African Painted House:Basotho Dwellings of Southern Africa
by Gary van Wyk (9780810919907)

This is a study of the ancient and extraordinary tradition of mural painting among the Basotho people of Lesotho. The brilliant and complex designs are painted by Basotho women on the earthen walls of their homes, and are not merely decorations, but appeals to the spirits of ancestors who live in the earth for peace, for plenty and for rain, which feeds the crops the women tend. The murals, which wash away and must be repainted every year, also express the Basotho's pride in their own identity. The author explores the meaning of these colourful, geometric and often highly abstract designs by examining the history, religion and traditions of the Basotho. He describes not only the continuing glory of their house-painting art, but also male and female initiation ceremonies and the powerful spirituality of diviners and healers.

USD $85.85

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