Bini, Vidi, Vici” – On the Misuse of “Style” in the Analysis of Sixteenth Century Luso-African Ivories
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11759901 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter Mark (0000-0003-1812-2148, Wesleyan University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Pages | 323-334 |
| Publication date | 2015-05-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History in Africa (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0361-5413 • E-ISSN: 1558-2744 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/hia.2015.13 |
| OpenAlex | W2044135578 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 5 |
The Luso-African [or Afro-Portuguese] ivories from West Africa include hunting horns (so-called “olifants” or “oliphants”), spoons, and lidded bowls (saltcellars) embellished with human figures and animals. These objects, first imported into Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century, have engendered debate over dating and provenance. While scholars agree that the early sixteenth-century pieces were produced by “Sape(s)” (or “Sapi”) artists from the Upper Guinea Coast (“Serra Leoa” in Portuguese sources), there is substantial disagreement whether post-1550 ivories came from “Serra Leoa” or Nigeria. This article argues for Serra Leoa, based on a methodological approach whereby Portuguese written documents, establishing the socio-historical context, and demonstrating continued production by “Sape” artists, are a necessary pre-condition to any stylistic comparison of objects
Ancient history · Archaeology · Context (archaeology · Ethnology · Linguistics · Portuguese · Sociology · Style (visual arts · African history and culture studies · Anthropology · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.57 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2025 (7) |
| Highly cited | No |