Includes bibliographical references (pages 364-370) and index.
Contents:
1. The milk of eternity, the milk of knowledge -- 2. A 7,000-year overview of maternity imagery -- 3. Djenné-Jeno terra cottas, twins and other multiple births in the Inland Niger Delta region (Mali) -- 4. The sculptured children of aspiring mothers -- 5. Prominent mothers : the merging of nature and culture -- 6. The many lives of an archetype : diverse objects, uses, materials, and forms -- 7. Visual proverbs and metaphors among the Akan of Ghana and Ivory Coast -- 8. Kongo mothers : founding aristocrats -- 9. Yoruba mothers : containers of the world's secrets and mysteries -- 10. The mothers of masquerades -- 11. Shifting paradigms : the late 20th-century politics of maternity.
Summary:
"On the African continent, images of mothers and children are found wherever the visual arts are, from early rock-art sites in Egypt and the Sahara to the contemporary arts of South Africa. Discovered in a variety of materials, from stone, ivory, and metals to beadwork, wood, and even paintings, images of maternity enliven virtually every type of object made in the region. Defining maternity as a biological and cultural phenomenon, the author goes beyond obvious notions of fertility to consider the importance of maternity in thought, ritual action, and worldview. Maternity images of all eras evoke deep and significant messages - well beyond what meets the eye"--Publisher's website.
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.