African Ceremonies: Two Volume Boxed Set

Abrams, 1999. Hardcover. Like New/No Dustjacket as Issued. 11x3x15. In Fine condition. The slipcase box has some light wear; else in Very good+ condition. A stirring illustrated celebration of the vanishing tribal traditions of the African continent documents a wide range of ceremonies in words and pictures, including baby namings, initiations, weddings, harvest blessings, coronations, healing exorcisms, and funerals, among many others. By a recent count, the continent of Africa comprises some 1,300 cultures. Some of them number millions of people, some only a few families; some are thriving, while others are in danger of disappearing, the victims of acculturation or, in extreme cases, of genocide. This diversity--and the dangers to it--is little known outside Africa. Photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher highlight both matters in African Ceremonies, an extraordinary two-volume collection of some 850 full-color images. The two artists have traveled to almost all the continent's 53 countries in the last three decades, documenting traditional tribal life in earlier books and articles for National Geographic, among other publications. Here they focus on the religious customs of several dozen peoples, combining stunning images with well-written essays to illustrate the enduring power of traditional beliefs.