African

Moorish Architecture in Andalusia (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series)

Spain owes its special historical position in Europe very largely to his intensive encounter with the Orient. In the summer of 710, a small force under the command of a Berber named Taî f ibn Mâ lik landed to the west of Gibraltar. The Islamic armies that followed in its wake succeeded in conquering large areas of Spain within a short span of years. The conquerors gave the country the name of "al-andalus." Thus began a period of cultural permeation that was to last for almost 800 years. In spite of intolerance and animosity, there developed between Muslims, Christians, and Jews a shared cultural environment that proved the basis for great achievements. Moorish-Andalusian art and architecture combine elements of various traditions into a new, autonomous style. Among the outstanding architectural witnesses to this achievement are the Great Mosque in Cordova and the Alhambra in Granada, recognized and admired as part of the world's heitage right up to the present day. They are described in detail in this book. The main centres of Hispano-Islamic art and architecture, the cities of Cordova, Seville and Granada, are discussed within the chronological framework of developments, both political and cultural, from 710 to 1492.

Moroccan Interiors

A temptation to dream This book explores contemporary interiors in the sun-soaked land that stretches from the Sahara to the Mediterranean: Morocco. The diversity is breathtaking: the rural pis? architecture of the south is a far cry from the Hispano-Mooresque ornamental beauty of the imperial cities. Moroccan Interiors are as endlessly varied as the country itself, from the restored palaces in the medina of Marrakesh (where aesthetes of the international set now live) to humble troglodyte fishermen's homes at Sidi Moussa d?Aglou. The colorful palette of this country and the light there themselves suffuse these very different homes with a vitality that is as distinctive to modern Morocco as it is a reflection of contemporary trends in d?cor worldwide. The author: Lisa Lovatt-Smith was born in 1967 in Barcelona of British parents. She has since lived in London, Madrid and Milan. At eighteen she began a meteoric career at the various international editions of Vogue. She has since decided to concentrate on writing in Paris, her chosen home, where she lives with her daughter.

Marrakech: Living on the Edge of the Desert

Marrakech is a place of contrasts: half African and half Andalusian. Amid its luxuriant palm groves, through the ochre-coloures streets of the canopied souks, Marrakech is veiled in an ambiguous mystique. High walls protect havens waiting to be discovered as heavy cedar-wood doors yield to offer a glimpse of the delights of the town centres and marketplaces. Deep within its gardens, vestiges of ancient splendour reminiscent of ancient Babylon can be discovered. In the quiet angles, nooks and corners where one can hear just the murmuring of a fountain, it is easy to believe it is one of the last outposts of a forgotten Eden. Daniel Rey, architect and journalist, collaborates with FMR and AD magazines and compiles travel reports for Conde Nast Traveller and Louis Vuitton City Guides . Dividing his time between Rome and Marrakech, he teamed up with photographer Massimo Listri to create a book that will have readers reaching for it time and time again.

Early Art and Architecture of Africa (Oxford History of Art)

This new history of over 5,000 years of African art reveals its true diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Garlake focuses on seven key regions--southern Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, and the East African coast--treating each in detail and setting them in their social and historical context. Garlake is long familiar with and has extensive practical experience of both the archaeology and the art history of Africa. Using the latest research and archaeological findings, he offers exciting new insights into the works native to these areas, and he also puts forth new interpretations of several key cultures and monuments.
Acknowledging the universal allure of the African art object, this stunning book helps us to understand more about the ways in which this art was produced, used, and received.

Lagos: How It Works

Lagos: How it Works is the result of more than eight years of research in Lagos, Nigeria. As a symbol of West African urbanism, Lagos contradicts almost every defining feature of the "modern” city. And yet it’s a city that works. In over five hundred pages, this mega-book documents the changing mega-city with essays, illustrations, maps, diagrams, rumors, interviews, images, and anecdotes. It follows the development of Lagos from a small-scale, traditional settlement on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea in 1800 into one of the largest megacities in the world today. With an emphasis on modernity, infrastructure, and the role of oil and town planners in the 1970s, it observes the effects that globalization has had on the city’s identity, from its position on the cutting edge of African modernity through its dramatic decline during the oil crisis until today.

Pende: Visions of Africa

Although many societies in the Congo were once renowned for vibrant masquerades and architectural sculpture, these phenomena have only been studied as living traditions among a handful of peoples, most notably the Pende. Building on the extended fieldwork of numerous researchers since the 1950s, this text offers a unique window into the dynamic performance contexts of both masquerade and architecture in Central Africa. As much as possible, it privileges Pende voices as it seeks to understand the interrelationship between ritual practice and aesthetic form. Attentive to history, the text also records how these artistic practices have responded (sometimes unpredictably) to both colonial and post-colonial pressures. Lavish illustrations feature both iconic and hitherto unpublished masterworks, which have been selected to evoke the full range of Pende expression. Visions of Africa is a series devoted to the arts of Africa grouped according to the different populations. Each volume follows two main g

African Style: down to the details

Brimming over with vibrant photography and inspiring projects, African Style sheds light on traditional textiles, colors, and materials used in a variety of African cultures and ways of adapting them to modern living. From the basic importance of paint to the fine details of accessories, author Sharne Algotsson (Spirit of African Design) and photographer George Ross have brought together a fabulous blend of creative inspiration, geographical and historical information, and easy projects that will have readers itching to add new style to their homes.

Algottson's suggestion of creating a color board when creating a new look for a room is invaluable. With a simple 11 x 17 sheet of art board, you can combine color chips and fabric scraps to achieve just the right look before making the more permanent commitment of painting the walls and buying new window coverings. Detailed explanations of color--indigo, orange, deep brown, red--will have you ready to take some risks and use those flamboyant shades in your home, while at the same time educate you on the cultural meanings behind some colors. Accompanying all these unique ideas and fascinating information are some truly stunning photographs captured with a playful eye. Ross uses a variety of unusual angles and lighting in his work that capture these glorious interiors in a fresh manner that will encourage you to beautify everything from the walls of your bedroom to the legs of your creaky old footstool. Patterns from Zulu baskets, Ewe cloth, Ashanti Adinkra symbols, and Asoke textiles are used with flair in every corner. Specific suggestions are included for recovering seat cushions, painting small pieces of furniture, and upholstering a headboard--all surprisingly simple projects that require little more than a paintbrush, a staple gun, and an artistic vision. --Jill Lightner

"Today more and more of us are striving to bring personal meaning and beauty into our lives and homes. African style is the perfect way to express that joy in living, whether your look is formal, traditional, minimal, casual country, or eclectic," writes Sharne Algotsson in her stunning new book, African Style: Down to the Details. Following on the success of her first book, The Spirit of African Design, written with Denys Davis, Sharne now offers a gorgeous, hands-on guide to decorating any home with the richness of Africa.

Bursting with hundreds of full-color photographs, African Style: Down to the Details looks at a full range of home decorating options, with chapters on Color, Paint, and Pattern; Textiles; Furniture; Accessories and Display; and The Mix, which reveals how to coordinate all the elements to create a harmonious whole. Sharne offers a number of simple, inexpensive but exciting how-to projects that can revitalize a room, such as an African-Style Padded Window Cornice, as well as dramatic before-and-after photographs of quick makeovers for chairs, tables, mantels, and more.

Written by the leading expert in the field, this book is a treasure trove of practical advice, decorating tips, and insider shortcuts for incorporating the vibrant beauty of Africa into any home, on any budget. In addition, an extensive resources section makes it easy for readers to locate hard-to-find specialty stores and suppliers of textiles, furniture, and accessories. Whether you want to redecorate your entire home or simply add a few fresh accents, African Style: Down to the Details is a dazzling celebration of the continent's unparalleled aesthetic.

Asmara: Africa's Secret Modernist City

Hatshepsut's Temple at Deir el Bahari

Hatshepsut's Temple at Deir el Bahari is about a wonderful experiment in ancient Egyptian art and architecture, a uniquely remarkable structure, but more important it provides some insights about the men and a woman who were avant guard in their thinking at a time when females dared not rule. However, given the opportunity to do so, Queen Hatshepsut ruled well and was involved in many building projects, chief of which was her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari, on the west bank at Thebes. The present work is a survey of the history of the Queen, her architect Senmut and their impact on the historical landscape of ancient Egypt. This work consists of two poems to the god Amon Ra and to the Temple of Deir el Bahari itself, an overview, an introduction, two essays on Hatshepsut and Senmut and conclusions by the author, as well as some published reports written more than a hundred years ago when the Swiss Egyptologist Edouard Naville excavated the temple. In addition, there are some 20 illustrations and photographs taken from the bird's eye view of the temple from the mountain, descending the mountain, and the ascent into the temple's colonnades, ramps, shrines, and to the middle and upper terrace at the mountain's base. The photographs are designed to "let the monuments teach" and as such, they highlight the art and architectural wonder of the temple and this work is therefore a guidebook for students, specialists, and laymen and women as well as for tourists.

Moorish Architecture in Andalusia (Architecture & Design Series)