142 Carvers of the Lobi By Petra and Stephan Herkenhoff Published in German and English (bilingual edition) by Herkenhoff-Tribalart, 2013 31.5 x 24 cm, 288 pages, 380 illustrations in color and black and white ISBN: 978-3-00-040716-1 Hardcover, 49 euros + shipping Orders: Dr.Herkenhoff@t-online.de Review by Bertrand Goy und Religion der Lobi (Art and Religion of the Lobi) by Piet Meyer, was published in 1981. Since then, numerous other works have come out, but a new book by Petra and Stephan Herkenhoff stands out among them, and their tireless efforts to promote this statuary deserve recognition. The book is meticulously produced, the photographs are of excellent quality, and the pieces were scrupulously selected. Previously unpublished in situ images add to the book’s interest. There are informative references to Hans Himmelheber, who used film and photography to document sculptor Binate Kambire, whom he encountered in a northern Côte d’Ivoire village in 1965. Also noteworthy is the unique presentation of the bibliography. Here, instead of the traditional list of works, photographs of the books’ covers are shown. Among other things, the authors organize the seemingly anarchic profusion of bateba figures that punctuate Lobi life and are associated with all of its events. Working with a corpus of objects assembled with passion and discernment over a period of many years, the two collectors have worked to establish an intelligible stylistic classification of these works. They base their findings on in-depth analysis of sometimes seemingly insignificant details that, due to how they are repeated, turn out to be very important. Diamond-shaped eyes, a particular type of grin, breasts unusually close together, and frog-like faces, for instance, can be identifying markers of manufacture. The authors’ choice to use the recently fashionable term “Master” to designate the putative fathers of various known bateba groups deserves comment. In the absence of any formal recognition of paternity, a less restrictive and subjective term, such as “workshop,” “atelier,” or even “style” might have been preferable. Even when we have photographic documentation of an artist with his sculptures, the conclusions that may be drawn from such evidence are fraught with uncertainty. For instance, we have some information on Lunkena BOOKS To an extent rarely equaled in African art, Lobi anthropomorphic sculpture expresses great diversity of form, expression, and posture, while at the same time remaining within the boundaries of a stylistic family that allows the informed viewer to recognize its origin at a glance. This undoubtedly derives from the very nature of this cultural group, which inhabits both sides of the border between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. During the initial period of colonization, the Lobi staunchly stuck to their identity and resisted outside authority that might interfere with that of their families and clans. The French paid a price to find out that the Lobi and other Birifor groups were determined to maintain their independence. Despite this external pressure, the peoples of this region intimately shared values, rituals, beliefs, and culture. Little attention had been paid to Lobi artistic production until a work about their material culture, Kunst
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