Frank Willett with Barbara Blackmun & Emma Lister. The Art of Ife: A Descriptive Catalogue and Database.

Frank Willett with Barbara Blackmun & Emma Lister. The Art of Ife: A Descriptive Catalogue and Database. FRANK WILLETT with BARBARA BLACKMUN & EMMA EMMAEngstrom Multigas Monitor for anesthesia. LISTER. The art ofIfe: a descriptive catalogue and database. Glasgow: University ofGlasgow The University of Glasgow (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Ghlaschu, Latin: Universitas Glasguensis) was founded in 1451, in Glasgow, Scotland. Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery; CD-ROM; 25 [poundssterling]. The CD-Rom The Art of Ife: a descriptive catalogue provides an upto date summation of archaeological research carried out in the city ofIre in Southern Nigeria. The discoveries and further excavationsthroughout the twentieth century of a range of artefacts in cast metal,pottery, stone and other media present evidence of a tradition of greatartistic achievement from the tenth to the fifteenth centuries AD thatcan compete with any found elsewhere in the world. Its seeminglynaturalistic forms, especially in its depiction of individuals, make itaccessible to a wide audience. Frank Wilier who has excavated at Irefrom 1956 has taken advantage of the storage capacity of CD-Roms toshare his extensive and notable in-depth expertise with a wider audiencein the form of an extensive review of the artefacts and the key issuesrelevant to understanding them. It complements rather than replaces his1967 monograph on Ire and updates its debates. In his discussions hesummarises and evaluates different interpretations to the materials in abalanced way, but also draws on his intimate knowledge and experiencesin Ire to provide an almost ethnographic counterpoint or reflection.This approach is accessible and immediate for reaching both a specialistand non-specialist audience. The CD-Rom uses a database format that, onthe whole, offers an engaging balance between written text and images. Not unsurprisingly for an archaeologist, Wilier uses the materialculture of Ire as a starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting pointterminus a quocommencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the , and the three chapters are broadlydefined by the different mediums in which artefacts are made. They focusprincipally on metal casting, pottery and stone and present helpfuloutlines of the techniques by which they were made. The first chapter,however, also introduces Ire and some wider issues to the reader and sodiffers considerably in the presentation of its themes from the lattertwo, giving a slightly unbalanced feel to the chapters. The authorbegins, understandably but also a little abruptly, with local accountsof Ife's founding which a non-specialist audience may findconfusing as mythic legitimacy is merged with history--indeed theconceptual problems raised by such present day narratives are ignored infavour of highlighting the continuities and discontinuities between thispast art tradition and present day Ire. It would perhaps have beenhelpful to have introduced here the wider context of the development ofdifferent polities in the Yoruba speaking area and the significance ofIfe in relation to them, rather than as a final conclusion. A livelyhistory of the discovery of artefacts by explorers and archaeologists ispresented, with a temperate account of the sometimes controversialactivities of Leo Leo, in astronomyLeo[Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Froebenius, the first excavator ex��ca��va��torn.An instrument, such as a sharp spoon or curette, used in scraping out pathological tissue.excavator (eks´k in lie in 1910. Thisis followed by a lucid discussion of the principal dating techniquesthat can be deployed and the problems that are posed both by theirmethodologies and in the sampling from irreplaceable artworks. This is atheme that Wilier returns to in relation to other media and thisattention to the archaeological contexts and the composition ofmaterials found in artefacts is invaluable as it helps the readerunderstand why certain interpretations merit more weight than others. Willet then presents the artefacts thematically, by groups of findsdiscovered together, to build up a chronological history which is linkedby a commentary accompanying their images. This allows the reader tofind particular information quickly or browse more systematically. Thechanging role of kingship and the significances of royal artefacts areexplored at some length, albeit with a functional emphasis, andWillet's collaborative ethnographic researches on this subject inIfe and in neighbouring kingdoms such as Owo and Benin are an asset inthis discussion. Barbara Blackmun contributes an analysis on thestylistic differences and similarities of the Ife metal and potteryartworks, based on the art historian Morelli's (1816-91) approach;a discussion of his conceptual premises would have helped the generalreader follow her argument which, in essence, points out that this was alongstanding art tradition involving many different styles and artists.In one or two places, phrases such as 'in a style ofquasi-mensurational naturalism' (p. 15, Chapter 1, section 2) needto be explained; and the visual possibilities of the CD-Rom as a mediumcould have been extended further than its rather conventionalpresentation but these are minor criticisms. As an overview of presentday research on the archaeology and art of Ire and in its visualdocumentation, this descriptive catalogue is invaluable for anyone withmore than a passing interest. CHARLES GORE Charles Gore (born 1853 in Wimbledon; died January 17 (though usually commemorated on January 23), 1932) was an English divine and Anglican bishop. OxfordBorn the third son of the Honourable Charles Alexander Gore, brother of the fourth Earl of Arran. Department of Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is a specialist constituent of the University of London commited to the arts and humanities, languages and cultures, and the law and social sciences concerning Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East. , University of London For most practical purposes, ranging from admission of students to negotiating funding from the government, the 19 constituent colleges are treated as individual universities. Within the university federation they are known as Recognised Bodies , London, UK