This volume of five essays was published to accompany an exhibition held in 2002 at the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The essays provide historical background to Madagascar, including the story of the 19C African-American US Consul John Lewis Waller, and explore issues related to the production of textiles and their use as gifts. The contributors include two ambassadors in addition to specialists in anthropology, art history, and human geography working in Madagascar and the US. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)