This life work of Ezio Bassani provides a unique record of over 800 artefacts in more than 100 early (pre-19th century) African collections in Europe. Extensively illustrated, the catalogue gives full descriptions of each artefact and the details of every collection, with present location and provenance provided where known. Documentation relating to the collections is given in its original language with a translation and commentary in English and there are full indexes, including categories of artefact by material used. Fully cross-referenced, it can be used in both print and electronic formats for maximum accessibility across a wide range of research interests.