MASKS
Faces of CultureBy John W. Nunley and Cara McCarty
With contributions by John Emigh and Lesley K. Ferris
372
illustrations, 200 in full color,
344 pages, 9-1/2; x 11-3/4;"
ISBN 0-8109-4379-4
US$60.00 CAN$90.00
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From Paleolithic times to the present, people have used masks to add
power and mystery to religious rituals, warfare, and entertainment. This
lavishly illustrated book, the companion volume to an exhibition opening at
The Saint Louis Art Museum, provides a stunning and comprehensive cultural
history of these universal human artifacts.
Transporting readers across centuries and continents, the authors compare
and contrast the use of masks in initiation rites and Mardi Gras, Greek
tragedy and commedia dell'arte, warfare and football. The 200 colorplates,
illustrating such fas- cinating examples as African ceremonial masks, the
Apollo 15 space helmet, and an Egyptian death mask, make this landmark study
as visually spectacular as it is thought-provoking.
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