African terra cottas, a millenary heritage

Terra cotta is not solely synonymous with vessels and domestic objects. It comes in an infinite variety of shapes due to the pliancy of clay and the extraordinary imagination of its creators. When imbued with a ritual significance, the receptacle dons an anthropomorphic disguise. Sometimes the clay takes on a human appearance, disconcerting us by imitating a face and becoming a portrait.

The Barbier-Mueller Museum collections present all the facets of African terra cotta through cultures that vanished thousands of years ago, but they also highlight traditions that are closely linked with pottery today and still very much alive. This is a cultural heritage whose symbolic power matches its beauty and which leads us on both a historical and a geographical journey throughout Africa - one entity with multiple identities.

Examining a wealth of over 200 works, the publication is the result of intensive collaboration between numerous specialists of the African continent. This reference work is enhanced by magnificent old and new photographs.