African Art

Bieri

a wooden mortuary figure that traditionally guarded the skulls of deceased ancestors.

Ikegobo

a Benin royal shrine.

Mblo

a public entertainment performances consisting of a succession of dances that escalate in complexity and importance, culminating ultimately in tributes to the community's most distinguished member.

Ndop

a genre of figurative wood sculpture that portrays important Kuba leaders throughout the eighteenth to twentieth centuries.

Scarification

decorative markings made with scars on the human body.

Reliquary

a container for sacred relics.

Terracotta

hard-baked clay, used for sculpture and as a building material. It may be glazed or painted.