"First printing 2020"--Colophon. Catalog of an exhibition held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, January 30-May 10, 2020. Includes bibliographical references (pages 286-293) and index.
Contents:
Introduction / Alisa LaGamma -- Local perceptions of early times : odes to Sahelian empires / David C. Conrad -- On the shoreline of history : the state of archaeology in the Sahel / Roderick McIntosh and Mamadou Cissé -- Pre-Islamic artistic patronage / Alisa LaGamma -- Islam in the West African Sahel / Paulo F. de Moraes Farias -- Architecture in focus : four Sahelian landmarks / Giulia Paoletti -- Sahelian diasporas : migrations from ancient Ghana and Mali / Alisa LaGamma -- Collecting the Sahelian past : myth building and primary sources / Yaëlle Biro and Ibrahima Thiaw -- From the rise of Songhay to the fall of Segu / Alisa LaGamma -- Praying for life / Souleymane Bachir Diagne.
Summary:
This groundbreaking volume examines the extraordinary artistic and cultural traditions of the African region known as the Sahel ("shore" in Arabic), a vast area on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert that includes present-day Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. This is the first book to present a comprehensive overview of the diverse cultural achievements and traditions of the region, spanning more than 1,300 years from the pre-Islamic period through the 19th century. It features some of the earliest extant art from Africa as well as such iconic works as sculptures by the Dogon and Bamana peoples of Mali. Essays by leading international scholars discuss the art, architecture, archaeology, literature, philosophy, religion, and history of the Sahel, exploring the unique cultural landscape in which these ancient communities flourished. Richly illustrated and brilliantly argued, Sahel brings to life the enduring creativity of the different peoples who lived, traded, and traveled through this crossroads of the world
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.