Unit 6: Africa

Conical Tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe 

1000-1400 C.E. 

Shona people (southeastern Zimbabwe) 

Granite blocks 

Zimbabwe: “ruler's court or house”

Doubled wall enclosure 

Great Mosque of Djenne

Founded: c. 1200 C.E.

Rebuilt: 1907 C.E. 

Mali 

Adobe (clay, mud) 

Still used for religious reasons today 

Beams- support, decoration

Interior arches 

Annual replastering 

Female (pwo) Mask

 Late 19th - early 20th  C.E. 

Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of Congo) 

Mixed media 

Idealized feminine features: long, small noses, pointy teeth, squinted eyes

Bundu Mask 

19th - 20th C.E. 

West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia 

Sande Society, Mende people

Wood 

Helmet/mask

Mask wearers are female 

Elaborate coiffure, narrow eyes, broad forehead, small mouth, beards

Portrait Mask (Mblo) 

Early 20th century C.E. 

Baule peoples 

Wood and pigment 

Made for Moya Yanso, worn by her husband and passed down to sons 

These masks were for honoring a SPECIFIC person

Aka Elephant mask

20th century 

Bamileke Peoples (grassfields region of Cameroon) 

Wood, woven raffia, cloth, beads (mixed media) 

Colorful patterns  

Power Figure (Nkisi Nkondi) 

Late 19th century C.E. 

Kongo people (DRC) 

Wood and metal 

Nkisi: spirit, medicine used

Nganga: healer who used Nkisi 

Mooyo: center of the Nkisi where the medicine is put in by Nganga 

Medicine gives object power 

Ikenga (shrine figure) 

19th to 20th century C.E. 

Igbo peoples (Nigeria) 

Wood 

Right hand is the hand of accomplishment 

Reliquary figure (Byeri)

 19th to 20th century C.E. 

Fang people

Wood 

Guard relic 

Belly button: connection to umbilical cord

Lukasa (memory board) 

19th to 20th century C.E. 

Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (DRC) 

Wood, beads, metal 

Meant to be held, touched 

Read like braille

Sika Dwa Kofi (Golden Stool)

C. 1700 CE

Asante peoples (Ghana) 

Gold over wool and cost gold attachments 

Stool fell from heavens, known as the soul of the people 

Wall Plaque from Oba’s palace 

16th century C.E. 

Kingdom of Benin (Nigeria) 

Edo peoples

Cast brass 

Plaques were originally in sequential order, then got mixed up 

Hierarchical scale

Portrait figure of King Mishe 

1760-80 C.E. 

Kuba peoples (DRC) 

Wood (wood sculpture)

Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife

1910-1914 C.E. 

Yoruba peoples (Nigeria) 

Wood and pigment 

Veranda→ porch

Crowned king (tallest), senior wife, attendants (shortest)