This book, by a first-rate scholar, brings research from art history, anthropology, history, and archaeology together in an examination of the wide-ranging artistic expressions that punctuate death and its aftermath for the living among many Africa cultures. Besides the intrinsic value of exposure to artistic acumen in a vast array of forms, the social and conceptual implications of those forms across Africa offer testimony to the complex and nourishing ways people cope with the realities of life’s corporeal end. With decades of work at the British Museum and the University of East Anglia, much research experience, and a bent of mind that brings synthesis and insight together without sacrificing rich detail, John Mack is the right kind of person to write such a book.
It begins with a stage-setting introduction. Mack very briefly invokes the literature on funerary practices in Africa and beyond and gives examples of the selective focus of that literature that highlights only parts of bigger pictures. He notes that art’s frequent association with death has long received the attention of anthropological interpretations and theories. Death’s chaotic and ambiguous character is considered, and the potential of masquerade and sculpture for complex emotional and conceptual nuance is introduced as well-suited for both coping with and contemplating this ultimate in natural phenomena. The prominent role of ancestors is referenced, as is the importance of shrines and architecture. Death begins elaborate processes of performance and commemoration that possess many common themes across African cultures. But Mack states he will present a “selective survey” and not synthesize or generalize at the expense of specific peoples’ actual beliefs and practices, wherein lies a significant wealth of spiritual and artistic detail, and often ample amounts of variation. Nor will he neglect history. The introduction concludes with discussions of challenging terminology, with special reference to the often obfuscating words “spirit” and “soul.” More broadly, Mack emphasizes the importance of balancing the value and the limitations of published sources, singling out examples of scholarship by authors steeped in Western religion, whose purpose included ending the practices they observed. Thus the stage is set for a volume that is both thematic and sensitive to time and place, both descriptive and theoretical.
Beginning with a presentation on the “Death of Royalty” (chapter 2), Mack provides a sequence of chapters that take up “The Artfulness of Funerals” (3), “Funerary Masquerades” (4), “Grave Sites” (5), “Relics, Shrines and Memorials” (6), and, to end the book, “Modern Practices” (7). Before all that, however, chapter 1, “Understanding Death,” gives an idea of the myriad and complex ways death is conceptualized within the cultures of Africa. Many readers will already know several generalizations about the continent’s peoples, such as frequently encountered beliefs in reincarnation, or ancestors, and life after death. But even though the chapter is just thirty-three pages, it effectively offers details and examples that enrich and complicate the reader’s understanding. It touches on such topics as how death can be experienced, how ancestors are perceived, what constitutes a person, and, especially, the responsibilities of the living to help, celebrate, and memorialize the dead. These responsibilities are taken up in the subsequent chapters, where we see time and again how imagination joins artistry across an impressive spectrum of expression to produce events and artifacts that fuel contemplation and impact emotions, to nourish relations between the living and dead. The value of these works, from performances to ceramic sculptures, is made vividly clear in this book. Mack sets a tone with his writing that allows readers to feel kinship with people in other cultures, so that what is common among us all feels substantial, and what varies, sometimes quite extensively, seems a reasonable extension of what we all are at base. Put another way, the humanness in what Mack presents is foregrounded in fruitful ways. One example I particularly like presents people talking about their ancestors in affectionate ways that include humor and acknowledging the deceased’s quirks and foibles (38). Spirit doubles and parallel worlds are touched upon, along with much more, including of course the lovely idea that death is part of a longer, larger process. The rough parts of human behavior get plenty of attention in literature of all kinds, and they are not neglected here (see pages 57-60, for example). But, importantly, I think what comes to the fore in this volume are the nourishing and supportive actions people are capable of, and the striking creative potency of artistry to enhance those actions.
Perhaps this is the spot to remark upon another feature of the prose. It is clear, and Mack has a no-nonsense way of pushing his topics forward swiftly, without a lot of decoration. It is snappy and keeps readers on their toes. I consider this worth noting because, just as the composition of artworks affects viewers perception (and construction) of their “contents,” the ways authors write very much affect how readers will think about the ideas they encounter. For me Mack’s writing encourages you to really consider what he is saying. I find that valuable.
Sweeping books like this are not easy to write. It takes time and talent to bring together so many ideas and activities from so many different societies and join them in a written structure that allows both commonalities and rich divergence to shine through. If you are a student of particular African cultures or of themes about life and art that touch on death, this volume is a good place to begin your journey. There is a chance it might not cover the country or people of your focus. But it will provide a broad and essential context that enhances your thinking. Beyond the topic of death and the artistry that punctuates it, this book weaves ripples into the fabric of general understanding for students of any topic involving the peoples of Africa and their diaspora. Just as it draws from several humanities and social science disciplines, so it should be of great interest to folklorists, archaeologists, art historians, anthropologists, students of religious studies, and historians. And, without stretching the threads of reason too extensively, if political scientists (and politicians), or economists whose global interests extend to Africa, want to enrich themselves with due diligence, I enthusiastically recommend this book to them as well.
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[Review length: 1044 words • Review posted on May 14, 2020]