African Masks from the Barbier-Mueller Collection, Geneva

Munich and New York: Prestel, 1998. First edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. 287pp. Quarto [32 cm] Light gray cloth over boards with a bold black ink stamped title on the spine. Short slash to top edge of half title/frontispiece page. In the dust jacket, with very subtle surface wear. An exhibition catalogue with 100 full-color and 388 black-and-white illustrations. May require extra postage due to size and weight. A survey of 248 of the finest examples from the unparalleled collection of Barbier-Mueller, with leading scholars on African art describing the masks' historical and religious functions, as well as their symbolic significance. This collection was founded in the 1920s by Josef Mueller, and has been expanded in the past few decades under the expert supervision of Jean Paul Barbier. No other private collection of African art features the same broadness of regional scope and ceremonial use.