Land of the Flying Masks: Art & Culture in Burkina Faso, the Thomas G. B. Wheellock Collection (Hardcover)

by Christopher D. Roy (Author), Thomas G. B. Wheelock (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Thomas Wheelock Collection is the largest private assemblage of works of Burkina Faso art in the world. Now accessible to the public for the first time, this book reveals the country’s enormous artistic range. Featured here are examples of the intricate and brightly colored masks for which Burkina Faso is best known, and which are used throughout the country in traditional ceremonies and celebrations. The collection also contains a multitude of other ceremonial objects such as costumes, dance ornaments, statues, instruments and pieces of jewelry as well as beautifully crafted everyday items including spoons, pots, baskets, stools and chairs. The pieces in this marvelously panoramic collection reflect a country rich in cultural diversity, tradition, and artistry.

About the Author
THOMAS WHEELOCK has traveled and collected extensively in Burkina Faso for more than thirty years, and assembled the world’s leading private collection of art from this West African country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 471 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing (June 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791335146
• ISBN-13: 978-3791335148
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #888,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars flying colors for flying masks, July 7, 2007

By	Amyas Naegele - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although Burkina Faso lies between two nations, Mali and Cote d'Ivoire, whose art stands tall in the canons of African sculpture most sought after in the West, Burkina art has been given short shrift by museums, dealers and collectors, and in literature. As a result, long after important older objects had largely vanished from the lands of the Dogon, Bamana, Senufo and Baule, ancient masks, figures, and metalwork could still be
found in Burkina Faso. Author and collector Tom Wheelock had the good fortune to stumble upon this fact in the early 1970s. Persevering through chicanery and art market snobbery he assembled the largest collection of Burkina art in the world over the course of the next three decades. In this remarkable book, Land of Flying Masks, Tom Wheelock shares highlights from his collection in clean, bold images, with informative text and stunning field photography by Professor Christopher Roy, This is not a book of masterpieces- although there are more than a few- it is unique and long overdue survey of the traditional art of a single African nation lovingly rendered. Besides the flying masks one will find gorgeous baskets, stools, rings, hats, pots and musical instruments. A catalog with color thumbnail images and copious identifications takes up a substantial number of pages. For those of us who love African material culture in all its variety, particularly those passionate about the art of West Africa this book is an absolute must.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Presentation Of Wonderful Objects , August 31, 2008

By	James I. Cole "grayspur" (High Desert, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hardback, 12" x 10 ", 471 Pages, 557 objects presented in full-color in full-page format. All 557 items are repeated in color thumbnails with concise and informative descriptions.....I own over 200 books on Tribal Art, and this is quite simply one of the best books on African Art I have ever seen. The quality of the selected sculptures is matched by the quality of the photographs, presentation, format and paper. Burkina Faso boasts some of the very best West African art, and the collection of Thomas Wheelock, unlike some private collections, is of a consistently high standard. Superb and essential.