Overview

One of the most fascinating artistic phenomena in tropical Africa, mbari houses are little known outside Igboland. Art historian Herbert M. Cole has drawn from his extensive research in eastern Nigeria to produce the first book-length study of this unusual art form. Cole describes the building of a mbari mud house to honor the gods, a process rich in tradition and ritual, marked by body painting, drumming, dancing, singing, and chanting. The ecology, socio-cultural systems, and religion of the Owerri area are examined as a backdrop to the elaborate stage of the building process, which may take up to two years to complete. Illustrated with rare field photographs and superb line drawings, this volume describes and interprets mbari houses not as isolated works of art but as monuments growing out of, and expressive of, the values and beliefs of Owerri Igbo culture.

Full Product Details

Author:   Herbert M. Cole
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
Imprint:   Indiana University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.708kg
ISBN:  

9780253303974

ISBN 10:   0253303974
Pages:   292
Publication Date:   22 April 1982
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One: Introduction: The Setting Chapter Two: The Gods and the People Chapter Three: The People and Processes of Mbari Chapter Four: Form Chapter Five: Inspiration, Individuality, and Aesthetics Chapter Six: Meaning Chapter Seven: Conclusions Glossary Appendix A: Tree Altars Appendix B: Ndimgbe Names Appendix C: Master List of Mbari Subjects in Sculpture Appendix D: Mbari House at Obaku, Oratta clan, Owerri Bibliography Notes Index

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