Archives on JSTOR

The James J. Ross Archive of African Images (RAAI)

The James J. Ross Archive of African Images contains approximately 5,000 photographs and pictorial representations of African art published between 1590 and 1920. The RAAI is a rich collection of historical data and images extensively catalogued and annotated. 

Learn more and search the RAAI

A color engraving of various objects displayed alongside one another. Necklaces and other items hang on a wall at left. At right, small objects rest on a surface, including a small figure of a four-legged animal.

“South African Ornaments and Utensils,” color engraving from Friedrich Ratzel, The History of Mankind, vol. 2, trans. A. J. Butler (1897). RAAI, inv. no. 514.11

The Van Rijn Archive of African Art (YVRA)

The largest photographic digital database of African art, the Van Rijn Archive features some 150,000 images of art from Africa south of the Sahara. The images are drawn from private and museum collections, personal and national archives, and a wide range of publications. 

Learn more and search the YVRA

Unidentified Chokwe artist, Chief’s Scepter, Moxico school, Angola, late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, glass beads, fiber, and brass tacks. Yale University Art Gallery, Charles B. Benenson, B.A. 1933, Collection

Related Content