Wall Sculptures of Abomey - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Wall Sculptures of Abomey write by Francesca Piqué. This book was released on 1999. Wall Sculptures of Abomey available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than 40 ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. During the early 17th century, the Fon established a society ruled by a dynasty of kings, who over the years forged the powerful kingdom of Dahomey. In their capital city of Abomey, the rulers built a remarkable complex of palaces which became the centre of the kingdom's political, social and religious life. The palace walls were decorated with colourful low-relief sculptures, or bas-reliefs, recounting legends and battles and glorifying the dynasty's region. In a society with no written language, these visual stories have perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people.
Palace Sculptures of Abomey
Palace Sculptures of Abomey - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Palace Sculptures of Abomey write by Francesca Piqué. This book was released on 2000-03-16. Palace Sculptures of Abomey available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. The Republic of Benin in West Africa is home to more than forty ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Fon. In the early seventeenth century, the Fon established a society ruled by a dynasty of kings, who over the years forged the powerful kingdom of Dahomey. In their capital city of Abomey, they 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 history of the dynasty's reign. Over the centuries, these visual stories have represented and perpetuated the history and myths of the Fon people. The 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 are 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. Final chapters describe the Historic Museum of Abomey, now housed in the palace complex, and discuss the continuing popularity of bas-reliefs in contemporary West African art.
Palace Sculptures of Abomey
Palace Sculptures of Abomey - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Palace Sculptures of Abomey write by . This book was released on 2013. Palace Sculptures of Abomey available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
Herculaneum and the House of the Bicentenary
Herculaneum and the House of the Bicentenary - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Herculaneum and the House of the Bicentenary write by Sarah Court. This book was released on 2020-02-11. Herculaneum and the House of the Bicentenary available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. This volume provides a striking account of the life, destruction, rediscovery, and cultural significance of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum and one of its grandest residences—the House of the Bicentenary. This volume vividly recounts, for general readers, the Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and uniquely preserved for nearly two thousand years. Initial chapters offer an engaging historical overview of the town during antiquity, including the riveting story of its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, excavation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and broad cultural significance in modern times. Subsequent chapters offer an interpretive tour of the ancient town, then focus on one of Herculaneum’s grandest and most beautifully decorated private residences, known as the House of the Bicentenary. Located on the town’s main street, it has a range of features—original rooms, magnificent wall paintings and mosaics, and remarkable documents—that illuminate daily life in the ancient world. Final chapters bring the story up to date, including recent discoveries about the site and its famous papyrus manuscripts, as well as ongoing conservation initiatives.
Dahomey’s Royal Architecture
Dahomey’s Royal Architecture - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Dahomey’s Royal Architecture write by Lynne Ellsworth Larsen. This book was released on 2023-06-23. Dahomey’s Royal Architecture available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Dahomey’s Royal Architecture examines the West African kingdom of Dahomey, located in present-day Republic of Benin. The book explores the Royal Palace of Dahomey’s relationship to the religious, cultural, and national identity of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Dahomey (c. 1625–1892), colonial Dahomey (1892–1960) and post-colonial Benin (1960–present). The Royal Palace of Dahomey covers more than 108 acres and was surrounded by a wall over two miles long. When the French colonial army arrived in Abomey in 1892, the ruling king set fire to the palace to keep it from falling into enemy hands. Though much of the palace structure was subsequently left to ruin, a portion of it was restored from which the French ruled for a short period. In 1945, the colonial administration transformed part of the palace into a museum, and in 1985 the entire palace was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list. This book documents the palace’s physical transformations in relation to its changing purposes and explores how the space maintained religious significance despite change. The palace’s construction, destruction, and restorations demonstrate how architecture can be manipulated and transformed according to the agendas of governments or according to the religious and cultural needs of a populace. The palace functions as a historic record by discussing aspects of documentation, revision, language, and interpretation. Covering almost four centuries of Dahomey’s history, this book will be of interest to researchers and students of African art and architecture, religious studies, west African history, and post-colonial studies.
