Bronze Head from Ife

ClickontheGooglePreviewimageabovetoreadsomepagesofthisbook!Believedtorepresentaking,thebeautifulbronzeheadintheBritishMuseumisoneofseventeenobjectsunearthedin1938-9atthetownofIfeinNigeria.ThestunningnaturalismandsophisticatedcraftsmanshipoftheobjectschallengedWesternperceptionsofAfricanartatthetime,whichwerelargelybasedaroundabstractwoodenfigures.ItwasconsequentlyassumedatfirstthattheymusthavebeenmadebyEuropeansorunderEuropeaninfluence.Intime,however,theycametobeseenaswhollyAfrican,probablydatingfromthetwelfthtofourteenthcenturies,andrepresentativeofahithertounknownartistictraditiononthatcontinent.ThebronzeheadfromIfeisoneofthemostprizedobjectsintheBritishMuseum'sAfricancollections.Thisbooktellsitsfascinatingstory,fromitsdiscoverytoitsreceptionandexhibitioninBritain,whereitinfluencedandinspiredseveralmajorartists.Theauthoralsodescribeshowtheheadhastakenonanewlifeandsignificanceinitshomeland,whereimagesofithaveaboundedsinceNigeriadeclaredindependencefromBritainin1960.