African royal court art

by Michèle Coquet

In this work, anthropologist Michele Coquet presents the power and the brilliance of African court art. Grounding her analysis in the social and historical context of traditional royalty systems, Coquet examines the diverse roles played by artisans, nobles, and kings in the production and use of royal objects. From the precolonial kingdoms of the Edo and the Yoruba, the Ashanti and the Igbo, Coquet reconstructs the essential cultural connections between art, representation, and sovereignty.