Ancient/Medieval Art - Africa Before 1800

What are three shared characteristics across early African art traditions?

honor ancestors, worship nature deities, and elevate the sacred status of rulers.

Why are few examples of early African art preserved today?

Most were made from perishable materials like wood, fiber, and textiles, which decayed over time.

What is the earliest known example of African art?

Painted stones from Apollo 11 Cave, Namibia (ca. 25,000 BCE) — depicting animals with symbolic or shamanistic meaning.

What is the “Large Wild Fauna Style” of the Sahara Highlands (8000-2000 BCE)?

Rock engravings of detailed, naturalistic animals symbolizing fertility, abundance, and survival in a once-lush Sahara.

Describe the “Running Woman” from Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria.

Painted female figures with dotted body decoration and horned headdress; possibly a ritual or fertility deity (6000-4000 BCE).

What distinguishes Nok culture sculpture (Nigeria, ca. 500 BCE-200 CE)?

Hollow terracotta figures with stylized triangular eyes, elaborate hairstyles, and jewelry — likely ancestor or ritual figures.

What are the Lydenburg Heads and where were they found?

Seven terracotta heads from South Africa (ca. 500 CE) with incised patterns and ringed necks, possibly used in rituals or ceremonies.

Compare Nok and Lydenburg sculptures in one key difference.

Nok figures are expressive and open-mouthed (symbolic realism), while Lydenburg heads are abstract with geometric patterning.

What is significant about Igbo-Ukwu bronzes (Nigeria, 9th-10th c. CE)?

Among the earliest examples of lost-wax casting in Africa; created elaborate bronze regalia for elite burials.

What art form associated with the Benin Kingdom (Nigera, 16-17th c.)?

Brass palace plaques showing the Oba (king) in hierarchical scale wearing coral regalia, symbolizing divine kingship and power.

What characterizes Ife (Yoruba) art?

Naturalistic brass, terracotta, and stone heads — serene, symmetrical, idealized — representing divine kings (Onis) and sacred authority.

What is unique about the Seated Man from Tada (13th-14th c.)?

Cast copper figure with relaxed pose; suggests multiple regional metalworking centers in West Africa beyond Ife.

Describe the Great Mosque of Djenne (Mali) and its materials.

Adobe (mudbrick) structure with wooden beams and towers; rebuilt in 1907; blends Islamic architecture with local African techniques.

What makes the Rock-Cut Churches of Lalibela (Ethiopia, ca. 1220 CE) extraordinary?

Entirely carved from bedrock; 11 interconnected churches (e.g., Beta Giorghis) built as a “New Jerusalem” from Christian pilgrims.

What does Great Zimbabwe (11th-15th c.) reveal about southern African society?

Massive dry-stone enclosures and conical towers show advanced masonry, centralized power, and long-distance trade networks.