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Description: “As our interest in African art and culture increases, we witness a corresponding rise in hooks published on the subject. Yet, until now, no single, comprehensive or fully illustrated volume has been issued that is devoted to the topic of the horse and rider, a subject that has steered the curiosity of the prolific African artist through many generations.

Years ago, for the show ‘Riders of Power in African Sculpture’ (1983) organized by Herbert M. Cole at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a single-color booklet was published that included a few images of horse riders. Gigi Pezzoli's Cavalieri dell'Africa (1995) comprised a collection of essays, contributed by more than 20 distinguished scholars of African studies, alongside a small number of black-and-white illustrations. Now, The Horse Rider in African Art gives the reader a new and in-depth insight into these fascinating, powerful equestrian figures, which are executed with a passionate conviction, either to be placed in a shrine or to satisfy a patron who wishes to demonstrate his authority. Nearly 300 representative pieces -- from museums and private collections, and all showcasing an accomplished and often intricate use of traditional materials -- are here revealed in full color alongside a selection of experts' essays in this stunning survey.

The first part of the book depicts wood sculpture, primarily from the Dogon, Bamana, Senufo and Yoruba peoples; subsequent sections, drawn together as ‘Other Materials,’ catalog equally impressive pieces created with metal, terra cotta, ivory, stone and beadwork. The Boso and Somono puppet masquerades, which are still performed by the Malian people today, complete the rich artistic repertory of this ample appraisal.

Horses are rare species in Africa and most African carvers would not have seen one, neither in image nor in flesh. No wonder, then, that many of the mounts in this book look more like alligators or creatures from a distant planet. Jo the African carver, the equestrian image is simply an idea, a symbol, a concept. And this is what makes their an all the more compelling.”

Condition: Very good

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