African Art: Close-Up

Now available in paperback, this successful and beautiful book provides a unique introduction to the global phenomenon that is African art, and highlights the most striking aspects of craftsmanship, materials and design.

Featuring a rich array of magnificent artworks from the British Museum and beyond, the book showcases some of the most exquisite works of wood, stone, ceramics, beadwork, textiles and metalwork from Africa – from the Mediterranean coast to the Cape and from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Beginning with an introduction to the very nature of African art, each of the artworks is then explored within its wider cultural and historical context, with chapters relating to contemporary art, masquerade, specific materials such as cloth, precious metals, wood and iron, gender, tools, and arms and armour.