African Sculpture Speaks

Historian and collector Ladislas Segy approaches African art from several different but interrelated perspectives, considering sculptures first as products of a distinct African culture, then as high-quality works of art. Seeking to bring the African carver's work within the scope of the Western observer, Segy stresses the need for appraising African art within its own context, suspending established procedures for art appreciation and viewing the object as it actually is, not as we think it is or should be. Bringing to bear the disciplines of aesthetics, anthropology, psychology, and phenomenology, Segy shows how the deep-seated magico-religious beliefs of the tribal carver creates such a powerful emotional tension in the work that the viewer can recapture that emotion and identify it as part of his own experience.Originally published in 1952—revised and enlarged over the years— African Sculpture Speaks is now in its fourth edition. A systematic style guide analyzes the characteristic features of the different styles of tribal sculpture, and a special chapter for the collector tells how to buy and care for African art. Segy also discusses the styles of the main sculpture-producing tribes in East and South Africa. Included are maps, a bibliography, a list of illustrations, and an index.