MOORE, Henry [The Lefevre Galleries], Primitive African Sculpture, May, 1933 (Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd., London), [1933] [first edition]

195x228mm; unpaginated: 16 leaves, ads to inside rear cover; 11 mounted b/w plates

A very pleasing production, with an unsigned foreword by Henry Moore (see Wilkinson, Henry Moore: Writings and Conversations, 2002, p. 14). This is Moore's first published statement on 'primitive art'. As he writes in his foreword, this is "the first comprehensive survey of primitive African Sculpture in this country". Moore claims that these sculptures "helped the artist to realise the intrinsic emotional significance of shapes as distinct from their representational values", and that they possess "intense vitality" and are "dominated by sex and religion". Heavy textured card stock covers, stapled (staples showing faint traces of rust). A wonderful copy, noting only one or two very faint marks to the covers; internally fine throughout. A scarce and important document in the development of modern British art.