Module 07 Study Guide: African Art

A collection of flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts from the Module 07 Study Guide on African Art.

 ______________ is the first of the Yoruba city-states or kingdoms, which established government 
under a priestly oba (“king”). 

Ife.

 The ___________ figure has always been a primary subject of African art, and this emphasis even 
influenced certain European traditions. 

Human

Ancient rock and cave art can be found throughout the  _________, providing a significant window 
into the art and culture of the prehistoric peoples of Africa. 

Sahara Desert

The Cave of Swimmers is among the most famous examples of rock art was discovered in 1933 
by the Hungarian explorer ____________. 

László Almásy.

(True / False) The human species originated on the African continent, making it the oldest 
inhabited territory on Earth. 

True.

The earliest African sculpture in the round is from the ____________ culture. 

Nok

Facial striping is used as an indicator in African societies for _______________________. 

Identity or status.

The Ile-Ife figures from the Yoruba kingdom served mainly in rituals that focused on _________________________

Ancestral worship.

 Excavations in Igbo-Ukwu have found highly sophisticated artifacts from the earliest known age of 
____________ casting, dating to the ninth or tenth century CE. 

Bronze

The inner power and energy of a person, or their Ase, was believed to reside in their 
_________________. 

Head

 Ife is home to the ___________ people in southwestern Nigeria. The city was established near 
the ninth century CE, and reached its artistic peak between 1200 and 1400 CE. 

Yoruba.

The meaning of the word “ife” in Yoruba is “________.”

Water or expansion

In 1897, the ______________ led the Punitive Expedition in which they ransacked the Benin 
kingdom and destroyed or confiscated much of their artwork. Over 3,000 brass plaques were seized 
and are now held in museums around the world. 

The British.

One characteristic of the Nok style in ceramic sculpture is the _________________

Big eyes

Yoruba legends place their origins at _____________. 

Ile-Ife

 _________________ (c.800 CE) was a walled town that had a diverse population and many 
specialist workshops. 

Djenne

The presence of Portuguese heads on the Benin belt mask of the Queen Mother indicates 
______________________

Culture trade.

The African concentration on the human form (even if it represents spirits or deities, which it 
sometimes does) is greater than what is found in most parts of world art history.

True

_______________ is the general state of in-betweenness. 

liminality or Nepantla

When ___________ appear in artworks, they are typically used as more than simple allusions to 
the human habitat. 

Animals