Francesca Piqué, Leslie H. Rainer
Description
The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than
forty ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. In the early seventeenth
century, the
...
Fon established a society ruled by a dynasty of kings, who over
the years forged the powerful kingdom of Dahomey. In their capital city of
Abomey, they built a remarkable complex of palaces that became the center of the
kingdom's political, social, and religious life. The palace walls were
decorated with colorful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, which recount
legends and battles and glorify the history of the dynasty's reign. Over the
centuries, these visual stories have represented and perpetuated the history
and myths of the Fon people.
The Palace Sculptures of Abomey
combines lavish color photographs of the bas-reliefs with a lively history of
the Dahomey kingdom, complemented by period drawings, rare historical
photographs, and colorful textile art. The book provides a vivid portrait of
these exceptional narrative sculptures and the equally remarkable people who
crafted them. Also included are a reading of the stories on the walls and
details of the four-year collaboration between the Benin Ministry of Culture
and Communications and the Getty Conservation Institute to conserve the
bas-reliefs of Abomey. Final chapters describe the Historic Museum of Abomey,
now housed in the palace complex, and discuss the continuing popularity of
bas-reliefs in contemporary West African art.
Read more