African art: Cameroon and Gabon

	Site Map \| FAQ in Daily Almanac for Jul 10, 2009 Search White Pages
Skip Navigation Home Summer Guide Atlas Encyclopedia Dictionary Thesaurus Features Quizzes Timelines Countries Slideshows

Fact Monster Kid's reference,
games, quizzes

Help us improve Infoplease!
Start Survey

Editor's Favorites

Encyclopedia—African art

Cameroon and Gabon

The small tribes of the Cameroon grasslands display a fairly homogeneous style. Sculpture is bold in execution and vital in expression. Wood carvings include large house posts, masks, and other ritual objects. Among the Mangbetu people of Gabon, the decorative motifs on stringed musical instruments, drums, and spoons emphasize the human figure, often elongated with smooth surface planes. Some figures are said to act as guardian spirits over ancestors whose bones are kept in boxes. The art of the Bakota people is best known for highly stylized wood and metal figures that were placed in reliquaries.

Sections in this article:

Premium Partner Content

Related content from HighBeam Research on: African art: Cameroon and Gabon

Christa Clark (2001): A Personal Journey: Central African Art from the Lawrence Gussman Collection.(Book Review) (Journal of Asian and African Studies)

Eternal Ancestors: the Art of the Central African Reliquary.(exhibition preview) (African Arts)

Art services.(Directory) (Art in America)

Current events.(Calendar) (African Arts)

Hans Himmelheber (1908-2003).(in memoriam)(Obituary) (African Arts)

Contrary to the temptation! An appeal for a new dialogue among museums and collectors, scholars, and dealers.(first word) (African Arts)

A masterwork that sheds tears ... and light: a complementary study of a Fang ancestral head.(Essay) (African Arts)

On the road to peace and economic recovery. (Africa; includes related article) (UN Chronicle)

Books received.(Brief Article)(Bibliography) (Africa)

West Africa's largest conference centre.(Travel Business)(Interview) (African Business)

Infoplease Tools