Ife in the History of West African Sculpture

New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. First US edition. 232 pages illustrations (some color), maps 26 cm. Numerous plates, chiefly in b&w. Fine in about very good to very good(+) jacket with tiny closed edge tear to front top an small chip to bottom rear edge; Jacket now in archival mylar. Hardcover.

Contents: Something new out of Africa; The bronzes from Wunmonije compound; The bronzes from Ita Yemoo; The technique of lost wax bronze-casting; The terracotta sculptures of Ife; The stone sculptures of Ife; Finding out about ancient Ife; Ancestors in terracotta; The origins of the Yoruba and of the art of Ife; The date of the art of Ife; Descendants in bronze; Relatives in bronze of Ife and Benin; Neighbours in bronze and stone; Recent Yoruba sculpture; Elements of continuity in West African sculpture. ¶ "Ifẹ̀ (Yoruba: Ifẹ̀, also Ilé-Ifẹ̀) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria, recent in-depth archeologically estimates suggest Ife's founding to be between the 10th century BC and 6th century BC and is widely agreed upon by historians to be the oldest amongst the classical and post-classical Yoruba city-states.... Named as the city of 401 deities, Ifẹ̀ is home to many worshippers of these deities and is where they are routinely celebrated through festivals."—Wikipedia