Chapter TwelveThe Arts of Africa
The Role of Art in African Cultures• Visual integrated with:• Music, dance, and
drama
• Present/ spiritual: • Emphasizes life/
nature
• Dominate themes:– Life, death, gender
roles
Art of Ancient Ife
• Yoruban beginnings– Located in Nigeria
• Yoruba sculpture– Images of the Kings/ Queens• Added a sense of stability to
the period
Yoruba Sculpture
• Metal sculptures • Lost-wax process • Collaborative: women created
the clay/ men cast the metal
• Division of labor – A Yoruban standard
Yoruba Religion and Philosophy
• World consists of two realms: – 1) Aye: can be seen/ touched
– 2) Orun: supernatural; ancestors, gods
and goddesses
Yoruba Religion
• Aye artwork: realistic
vs.
• Orun artwork: abstract
Portrait of a king. Ife, Nigeria. 11th – 15th century
Yoruba Masquerade
• Masquerade: full costume including a face covering or mask
• Engungun: cloth masquerades
• Dance symbolizes: past, present, future
Engungun Costume. Yoruba people. Nigeria. 19th – 20th century.
Art of Mali Empire
• Documents rise of city-states
• Figure characteristics:– Strong profiles– Heads held high– Sturdy necks• Represent King Sundiata’s army
King Sundiata
• Epics passed on by griots: oral historians
• Stories of hunters/ warriors accomplishing supernatural feats
The Great Friday Mosque
• Outer façade:– Tall, narrow columns– Adobe brick with
wooden support beams
• Monumental proportions
The Great Friday Mosque. Jenne, Mali. 1907 reconstruction of 13th century original.
Kingdom of Benin
• Southern Nigeria– Society of many classes– Deep oral tradition
• Excelled in the creation of copper alloy sculptures
Benin Sculptures
• High relief sculptures– Figure of oba: the king
• Power reflected in size of figure– Parallels kingdom’s
central organization
The Asante Kingdom
• Central and coastal Ghana
• Gold = measure of wealth– Power from God
• Items fashioned from gold worn to designate divine authority/ absolute power
Kente Cloth
• Kente cloth: a brilliantly colored and patterned fabric (royal cloth)
Ancient Kingdoms of Ethiopia
• Center of Christianity during 4th century– Known as Aksum
• 7th century Moorish invasion
Ethiopian Crosses
• 5th century decree for all Ethiopians to wear crosses – Originally made from
bronze then silver
• Large ceremonial crosses
African Wooden Sculptures
• Figures/ masks
• Variety of styles– 1000 + cultural groups
• Each has its unique traditions
• Artistic traditions cross geographic boundaries
Carved Figures
• Azde: ax-like carving tool with an arched blade at right angles to the handle
• Single pieces of wood– Finished work resembles the shape of the log
Carved Figures
• Proportions reflect culture:– Symmetric front pose– Disproportionally large heads– Little suggestion of movement
• Created for various reasons
Ancestor and Cultural Heroes
• Sculptures = resting places for spirits
• Effective link between living and deceased
Minkisi
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Elaborate rituals dealing with social problems
• Contain ancestral relics
Primordial Couples/ Spirit Spouse
• Primordial couple:– Dogon people of Mali– Inspiration to living
• Spirit Spouse Figures:– Baule people of the Ivory Coast– A mate who lives in the invisible realm• Mirrors visible world
Primordial Couples/ Spirit Spouse
• Help Baule men/ women imagine the existence of a dream world– Form closer
relationships with their spirit mates• Harmonious real world
relationships
Masks
• Form/ function differs from people to people
• Concept of a “mask” includes:– Ritual/ ceremony and performance
• Made to be seen in motion– Song and dance– Mainly only worn by men
Masks of the Bwa People
• Bwa people of Burkina Faso– Masks of:• Leaves, plant fibers, porcupine
quills, and feathers
• Ancient form– Associated with nature and
regenerative power
Helmet Masks
• Mende people (Sierra Leone) – Women’s society • Education/ initiating into society
• Cover entire face– Delicate face/ high forehead