AP Art History Unit 1

Apollo II Stones

Namibia

Charcoal on stone

25,000-23,300 BCE

Form

• stone broken into 2 pieces w/ charcoal

Content

• the first art

• an animal inside profile

Function

• to be carried around w/ Nomadic tribes

  • animals to stay away from prey

Context

• discovery occurred during the flight of Apollo 1, cave was discovered w/ more human activities

Running Horned Woman

Tassih n’ Ajjer, Algeria

Pigment on rock

6000-4000 BCE

Content

• running horned woman

• composite view

• horns indicate ceremonial attir

  • some people believe the paintning was symbolic

• little people were drawn before it was painted, overlapped

Function

• used to decorate homes

Context

• One of the earliest and finest surviving examples of rock art

Camelid Sacrum

Tequixquiac, Mexico

Bone

14,000-7,000 BCE

Form

• Subtractive Carving: Natural bone carved and modified using sharp stone tools.

Content

• Canine Head: Represents a dog, wolf, or coyote head.

• Camelid Origin: Carved from the sacrum bone of an extinct prehistoric camel relative (camelid).

Function

• Spiritual / Ritual Symbol: Likely held sacred or ceremonial significance related to fertility, spirit, or resurrection.

• Sacred Bone Beliefs: In later Mesoamerican cultures, the sacrum was viewed as a "second skull" or sacred bone housing the soul/life force (mana equivalent).

Context

• Global Prehistory: One of the oldest surviving artworks discovered in the Americas.

• Paleolithic Environment: Created by early hunter-gatherers during the Ice Age when camelids roamed Meso america.

Great Hall of Bulls

Lascarx, France

Rock Painting

15,000-13,000 BCE

Form

• rock painting w/ organic pigments

• organic spray paint

Content

• outlines form a map in the sky

Function

• for ritualistic, spiritual, or practical purposes related to their survival

Context

• Discovered in 1940

• could be a prehistorical planetarium

• since it was so large, they believe it was a planned painting

• present day: was a museum, but was closed off b/c humans brought in bacteria → mold

Beaker with Ibex

Susa, Iran

Painting terra Cotta

4200-3500 BCE

Form

• clay, fired

• birds standing on water

• ibex (ancient goat)

Content

• frieze

• geometric patterns symbolize the settlement of land by men

  • showing the borders of the fields

• a sign to indicate who the owner was

Function

• a funerary or burial object placed in graves alongside the dead

Context

• wheel thrown due to the nature of the thin walls

• found in cemetery

Stone Henge

Willshore, UK

Stonework

2500-1600 BCE

Context

• 30 post in the outer circle

• 5 post in the “horse shoe” (inner)

• First Feature” ditch

Theories

Religious/ceremonial site – used for rituals, worship, or ceremonies.

Burial site – people were buried around Stonehenge, suggesting it had a connection to death and ancestors.

Astronomical calendar – its stones align with the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset.

Healing site – some theories suggest people traveled there because the stones were believed to have healing powers.

Social gathering place – may have brought different communities together for feasts, ceremonies, and important events.

Great Mosque

Djenne, Mali

Mud Brick

1200 CE

Form

• dramatic staircase

• adobe brick (wears down overtime)

• ostrich egg on top of Minaret (represents purity)

• holes on top for more air flow

Content

• staircase- passage way for worship

• market place in the front

• divided pillars- 10 aisles, 90 pillars

Function

• Religious Islamic building (Mosque)

Context

• Annual keep up in a festival (Capissage de la Grand Mosque)

Great Zimbabwe

Southeastern Zimbabwe

Granite

1000-1400 C.E

Form

• the council bin → grain bin

  • full grain bin= good king

Content

• tall walls= for authority

• areas to display goods

Function

• Political Power- The elevated Hill Complex acted as the royal and administrative headquarters for the kingdom's rulers.

• Trade and Wealth

Context

• shona people

• chikuwa= where wives would sell pottery and also a center to worship

  • take young girls to teach the traditional ways

Sika Dwa Kofi

Ghana, West Africa

Wood

1700-1850 C.E

Form

• A wooden stool with a curved seat and carved supports

Content

• represents Asante power and authority

• unity of the Asante people

• the stool symbolizes the Asante nation itself

Function

• a royal stool used by the Asante king; represented the kings authority and the Asante authority

Context

• the stool was connected to Asante political and spiritual beliefs

• behind the stool contained the spirit of their people

  • making stools important symbols of royal power, unity, identity

Ndop Portrait of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa

Wood

1760-1790 C.E

Form

• carved wood (would carve in front of the king)

Content

• the king is embodied in the sculpture

Function

• spirit double: Served as the spiritual surrogate or "shadow" of the king, capturing his vital essence rather than his physical appearance

• safekeeping: Kept in the royal women's quarters or residential storage, where the sculpture was ritually oiled, rubbed, and maintained.

Content

• king mishe was very loved

• Ndop: a human figure sitting crossed-leg on a throne w/ lots of accesories

  • each Ndop is linked to a specific ruler through identifying symbols

Wall Plaque from Oba's Palace

Oba’s palace, Benin

East Brass

16th Century CE

Form

• brass (lost wax casting technique)

  • trade w/ Portuguese voyages

Content

• coral beads and crowns → believed corals association w/ the god of sea

Function

• palace decoration: These plaques were nailed to the large wooden pillars of the royal palace in Benin City to form an architectural visual history.

• royal lineage: Arranged in a specific sequence, the plaques recorded the achievements, lineage, and divine authority of past Obas

Context

• Oba → king

• scale of hierarchy” more important figures are larger

• trade w/ Portugal benefited the Benin kingdoms

Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife

Olowe of Ise

Wood and Pigment

1910-1914 CE

Queen/wife

• standing in power

• jewelries representing power

King

• luxury to sit (authority)

Bird

• the king relies on forces that the woman control

• the king and all creation rely on the energies that women command

Repetition of the Faces Ancestors

• power of the king does not lie within his physical structure, but rather his mystical powers from ancestors

Junior Wife

• submission to power (2nd wife)

Trickster God (Eshu)

• messengers between humans

• master of languages

Ikenga Shrine Figure

Nigeria

Wood

19th-20th Century CE

Form

• ranges in height

• symmetrical horns

Content

• horns symbolize power/aggression

• right hand holding sword (defense)

• left hand holding head (victory)

Function

• Personal Shrine Object

• Represent warrior men who experience success (victory)

Context

• Igloo society is largely merit-based

Mblo Mask

Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa

Baule (Baoulé) peoples

Early 20th century

Wood and pigment

Form

• idealized human face with a high forehead, downcast eyes, arched brows, and an elaborate hairstyle

Content

• represents an admired living person, specifically Moya Yanso in the AP example

Function

• used in Mblo performances to honor the individual and celebrate their beauty, character, and accomplishments

Context

• part of the Baule Gbagba/Mblo masquerade tradition; the mask was worn by a skilled male dancer while the person being honored was present.