African Art: The World Bank Collection

This first catalogue featuring pieces from the World Bank ' s permanent art collection focuses on African traditional artwork--textiles, sculptures, pottery, and paintings as well as functional objects--from the Maghreb to Mali and from the former Zaire to Zambia. Three essays accompanying the photographs provide threads on how to interpret historical, social, and religious meaning in these works of art. The first essay underscores three points: 1) Art is an essential part of any society, helping to define a society ' s identity and culture--culture being an essential part of the development process. 2) African art is world--not just regional--art. 3) The collection holds relevance for the World Bank as an institution promoting development and having a special commitment to Sub-Saharan Africa. The second essay sweeps through the historical expanse of African art, mentioning the great masterpieces of antiquity; juxtaposing early European perspectives and scholarship on African art with its influence on the European aesthetic imagination; telescoping African art ' s eclectic nature, emphasizing the diversity of styles between and within each ethnic group; and heralding a new artistic renaissance among contemporaries on the continent. The third essay provides a cultural context, examining the art as the visual interpretation and transmittal of the communities ' beliefs and aspirations, and revealing the significance and utility of forms and motifs.