From Library Journal
The Fon people of the Republic of Benin in West Africa were a powerful cultural and military force in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their kings reigned from elaborate earthen palaces decorated with brightly colored bas-reliefs that expressed the power and achievements of the rulers through allegorical and symbolic imagery. The government of Benin, together with the Getty Conservation Institute, is endeavoring to preserve those historically important sculptures. This book provides background information on Fon culture and history, the kingship system and the role of the palaces, and explication of the significance and meaning of the reliefs, as well as a section on the continuing conservation efforts. This volume is not intended as a catalog raisonn? of the reliefs; rather, it is a richly illustrated introductory survey accessible to both the general reader and the scholarly specialist. Recommended to any library with an interest in art or African studies.-Eugene C. Burt, Seattle Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
The Fon, who are the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Benin in West Africa, established the powerful kingdom of Dahomey in the early seventeenth century. In their capital city of Abomey, they built a remarkable complex of palaces, featuring walls decorated with colorful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, which recount legends and battles and glorify the history of their royal dynasty's reign. Over the centuries, these visual stories have represented and perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people. Palace Sculptures of Abomey combines lavish color photographs of the bas-reliefs with a lively history of the Dahomey kingdom, complemented by period drawings, rare historical photographs, and colorful textile art. The book provides a vivid portrait of these exceptional narrative sculptures and the equally remarkable people who crafted them. Also included is a discussion of the continuing popularity of bas-reliefs in contemporary West African art, a reading of the stories on the walls, and details of the four-year collaboration between the Benin Ministry of Culture and Communications and the Getty Conservation Institute to conserve the bas-reliefs of Abomey.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than forty ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. In their capital city of Abomey, the rulers built a remarkable complex of palaces that became the center of the kingdom's political, social, and religious life. The palace walls were decorated with colorful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, which recount legends and battles and glorify the dynasty's reign. In a society with no written language, these visual stories have perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people." "Palace Sculptures of Abomey combines color photographs of the bas-reliefs with a lively history of Dahomey, complemented by rare historical images. As well as providing a vivid portrait of these narrative sculptures, the book details the collaborative efforts of the Benin Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Getty Conservation Institute to conserve the reliefs; describes the Historic Museum of Abomey, now housed in the palace compound; and discusses the continuing popularity of bas-reliefs in contemporary Beninois art.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal