Narrative Wisdom and African Arts

This is the first book to offer a comparative examination of intersections between African arts and narrative across expansive genres, cultures, periods and contexts of patronage. More than two hundred colour images explore an extensive array of media including sculpture in wood, ivory, metal, textiles, works on paper, photography, painting and timebased media works. Acknowledging intersections between certain historical arts and oral traditions, Nichole N. Bridges surveys assorted visual modes and motives of arts that facilitate, document, reinforce or critique narratives concerning the legitimacy of leaders, memory of place, prescriptions for healing and destiny, and enduring ancestral wisdom.