Textiles Africains

The art of African weaving is still too little known. However, the plastic and aesthetic inventiveness displayed by African artists testifies to an inexhaustible imagination. The "Kasai velvet" has inspired contemporary artists such as Paul Klee and Matisse.

From West Africa to Madagascar, this unprecedented work highlights a dazzling panorama of textile creations: bridal hangings, everyday clothes or talismanic outfits, made from cotton, wool, silk, beaten bark or beads.

Organised geographically and presenting the particularities of each territory, the book invites us to discover unique pieces within the cultures that shaped them. The works, some of which are still unpublished, come from public collections (musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, Metropolitan Museum in New York, Museum of Ethnology in Lisbon, British Museum in London, etc.) as well as from private collectors.

Combining graphic quality with scientific expertise, the 200 entries and their 300 illustrations offer a colourful range of motifs and materials.