BOOKS 128 FIG. 6: Commemorative head. Akan, probably Twifo- Heman area, Ghana. C. 1800. Terracotta. H: 22.9 cm. Private collection. © present owner. FIG. 7: Figure commemorating a chief. Tshokwe, Angola. 19th century. Wood. H: 38.1 cm. Private collection. © present owner. which exemplified that particular tradition. I then examined these in a nuanced manner in relation to the existing literature to determine who their subjects were and what had been the nature of the relationship between that subject and the creation of his or her artistic representation. In order to do so, I mined existing cultural monographs and also drew upon the work of historians who provided a sense of the very specific circumstances in which particular visual traditions developed. My project drew upon a vast body of research literature in African studies compiled over the last century and brought to the forefront information that had not necessarily been emphasized in those more generalized studies. What was original about the approach was reconciling archival and field research with works of material culture from eight major artistic centers. As had been the intention of their original patrons, the works of art brought historical narratives more vividly to life. Reconciling those narratives with works that have been viewed in generic terms in the West for most of the century in turn greatly renewed and enriched appreciation of their significance. T. A. M.: Although it accompanies a temporary show, this book is more than a mere catalog. Did you conceive of it like that from the beginning, or did the book’s orientation evolve during the writing process? A. L.: I’m glad that you raise this point. When I first proposed this project to the Metropolitan’s director, Thomas Campbell, I had envisioned inviting specialists who had worked on Benin, Akan, Ife, Alisa LaGamma Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures T. A. M.: Could you briefly describe the nature of your research and how you approached it? A.L.: I began developing Heroic Africans directly after my project Eternal Ancestors: The Art of the Central African Reliquary. That earlier exhibition had a very specific regional focus to it and examined a distinctive sculptural genre informed by a particular religious and artistic movement. Following that in-depth look at some of the most celebrated creations of African artists, I wanted to take a very different approach to introducing the art world to some of the great landmarks in the history of art that were produced in Africa. I was very interested in taking on the topic of how the individual has historically been represented in African art. I did not, however, want to attempt to undertake a survey of African art and portraiture because I realized that I would never be able to do the subject justice and that attempting to do so would yield a superficial and eclectic overview. Instead my idea was to raise awareness of the far-ranging relevance of the subject through a focused examination of especially rewarding case studies. In order to do so, I selected a balance of West and Central African traditions that afforded a far-ranging and diverse array of time periods, media, and aesthetics. For each of the eight case studies, I began by identifying a critical mass of outstanding works
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