. And yet, these masks are not considered works of art in their countries of origin, but rather tools that have a function and a meaning in socio-religious life. Many of these masks have never been displayed or published before and come from reference collections such as the Museum for Middle Africa in Tervuren, Belgium; the Etnographic Museum in Antwerp and private collections in Belgium, France, UK and USA. African Faces was produced in cooperation with the archive of the Yale university, Tribal Art magazine, Parcours des Mondes in Paris and many other experts and will become a future reference work when it comes to the African mask; the powerful photographs accentuate the artistic value of the masks like never before. Text in English & French. AUTHOR: Marnix Neerman is a private collector of African masks and a dealer in contemporary art. Herman Brussens is emeritus professor of African art and cultural history at the University of Ghent. 500 colour illustrations