BOOKS 152 Guerrero Art The Art of Mezcala and Chontal Sculpture in Pre-Columbian Mexico By Bénédicte Hamard Published as a bilingual French and English edition by BH Expertise, 2015 144 pages, 23 x 28 cm, 186 color illustrations ISBN: 978-2-7466-8634-2 Hardcover, 60 euros This well-conceived book presents evidence of the signifi cant contribution played by chance and human encounters in the evolution of knowledge. Guerrero Art arose from a single small fi gure carved from black stone that the collector Daniel Lebard received as a gift from his wife. With almost disturbing ease, this unexpected surprise plunged him into a passion for the enigmatic Pre-Columbian art of the Mexican region of Guerrero. It also served as the trigger for the formation of a strong friendship between Lebard and Santo Micali—a recognized specialist in the fi eld of Pre-Columbian art and the director of Galerie Mermoz—centered around countless exchanges on the subject of their now-shared interest. Highlighting some forty superb sculptures from the Lebard Collection through the beautifully detailed photographs of Frédéric Dehaen, Guerrero Art stands out as a unique contribution to the study of Pre-Columbian art. The author of the book, Bénédicte Hamard, is a fount of knowledge on the subject of the fi gurative statuary of Guerrero, which dates from around 500–100 BC, according to the generally accepted chronology. His text is concise but fi lled with interesting information. It discusses the formal canon displayed by the corpus of objects, which seems to derive from a shared archetype. There is also discussion of stylistic differences, iconography, and sculptural techniques. The artists of ancient Guerrero were true masters of stone carving. While the resolutely aesthetic quality of this art is exalted on its own terms, the book concludes with a discussion of the infl uence of Guerrero art on the development of the visual language of the Western avant-garde in the early twentieth century. The work of Henry Moore and Brancusi speaks for itself. African Textiles The Karun Thakar Collection By Duncan Clarke, Bernhard Gardi, Frieder Sorber Published in English by Prestel, 2015 272 pages, 24 x 32 cm, 230 color illustrations ISBN: 978-3-7913-8163-3 Hardcover, $75 This book offers a fascinating journey through the history and culture of textiles in Africa drawn from the private collection of Karun Thakar. Consisting of more than 4,000 pieces, it is widely considered to be one of the fi nest in the world. Since it is based on a single collection, it is not an encyclopedic survey, but rather highlights material that has been available on the market over the course of a generation. It features rare and exquisite textiles from Central, North, and West Africa and includes weavings from Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire; embroideries, veils, and haiks from Morocco and Tunisia; and raffi a fabrics from Congo. Organized by region, each piece is dramatically photographed to highlight the extraordinary colors, patterns, and skill with which it was created. The book provides not only a thrilling sample of timeless patterns and designs, but also a historical perspective that deepens our understanding of the importance of woven materials in the African tradition. Out of the Amazon Material Culture, Myth, and Reality in the Amazon By Adam Mekler Published in English by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 2015 222 pages, 21.5 x 28 cm, 274 color plates ISBN 978-1-5136-0356-8 Softcover, $34.95 Priceless pieces from the Amazonia collection at the Houston Museum of Natural Science—ceremonial objects, masks, body costumes, headdresses, and other rare artifacts—are showcased in the special exhibition Out of the Amazon: Life on the River. Sharing the story of thirteen tribes, visitors are offered a glimpse of everyday life, as well as the spiritual beliefs and customs, among the rapidly disappearing indigenous groups of the Amazon rainforest. This richly illustrated book is the catalog for this exhibition, but also stands on its own as a fi ne and welcome addition to this little-published fi eld. It also highlights this museum’s remarkable collection of more than 4,000 objects representing some 130 tribes, many of which no longer exist, details of which are elucidated in fourteen essays authored by Adam Mekler, associate curator of Amazonia at the HMNS, Dirk Van Tuerenhout, and Daniel Brooks. The standout pieces are the characteristic brightly colored featherwork objects, but examples of less-well-known art forms such as basketry, wood sculpture, and body adornment in bone, seeds, and fi ber are also featured.
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