The Sculpture of Black Origin in Brazil

Abstract Writing in the late 1950s, Barata deplores the ongoing neglect of the study of black sculpture in Brazil, despite earlier publications, notably those by Raimundo Nina Rodrigues and Manuel Querino. He highlights the stylistic diversities and various influences perceived in Brazilian sculpture. He raises questions about the development of artistic production in relation to the changes that occurred in Afro-Brazilian religions. He further reflects on the historical connections between Brazil and Nigeria, the slave trade and the trade of goods in order to draw attention to the difficulty of distinguishing between African sculptures from those made in Brazil by Africans and their descendants.