Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity
While classicists have long been interested in the ancient Ethiopian empires at Meroe and Aksum, and Medievalists continue to study the almost 2000-year-old tradition of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian art, Africanists have largely overlooked the rich diversity of the indigenous visual culture of northeast Africa. This volume, accompanying an exhibition curated by Silverman, seeks to rectify this scholarly oversight with an anthology of illustrated essays by a distinguished group of anthropologists, historians, and art historians. Unlike most African art studies, this one focuses primarily on individual, named artistsAe.g., wood sculptors, basket makers, metalworkers, potters, church muralists, and modern painters. Wide-ranging if not all-inclusive, the text reveals much about the scope of Ethiopia's artistry. And although each essay is accompanied by a few field and object photographs, this is no coffee-table art book. Highly recommended for all academic libraries because of its scholarship and unique topical focus.AEugene C. Burt, SeattleCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.