A propósito da iconologia tumular de Angola

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Periodical article

Title:	A propósito da iconologia tumular de Angola
Author:	Saraiva, Maria Clara
Year:	1995
Periodical:	Revista internacional de estudos Africanos
Issue:	18-22
Pages:	319-357
Language:	Portuguese
Geographic term:	Angola
Subjects:	death rites cemeteries photography
Abstract:	This text presents and comments on the photographic collection belonging to the Centro de Antropologia Cultural e Social (Center for Cultural and Social Anthropology) of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical (Tropical Research Institute) in Lisbon, Portugal. The photographs depict funerary monuments from four different regions and ethnic groups of Angola: noblemen's graves from Cabinda; Solongo tombstones from the Kongo area; Kibala funerary monuments from the northwest and the centre; and Mbali tombstones from the Namibe area. In relation to these monuments the article discusses African conceptions of death and funerary rituals. Special attention is given to the way in which the incorporation of European elements in African aesthetics underlines the relevance of the funerary monument as a means to preserve the memory of the deceased and confirm the success he/she achieved during his/her lifetime as well as a way to guarantee entry to the ancestor world. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and Portuguese, text in Portuguese. [Journal abstract]