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Yoruba : nine centuries of African art and thought
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Yoruba : nine centuries of African art and thought

by Henry Drewal, John Pemberton, Rowland Abiodun

An exploration of the rich artistic traditions and history of the Yoruba people of Nigeria and Benin. Illustrated with over 200 photographs, it features rarely seen objects from international museums and private collections.

Accession 685 ISBN 0810917947 Publisher Center for African Art
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TAGS
Curated Derived
Art Biology Culture Decorative Arts Family and Society Handicrafts History Materials Religion Sculpture Social Sciences
CONNECTIONS
No connections
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on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-03 17:12
orientation
vertical
Details

Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
G:S2:2 4 Current vertical
1 week, 1 day ago
G:S2:1 6 vertical
3 weeks, 1 day ago
Book Location
Updated 6 days, 20 hours ago
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Last synced 2026-05-21 02:16 (2 weeks, 6 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
Yoruba : nine centuries of African art and thought
vernon_id
4574
accession_no→ accession_number
685
vernon_slug
yoruba-nine-centuries-of-african-art-and-thought-henry-drewal-with-john-pemberton-rowland-abiodun

Drives Pulse state

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On Shelf
location_name
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location_reason
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isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
0810917947

Descriptive

production_date
1989
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication, Exhibition catalogues/Catalogues/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
Arising around A.D. 800, the ancient, walled Yoruba kingdoms were complex city states headed by sacred rulers, both male and female. Their modern descendants, Yoruba-speaking peoples of Nigeria and Benin, have preserved traditional art forms rooted in a view of the cosmos as alive and in constant flux. The stunning catalogue of a travelling exhibition, this volume serves as a window onto a world where "character is beauty," where rebirth occurs continuously and where spirits, gods and the life force are all-pervasive. Naturalistic terracotta heads, beaded crowns, ceremonial staffs topped with stylized birds, and objects in ivory, bronze, stone and wood display rare artistry. -- Publishers Weekly

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Rowland Abiodun, Henry Drewal, John Pemberton
tags→ tags
Art, Arts, Religion, Sculpture, History, Civilisation, Anthropology, Decorative arts, Culture, Wood sculpture, Bronze, Copper alloys, Alloys, Metals, Manners and customs, Minerals, Pottery, Ceramics, Clay, Binders (Materials), Materials, Worship, Masks, Costume, Clothing and dress, Yoruba (African people), Ethnology -- Nigeria, Stone carving, Ivory, Tusks, Teeth, Mouth, Face, Head, Staffs (Sticks, canes, etc.), Terra-cotta [Terracotta], Copper-zinc alloys, Native element minerals, Beads, Art, African, Divination, Wood-carving, Woodwork, Iron, Brass, Staffs (Opa orisha Oka), Wood sculpture, Yoruba
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Topics and Themes