African Art - Fragility and Patrimony

Holland Cotter of The New York Times recently published an article covering the tumultuous history of the handling of African artifacts, former and current stances on patrimony in the world of African art, and the dangers facing African antiquities in the future. "Imperiled Legacy for African Art" touches significantly on the fate of the prehistoric Nok terracottas of Nigeria and the centuries-old Djenne sculptural tradition of the Inner Niger Delta of Mali, as well as the present-day destruction of sacred sites by religious militants.

Read the article here.

Seated figure  -  Djenne, Mali

Seated figure  -  Djenne, Mali

Images courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art