Luluwa : Art D'afrique Centrale Entre Ciel Et Terre

Living between the Lubudi and Kasai rivers in south-central Democratic Republic of Congo, the Luluwa are known for their intricate figurative carvings, masks and decorative arts. Constantin Petridis, director of the Department of African and American Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, draws on first-hand reports by explorers, missionaries, colonial officials, anthropologists, and art historians between 1880 and 1970 to situate Luluwa art in the environment where it was originally produced and used. Through the analysis of published and unpublished sources, as well as archival photographs and artifacts, this monograph sheds new light on the historical context of one of Central Africa's most spectacular artistic heritages.