AH2305 Final Exam -- African Art

Bubalus pd. Rock engravings of giraffes and elephant. 8000 BC. Libya, Fezzan Region

Bubalus period

10,000 BC - 7,000 BC (Libya); images are engraved, painted, or pecked lines into rock and less common; humans appear; large image

Camel pd. 'Camel’ and ‘ Tuaregs mounted on camels’. Tasili, Algeria. 5000 BC?

Cattle Period

5000 - 2000 BC (Sahara); pastoral lifestyle, smaller images (18’ diameter) and less detailed

Bubalus characteristics

humans are round headed and faceless; later evolve to have masks

Nok. ‘Human Heads’. Terracotta. Nigeria, 500 BC - 600 CE

Igbo Ukwu. ‘Cast Shell Vessel’. Nigeria, 9-10th c. Bronze. Skeuomorph

Ife. ‘Staff of Oranmiyan’. Nigeria, 11-15th c. Granite gneiss with iron nails

Ife. ‘Inner head (Ori inu)’. Nigeria, 11-15th c. terracotta.

Ife. ‘Outer head (Ori ode)’. Nigeria, 11-15th c. Terracotta

Benin art

Subjects of mythology and historical persons

Benin elephant symb.

King; size and unpredictable nature

Benin lion symb.

King; king of the jungle

Benin leopard symb.

King; king of jungle

Benin chameleon symb.

King; ability to change at will

Benin rooster symb.

King; creation of earth; connected to Oba lineage

Benin mudfish symb.

King; lives in two realms; connected to Olokun (god of sea); wealth

Benin rooster creation story

First animal let loose upon waters of the earth; scratched earth into the body of a gourd and formed the lnd base of the world

Benin; spanish manila bronze bracelet

Benin. ‘King flanked by two attendants.’ 16th cent. Bronze manila. Royal propaganda depicting court life; inspired by bible?

Benin. ‘Hen style Queen Mother memorial head.’ Nigeria, 16th c. OG Iyoba Idia, motehr of Oba Esigie

Benin. ‘Ivory hip mask pendant of Queen Mother.’ 16th c. Life sized. Alternating Portugese soldier and mudfish hairstyle

Benin first Oba

Oba Eweka; ancestor of future Obas; Overpowered Olokun, taking her wealth and powers

Yoruba. ‘Opon ifa (divination board)’. Nigeria, 19-20th c. Contact Orunmila through Eshu, the messanger (shown at top); 256 poss. outcomes

Yoruba Babalow

Diviner that helps peoples discover their fates; Uses opon ifa and iroke.

Yoruba. ‘Iroke (divination tapper).’ Nigeria. Ivory

Yoruba naked woman motif

Naked, the state which we are born in; most powerful prayers and curses are done in the nude.

Yoruba. ‘Dance wand in form of Shango.’ Nigeria, 19-20th c. Two double-handed axes — in hand and hairstyle (inner and outer head?)

Shango

Yoruba’s 4th king of Oyo; tried to rule underworld, committed suicide; popular personal deity of women, acting as a husband.

Shango dedication ritual

Hair shaved, small cuts made into head that medicine is rubbed into to help Shango possess the devotee and communicate

Yoruba. ‘Ere Ibeji on an altar.’ Nigeria, 20th c. Erected after twin dies; treated as if they are living, not neglected

Dogon. ‘Carved granary door and lock.’ Mali, 19th c. Stored millet; Granary of high-ranked priests are multi-leveled; Carvings of OG 44 families who migrated

Dogon migration

1100 CE: migrated from southern Mali to central Mali; 44 familied migrated from the Niger River cliffs

Hogon

Yoruba high ranking priest

Dogon. ‘Men’s toguna.’ Mali, 20th c. Mens houses. Held up by 8 poles and has 8 layers of thatching (8 Nommo)

Bamana. ‘N’domo society mask.’ Mali, 19-20th c. Gendered male (4-8 horns)

Bamana. ‘N’domo wooden mask with cowrie shell and beads.’ Mali, 19-20th c. Male. Horns symb. amount of power related to supernatural mask.

N’domo society

Bamana age-grade society; teaches individuals proper activities and beliefs for each stage of life

Bamana. ‘Chi Wara headdress masks (female and male).’ Mali, 19-20th c. Vertical style (pairs)

Chi Wara society

Bamana, agriculturally centered; named after antelope;

Bamana. ‘Horizontal Chi Wara headdress.’ Mali, 19-20th c. Usually shown with another animal, bird or monkey. Paired

Bamana. ‘Abstract Chi Wara headdress mask.’ Mali, 19-20th c. Singular. Balance of neg./pos. space

Bamana. ‘Komo society mask.’ Mali, n.d. Animal horns, quills, wood, encrustation. Mask power to punish those violating rules; only worn/seen by Komo society

Komo society/association

Bamana; members harness Nyama power - aid those who need assistance

Senufo. ‘ Champion cultivator staff finial of a seated female figure.’ Ivory Coast, 19-20th c. Staffs are symbols of power and order; given to winner of all-day hoeing contest

Asante. ‘Bronze weights for gold dust (abrammoo)'.’ Based on proverbs?

Asante. ‘Container for gold dust (kuduo).’

Asante. ‘Linguists staffs (Mpoma).’ Ghana, 20th c, wood and gold leaf. Figure at top converys certain message, connects to historical proverbs.

‘Ananse poma.’ Ananse = spider, symbol of the linguist and wisdom

‘Sankofa poma.’ Sankofa = past serving as guide for future; learn from past

Asante. ‘Asantehene w/ golden stool.’ Ghana, 20th c. Wood, gold leaf, studded nails. King’s responsibility to preserve the stool; no one sits on it

Asante gold

Unify the kingdon; a live metal connecting the people to the earth

Osei Tutu

The first Asantehene, establishing the Asante nation. 1702 = Asante Confederacy

Asante. ‘Hwedomtia.’ 20th c. Seat for the golden stool (adwa) (member of the royal court).

Baule. ‘Spirit figures (contemporary and traditional style).’ Ivory Coast, 20th c., wood and pigment. Use of figure determines what kind of spirit it is; well kept on shrines by owner, helps owner w/ problems

Baule spirit houses

Blolo bian = male spirit house; Blolo bla = female spirit house

Baule bush spirits

Asie usu; shrines are strictly private

Waka sran

Any Baule wooden sculpture

Mende. ‘Soweii masks.’ Sierra Leone, 20th c. Hairstyle is most prominent feature (orderly, civilized, cooporation); forehead = wisdom, neck rings = fertility and good health

Soweii masks

Used by elders and leaders; similar to N’doli Joweii minus white cloth; feminine beauty ideals; Hale (spirit) inhabits mask

Hale

Mende powerful spirit linking to ancestral beings; dwells in river

Nyande

Mende idea that beauty and strong moral character are inseparable

Mende. ‘N’doli Joweii masks.’ Sierra Leone, 20th c. 1 of 3 significant figs. taking part in Sande initiation; distinguished by white cloth

Sande ceremony

Mende women in charge of masquerade ceremony, up until 80s.

Poro ceremony

Mende mens initiation; comparable to Sande

Sande ideals

Young women facing puberty get clitoridectomy and labiadectomy (get rid of male-ness); foreshadows pain of childbirth; promote social harmony through female wisdom, grace, and self-control; polygamous relationships

Mende. ‘Gonde Masks.’ Sierra Leone, 20th c. Made of old, dirty, or cracked Sande masks; antithesis of Sande people (even perfection can have a downfall); dances loud, clumsily (how NOT to behave)

Horse period

2000 BC - 1000 CE; Chariot and horseman sub-period; Avg. 10’ diameter; changes in technology w/ intro. of horses and chariots; encounters and skirmishes

Rock arts

collective process of object, maker, and intent; not just self-expression; mediates relationships

Saharan rock art

Maority of rock art found in Northern Saharan pd; green, pastoral lifestyle with grazing animals

Oldest Saharan subjects

Elephants, rhinos, and hippos

Pastoral Saharan subjects

Introduction of horse, sheep, cattle, and camels

Camel period

Post 700 CE; principle animal in the Sahara (also ostriches, gazelles, goats); carry spears, swords, and firearms

3 different sculpture periods

Nok, Igbo Ukwu, and Ife

Nok art

500BC - 600CE; importance of head (soul); kindred symb. (certain animals = certain peope); make intangible things, tangible; least info; terracotta

Igbo Ukwu

9-10th c. Nri people in cultural communities and independent cities loosely bound by chiefs; ancestors of contemp. Igbo ppls; bronze ritual goods

Ife art

11-15th c. Ancestors of Ife, relations to Yoruba; art for royalty (terracotta and bronze heads); Ile Ife primary city

Ife Developmental periods

Archaic (800CE); Pre-Pavement (800-1000CE); Pavement (11-19th c.)

Obataba

Ife creator god

Obalufon

Ife god directly responsible for introducing metalworking

Ife bronze objects

made with lost-wax technique

Olorun (Benin)

Benin creator god (m or f), resides in sky

Olokun

Benin creator goddess (bisexual/bigendered), resides in water

Obatala

Benin creator of earth; son of Olorun and Olokun

Punitive Expedition

1400s? Vice Consul Phillips (explorer) had Britain invade with naval force after being denied entrance to kingdom (important spiritual ceremony); took most bronze arts

Benin iron

Rep. kingship and royal power; relationship to supernaturals

Benin death assoc.

Mudfish, white, and ocean

Olorun Yoruba

Yoruba all-knowing supreme being

Orunmila

Yoruba; fate and order, choses destiny

Eshu

Yoruba; messenger to the gods; at crossroads/marketplaces; chance, violence, uncertainty, trickster (m or f)

Osanyin

Yoruba; primordial deity; healing; works with women and witchcraft

Shango

Yoruba king of Oyo; assoc. w/ thunder/lightning, axes

Portugese

Assoc. w/ Olokun because they introduced metal and were pale; god-like qualities

Dogon arts

Mali; specific myths and gods; primordial ancestors; historical evenst being mythologized

Ama

Dogon male creator; had sex with the earth and produced the 8 Nommo

Dogon Great Mask

Only Dogon mask not discarded after use

Bamana

Southwestern Mali; unsure exact origin

Kore society

Bamana; society focused on agriculture and agricultural events (rain, civilization)

Kore Lion

Top group; most powerful, hunts alone

Kore Monkey

Second group; most human-like