Quiz 2: Sculptures

EXAMPLES OF WEST AFRICAN SCULPTURE

Dolls, Masques, Drums, Colons

Dolls

Fertility, Mother, Earth, Breast focused, Child, gods, twins, myth characters.

Masques

may be decorated with beads, cowry shells, woven grass, animal fur or hides, paint. They are worn to represent spirits, gods, animals. The masque is considered to embody the spirit of those examples.

Drums

Are considered to be female in spirit. Therefore, they are often decorated with female faces and/or breasts.

Colons

Carved African representations of Colonial Europeans such as government officials, doctors, police, soldiers, engineers, businessmen, judges, attorneys

relevant because - Key symbolic details:

Black shoes → Symbolize formality, Western dress, and status.

Portly bodies → Exaggeration reflects perception of European wealth, power, and indulgence.

Hands in pockets → Shows Europeans as detached, careful not to get “dirty,” emphasizing separation from labor or local life.

Social commentary & satire → Critiques colonial authority and lifestyle, blending humor with observation.

Artistic tradition + adaptation → Uses African stylistic conventions (proportions, abstraction) while depicting new subject matter.

Overall meaning:

• Colons serve as both documentation and critique of colonial presence.

• They reflect how African artisans interpreted, exaggerated, and responded to foreign influence.

Methods

subtraction, construction, substitution, manipulation

Elements

3 dimensionality, mass, density

Dimensionality

full round 360, relief (high & low), linear

Define Sculpture

3D, mass, volume

Authentic and Traditional African Art qualified by these conditions: 1-6

1.material

2.traditional patterns

3.traditional hand-tools must be used (chisel, hammer, knife, chainsaw)

4. produced in a traditional geographic location

5. made by traditional crafts people

6. made for traditional use

traditional and authentic not referring to _______ art

modern art

(called souvenir if not authentic/traditional)

Sculpture can be _____

painted

Ahwiaa

Ghanaian traditional wood carving village

Hellenistic

Everyday People Doing Everyday Things

African art primarily 1-7

1. Functional

2. Spiritual/religious

3. utilitarian (practical and symbolic, e.g. masks, stools, textiled)

4. communal (belongs to community)

5. traditional (passed down through generations)

6. educational (used to teach morals, history, and values)

7. symbolic (meaning; form, pattern, material, context)

Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

pharaohs: stone, rigid, with one foot forward

servants, scribes: more natural, limestone/wood, show everyday roles

Akhenaten: Amarna style, elongated features, family intimacy, religious revolution, (Aten)

Ancient Greek Sculpture 

Archaic: Kouros/Kore, stiff, archaic smile, influenced by Egypt

Classical (Hellenic/Ionic): contrapposto, naturalism, balance, perfection (Kritios Boy, Discus Thrower, Praxiteles’ Aphrodite).

Hellenistic (Corinthian): emotion, drama, motion (Laocoön, Nike of Samothrace, Dying Gaul

Kouros (Greek, Archaic)

• Rigid, frontal, foot forward (influence of Egypt).
  
  

• Nude youth (kouros = young man).
  
  

• Symbol of idealized beauty & youth, used as grave markers/offering.
  
  

Laocoön and His Sons (Greek, Hellenistic)

• The Priest of Troy was punished by gods for warning against the Trojan Horse.
  
  

• Figures struggle in agony with serpents → extreme emotion, twisting forms, diagonal lines.
  
  

Shows drama, pathos, and movement typical of Hellenistic sculpture.

Nike of Samothrace (Greek, Hellenistic)

• Goddess of Victory, set on prow of ship.
  
  

• Windblown drapery, sense of movement + triumph.
  
  

• Example of sculpture designed for dramatic setting (environmental interaction).
  
  

Discus Thrower (Myron, Classical Greek)

• Balanced yet dynamic — moment of tension before release.
  
  

• Shows harmony, proportion, ideal athletic body.
  
  

Classical focus on perfection and potential energy.

Akhenaten (Egyptian, Amarna Period)

• Broke tradition — elongated body, soft features, shown with family.
  
  

• Reflected new monotheistic religion (worship of Aten).
  
  

• Contrast: more natural, personal vs rigid timelessness of earlier pharaohs.
  
  

Egyptian Pharaoh Statues (Old Kingdom onward)

• Idealized, symmetrical, rigid, one foot forward.
  
  

• Stone = permanence, eternity.
  
  

Scale and pose communicate divine power + stability.

Old Woman (Hellenistic Greek)

• Depicts an elderly woman in a naturalistic, unidealized form.

• Focus on age, realism, and humanity rather than heroism or gods.

• Shows Hellenistic interest in everyday people and emotional expression.

Goose Boy (Hellenistic Greek)

• Young boy carrying a goose, often shown mid-step.

• Emphasizes daily life, innocence, and playful realism.

• Example of Hellenistic focus on ordinary subjects, not just gods/heroes.

Dying Gaul (Hellenistic Greek)

• Fallen Celtic warrior, wounded, in agony.

• Shows emotional realism, respect for a defeated enemy, and dramatic movement.

• Highlights heroism and pathos, key Hellenistic characteristics.

colons full definition for written part of test

Colons are traditional African wooden carvings that represent European colonial figures such as generals, doctors, businessmen, and other officials. They are depicted as portly to signify wealth and a well-fed lifestyle, with their hands in their pockets to suggest a preference for leisure and avoidance of labor. The figures often wear polished black shoes, symbolizing European formality and status. Colons serve as a satirical commentary on colonial power, illustrating how African artists viewed and critiqued European authority during the colonial era.

Ephemeral/ Environmental

Environmental Sculpture

• Sculpture that interacts with its surroundings (land, light, architecture, weather).

• Site-specific: its meaning depends on where it is.

• Example: Earthworks like Spiral Jetty, or installations using natural landscapes.

🔹 Ephemeral Sculpture

• Sculpture that is temporary or impermanent, meant to decay or disappear.

• Made from ice, sand, flowers, trash, chalk, etc.

• Focus = the experience in the moment, not permanence.

sculpture fundamentals

• Found objects → everyday objects turned into art.

• Texture/touch → surface quality.

• Size → scale of work.

• Lighting/environment → how light/setting affect perception.

Kore

Archaic female youth. Always clothed, more decorative, often offerings to gods.