This volume catalogs the impressive gold collection held by
the Gold Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. It illustrates and
surveys an enormous range of ornamental objects from the
Sahel and the central West African forest regions. The pieces
date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and include
headdresses, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and items of
royal regalia. Many are decorated with figurative motifs such
as birds, fish, and fruit, symbols which refer to local proverbs.
Magnificent displays of gold intended as demonstrations of a
tribal chief s power and prestige are still worn today in
ceremonial occasions. Through his research in the area
Timothy F. Garrard, the world s foremost authority on goldsmith
art from the African continent, became acquainted with
goldsmith techniques as well as the system of bartering and
weighing. His commentary offers a historical and cultural
context through which to view the pieces. Affording a starting
point for anyone interested in African art, jewelry, decorative
arts, and fashion, African Gold presents African goldwork in all
its glory.
the Gold Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. It illustrates and
surveys an enormous range of ornamental objects from the
Sahel and the central West African forest regions. The pieces
date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and include
headdresses, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and items of
royal regalia. Many are decorated with figurative motifs such
as birds, fish, and fruit, symbols which refer to local proverbs.
Magnificent displays of gold intended as demonstrations of a
tribal chief s power and prestige are still worn today in
ceremonial occasions. Through his research in the area
Timothy F. Garrard, the world s foremost authority on goldsmith
art from the African continent, became acquainted with
goldsmith techniques as well as the system of bartering and
weighing. His commentary offers a historical and cultural
context through which to view the pieces. Affording a starting
point for anyone interested in African art, jewelry, decorative
arts, and fashion, African Gold presents African goldwork in all
its glory.
