Twenty-three years after the original publication of Segy’s book, this
fourth edition (in paperback form) came to the
market. As the author
notes, its content reflects added material he collected on trips to
Africa after he’d written the third edition of the book in 1968. His
travels took him to Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Mali, Ghana,
Dahomey, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. (Obviously, the African continent has
changed noticeably since the 1970s. Names such as Upper Volta and
Dahomey, for example, no longer even appear on maps of the continent.)Although
political changes have markedly changed the face of Africa since the
1970s, the underlying artistic traditions of its people have remained
unchanged. As a result, this book by Segy can help to orient anyone
wanting to know more about such things as (1) the meaning of African
art, (2) its sources, and (3) its content. He offers information on
such topics as animism, fetishism, totemism, and mythology. In doing
so, he focuses attention on pieces of sculpture and how they illustrate
the beliefs and practices of people in Africa.As he details
specific characteristics of African art in general, the author also
draws a comparison between it and European art. (Most readers will
likely have more awareness and knowledge of European art than they will
of African.) Once he’s laid that foundation for readers, he turns his
attention to a consideration of various styles of art to be found in
specific geographical locations across the African continent. Over half
of the book’s content is devoted to this examination of characteristics
to be found in specific countries, among certain peoples and/or tribes.While
the book does include photographs of artwork for illustrative purposes,
the photographs are all black and white. Accompanying notes in the back
of the book indicate what each photograph shows, as well as the owner
of the artwork shown. An extensive bibliography also in the back of the book.