Art of African Kingdoms and Empires (300-1500)

Aksum

The ancient empire that gained wealth and power by seizing trade routes around 350 CE.

Wagadu

One of the kingdoms that grew into an empire between 300 and 1500 CE.

Mali

One of the kingdoms that grew into an empire between 300 and 1500 CE.

Mapungubwe

One of the kingdoms that grew into an empire between 300 and 1500 CE.

Royal tomb monument

Aksum, Ethiopia, kingdom of Aksum, 200-400. Solid stone, height 69 ft. (21.03 m).

monolith

A large single upright block of stone, often used as a marker in Aksum.

Abuna Yemata Guh

A chapel carved into a cliff in Tigray, Ethiopia, c. 500-1500.

rock-cut

Referring to structures carved directly into rock, such as the Abuna Yemata Guh.

Great Zimbabwe

Ancestral Shona, Zimbabwe, c. 1250-1400, known for stone terraces and hilltop dwellings.

dry masonry

A construction technique using stones without mortar, as seen in Great Zimbabwe.

The Great Enclosure

A structure at Great Zimbabwe, c. 1250-1400, with the tallest wall height of 32 ft. (9.75 m).

Royal emblem in the form of a fish eagle

Ancestral Shona, Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, 1250-1400, height of bird 12 in. (30.5 cm).

chevron

A decorative motif consisting of a V shape, often used in Shona art.

boss

A rounded protrusion or ornamentation, often found in architectural design.

The Great Mosque at Djenne

Founded c. 1300, restored 1907, it is the world's largest adobe building.

adobe

A building material made from earth and organic materials, used in the Great Mosque at Djenne.

Djenne Style equestrian figure

Fired clay figure from inland Niger Delta, Mali, 1200-1400, height 27 3/4 in. (70.5 cm).

slip

A liquid mixture of clay and water used in ceramics, seen in Djenne Style figures.

Head from Wunmonije Compound

Ancestral Yoruba, 1250-1350, copper, height 12 in. (30.5 cm).

lost-wax casting

A metal casting process that involves creating a wax model which is melted away.

scarification

The practice of creating scars on the skin for aesthetic or cultural reasons.

Figure of an Oni

Ancestral Yoruba, 1250-1350, copper alloy, height 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm).