The divination baskets of south Central Africa are woven for a specific purpose. The baskets, known as lipele, contain sixty or so small articles, from seeds, claws, and minuscule horns to wooden carvings. Each article has its own name and symbolic meaning, and collectively they are known as jipelo. For the Luvale and related peoples, the lipele is more than a container of souvenirs; it is a tool, a source of crucial information from the ancestral past and advice for the future. In Along an African Border, anthropologist Sonia Silva examines how Angolan refugees living in Zambia use these divination baskets to cope with daily life in a new land. Silva documents the special processes involved in weaving the baskets and transforming them into oracles. She speaks with diviners who make their living interpreting lipele messages and with their knowledge-seeking clients. To the Luvale, these baskets are capable of thinking, hearing, judging, and responding. 192pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESS.

Paintings, drawings and sketches made in Angola and inspired by its peoples and landscapes. Foreword by Pepetela. TEXT IN ENGLISH & PORTUGUESE. 42 col illus, 112pp, FRANCE. EDITIONS CACIMBO.

A survey of the history, society and initiation ceremonies of the Chokwe of Angola. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 0823919900

Introduction to the art of the Chokwe people of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Chokwe originally lived in the Serra de Muzamba, in central Angola and are renowned for their fine sculpture. Their art is strongly linked to their religion and sophisticated court system. 142pp, col & b/w illus, ITALY. FIVE CONTINENTS EDITIONS.

Explores the nearly 100 ethno-linguistic groups and their various ways of life and argues that religion defines the cultural character of the country. Christianity, the dominant religion, is portrayed as more urban-based, popular among the educated elite and middle class. Indige-nous religious practices, still popular particularly in the rural areas, are covered as well. Celebrates the prolific Portuguese-language literary output and the skilled Angolan artists. Discussion of the traditional foods, ceremonies, music and dance, and more rounds out the coverage. Maps, illus, 200pp, USA. GREENWOOD PRESS.

A survey of the society, history, religion and medicine of the Kongo people of Angola, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

A survey of the society, history, the economy, interaction with the Portuguese, and recent political history of the Mbundu of Angola. Richly illustrated with colour photographs. Includes a guide to further reading and a glossary. Index, map, 64pp, USA. ROSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY.

Illustrates the art associated with male initiation rites in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. BNS, 40 colour and 8 b/w illustrations, 96pp, UK, 0856675547