Customer Reviews

African Masks: The Barbier-Mueller Collection (African Art)

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This is the best book I have found on the psychology and understanding of African masks. Just fantastic, worth the money. 80% color plates, brief outline of basic African mask types and their interpretation, grouped by region and by style.

First-rate, high quality throughout, this volume does what a book of this type should do: packs in plenty of color plates of the masks, and shows them being worn (in black-and-white in situ photos) on the accompanying left-hand pages of the spreads. The collection is far-ranging and, though it cannot include every type of mask, it does manage to convey the incredible variety, richness and paradoxical sophistication of this art form. Highly recommended.

This book has fantastic photos and information about the masks pictured. There are also archival photos of similar masks from earlier times. The most impressive part is the photos of the masks in use. I have often had trouble imagining how the masks were worn or used until this book. Not only are there photos of many of the masks in use the whole costume is also pictured. Truly one of the best books I've seen on the subject.

I bought the hardcover version of this & it is well worth the additional expense because the photos are excellent in quality & number. The printing of the photos is of a very high quality. The book is well organized by region & tribes; since many tribes do not adhere to modern borders. I also bought THE TRIBAL ARTS OF AFRICA it is very good but the organization is poor (by region & country) and the descriptions for the smaller photos are not in the same order as the photos, so one has to really search to find out what one is looking at. Whereas the variety and great quality of the photos in AFRICAN MASKS enabled me to definitively identify a mask I acquired 30 years ago. If you collect or love viewing West African carvings I recommend investing in the hardcover version.

This is the best book I have found on the psychology and understanding of African masks. Just fantastic, worth the money. 80% color plates, brief outline of basic African mask types and their interpretation, grouped by region and by style.

Great overview of all African masks, with intelligent background and supportive material. Not just a picture book or rehash of oft-repeated images. Really a book to be used and absorbed.. It will be a great help.

African Masks: The Barbier-Mueller Collection has a 25-page introduction on the various forms and functions of the masks in the collection, which include masks from Liberia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina-Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria, and the Congo. The rest of the book is divided into 2-page layouts, one for each mask, grouped by area of origin. The mask appears in a large color photo on the right-hand page while the left-hand page includes a physical description and notes on its use as well as, in most cases, a photo of the mask or a similar mask when it was worn as part of a ceremony. That is, the mask is shown not in isolation but as the most important part of the masked dancer's regalia. In most cases, the dancer's body (and identity) are hidden by raffia or cloth, so that he is able to become the spirit of the mask rather than the human.

Because the masks are grouped by area of origin, it's possible to see similarities in both construction and style.

Many of these masks were considered so powerful and in some cases so dangerous that only a few well-trained people could handle them. Thus, information about their symbolism and use was very restricted. The beauty of this book is that it collects information from a variety of sources to give the reader at least some background on each mask's style and ritual importance.

A very important source on West and Central African masks.

I'm a maskmaker. I have been checking this book out of the library, renewing it for as long as possible, returning it, and checking it out again for the past year. I finally broke down and bought it. The photos are well done and demonstrative of the pieces, and the pieces themselves cover a wide range of geographical, and contextual, space.

One of the best books available on authentic African tribal masks from one of the best (originally) private collections in the world and collected by very discerning collectors with an eye for quality and beauty as well as authenticity.

This book is one of the best starting points for every beginner who wants to start to learn how to recognize african masks. The pictures are amazing, the informations provided are correct, in every aspects a great book.
A curious thing: because of its easy availability and its cheap price, after this book has been published, in many places in east Africa (as Kampala, Bujumbura, Kigali, Kasese) many artists started to make fake congolese masks copying the images contained on this book. So, if you're finding samples of masks exactly like these ones, check well before to buy them.