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• 5th century decree for all Ethiopians to wear crosses – Originally made from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