AP Art History: Unit 3 – Africa/Indigenous Americas

Great Serpent Mound

• Mississippian

• 1070 CE

• Earthwork/effigy mound

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• sacred space, likely associated with supernatural power

• intentional decision with material and location (adjacent to a creek, which it follows)

• Mississippians had a highly organized gov’t

• No burials or artifact in the mound

• The shape of the snake was significant: its shedding has been associated with supernaturalism

  • They also believed that the snake in the mound had always been there, and that the mound helped to emerge it

Ruler’s Feather Headdress

• Mexica (Aztec)

• 1428-1520 CE

• Gold and feathers (quetzal and cotinga)

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• Came from male quetzals, which indicates long distance trade

• Costume was incredibly important to the Aztecs; this piece was meant to be seen in the movement of the ruler

• Luxury products were demanded from cities the Aztecs conquered

• Spanish conquistadores were so impressed by this that they allowed these to continue to be produced after the conquest.

Great Zimbabwe

• Shona peoples

• 1000-1400CE

• Coursed granite blocks

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• Elevated surfaces for sleeping/sitting

• “Dramatic architecture”

• Held about 250 royal houses

• Symbol of political and economic power (trade network)

• Split into 3 parts: Hill Ruins and Great Enclosure possibly for elite or ritual purposes, while Valley Ruins were where people lived

Bundu Mask

• 19th–20th century CE

• Sande Society, Mende peoples (Sierra Leone and Liberia)

• Wood, cloth, fiber

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• Used in girls’ initiation rites

• Only African mask worn by women

• Idealized female beauty and moral virtue (high forehead for intelligence, pursed lips for wise speech)

• Represents female water spirit and patron deity Sowo → the masks and dancers are said to become her at some points in the ceremony

Templo Mayor

• 1375–1520 CE

• Mexica (Aztec)

• Stone, volcanic stone, stucco

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• Twin temples dedicated to Huitzilopochtli (war/sun) and Tlaloc (rain)

• Center of Tenochtitlán, reflects Aztec cosmology (axis mundli

• Site of sacrifices and rituals — reenacting of Huitzilpotchli’s victory

• Rainy season, sun sets behind Tlaloc, and behind Huitzilpotchli during dry season

Maize Cobs

• c. 1440–1533 CE

• Inka

• Sheet metal/repoussé, gold and silver alloys

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• Idealized naturalism — Inca visual expression, as opposed to geometrical and abstract shapes from Andean culture

• Symbol of agricultural abundance and ritual offerings

• Part of garden of life-size/miniature ritual objects in Qorikancha

• Likely taken as spoils after defeat of Inka in 1530s

Great Mosque of Djenne

• c. 1200 CE (rebuilt 1906–1907)

• Mali

• Mudbrick

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• Largest mudbrick structure in the world; elevated on a platform, mainly for water damage preventing

• Community re-plasters annually (Crepissage); represents devotion to God and community

• Center of Islamic learning and trade to indicate economic health

 Nikisi n’kondi (Power Figure)

• c. late 19th century CE

• Kongo peoples (DRC)

• Wood and metal

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• Spiritual figure activated through rituals

• Nails represent oaths, healing, or justice -→ if you recant on your promise, the deity will come after you

• Filled with believed to be apotropaic substances - if they are removed, the deity is as well

Yaxchilan

• 725 CE

• Maya

• Limestone (structure and reliefs)

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• Likely a burial site for Lady Xoc and her husband

• Known for lintels depicting rituals and royal lineage

• Structure 23 shows Lady Xoc performing bloodletting to justify her husband’s rule

• Demonstrates Maya hieroglyphic writing and dynastic propaganda

All-T’oqapu tunic

• 1450–1540 CE

• Inka

• Camelid fiber and cotton

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• Worn by elite, possibly emperor or sacrificed to sun god Inti

• Weaving held spiritual and political importance, so the tunic was woven in one piece, as cutting the loom was thought to destroy spirit existence

• Cochineal red and indigo blue dye were indicative of high status (camellid fibers were easier to dye)

 Wall Plaque, Oba’s palace

• 16th century CE

• Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria)

• Cast brass

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• Depicts Oba (king) and court officials, the Oba being significantly larger (hierarchy of scale)

• Lost-wax casting tradition, which used immense amounts of brass from Portuguese traders

• Showed wealth and divine kingship of the Oba

 Aka Elephant Mask

• 19th–20th century CE

• Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region)

• Wood, woven raffia, cloth, beads

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• Worn by members of Kuosi society, the highest society under nobility/royalty → a means to intimidate the lower classes

• Elephant symbolizes power and wealth, and is considered to be the alter ego of the king

• Danced at royal court celebrations

Chauvín de Huántar

• 900–200 BCE

• Chavín (Peru)

• Stone (architecture), granite (Lanzón and reliefs), gold alloy (jewelry)

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• Religious and ceremonial center of Chavín culture

• Iconography combines human and jaguar imagery, which represents power

• Pilgrimage site that helped unify people culturally; offering came from faraway places

• Long maze like corridors that controlled access to sacred places and put visitors in a trance-like state

Bandolier Bag

• c. 1850 CE

• Lenape (Eastern Woodlands)

• Beadwork on leather

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• Inspired by European ammunition bags, though these weren’t nearly as durable

• Made by women, ceremonial regalia worn by men

• Beadwork reflects cultural resilience and exchange

  • Pre-colonialism, decorative work was done by porcupine quills

  • Post-contact, glass beads from Venice were used

• Embroidery was learned by Canadian nuns

Ndop (Portrait Figure)

• 760–1780 CE

• Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of Congo)

• Wood

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• Idealized portrait of king (not literal likeness)

• Acts as spiritual double of ruler

• All placed together, so one could derive the royal lineage

• All have the same seated pose, ornamentation, stoic expressions, and headdresses and blades

Mblo portrait mask

• Early 20th century CE

• Baule peoples (Côte d’Ivoire)

• Wood, pigment, metal

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• Worn in dance performances (always by a man) honoring individuals (women)

• Idealized features, reflects values of beauty and virtue

• Performance includes music, dance, costume; the women’s mannerisms are studied and imitated during the performance

• Said to be the spiritual double of a woman, so it can’t be commissioned without her permission

• It can’t be seen without her or one of her close relatives being with it.

Transformation Mask

• Late 19th century

• Kwakwaka’wakw (Northwest Coast of Canada)

• Wood, paint, string

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• Meant to be seen in movement; opens during performance to reveal second face (conceals and reveals identity)

• Used in potlatch ceremonies

• Represents spiritual transformation and clan identity (the belief that birds/fish/humans/animals differ only in skin + can transform into one another)

• The Seattle Seahawks logo is a transformation mask

Black-on-Black vessel

• c. mid-20th century

• Puebloan, San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Maria Martínez and Julian Martínez

• Blackware ceramic

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• Revitalized ancient Pueblo pottery techniques

• Matte and glossy finish creates subtle decoration

• Elevated Indigenous craft to fine art status

 Sika dwa Kofi (Golden Stool of Ashanti)

• c. 1700 CE

• Ashanti peoples (South Central Ghana)

• Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments

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• Symbol of Ashanti nation and soul of the people

• Never sat upon, only by the stool itself

• Represents unity and authority

Ikenga (shrine figure)

• c. 19th–20th century CE

• Igbo peoples (Nigeria)

• Wood

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• Personal shrine representing a man’s power and success

• Horns symbolize strength and determination

• Ritual offerings and prayers made to it

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

• c. 450–1300 CE

• Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi)

• Sandstone, mortar, plaster

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• Built into cliffs for protection and insulation, and dwellings were very much elevated

• Contained kivas (ceremonial spaces)

• Shows community planning and adaptation to environment

• Abandoned due to drought/migration

Painted Elk hide

• c. 1890–1900 CE

• Eastern Shoshone (Wind River Reservation, Wyoming); attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody)

• Painted elk hide

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• Depicts Sun Dance and buffalo hunt

• Storytelling about the past (cultural preservation and pandering to collectors)

• Paints were commercialized, so more vibrant colors were used than traditionally

Veranda post

• c. 1910–1938 CE

• Yoruba peoples (Nigeria) → Olowe of Ise

• Wood and pigment

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• Functions as an architectural support post for palace

• Senior wife’s placement indicates close, supporting relationship between her and king

  • Her eyes are alert and protective to ward off evil

• Trickster god Esu announces the presence of the kind

Byeri (reliquary figure)

• c. 19th–20th century CE

• Culture: Fang peoples (Cameroon)

• Medium: Wood

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• Guarded ancestral relics in cylindrical containers

• Combines naturalism and abstraction

• Ensured ancestral protection and continuity

• During youth initiation rituals, they would be removed from the containers and set at the youth’s feet.

City of Cusco

• 1440 CE (Inca capital established earlier)

• Inka

• Andesite (stone)

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• Laid out in shape of a puma (symbolic of power in Inka culture)

• Sits at 11,200 ft (extraordinary elevation)

• Qorikancha temple was spiritual and physical center (axis mundli)

 Lukasa

• . 19th–20th century CE

• Luba peoples (DRC)

• Wood, beads, metal

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  • Used by trained members to recount history and genealogy

  • Tactile reading of beads and shells

  • Encoded political and cultural knowledge

Pwo Mask

• Late 19th–early 20th century CE

• Chokwe peoples (DRC)

• Wood, fiber, pigment, metal

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• Honors female ancestors

• Worn by male dancers in initiation rituals

• Symbolizes fertility and womanhood with Pwo being young, beautiful, and ready for marriage

• Paired with Cihongo, the founding father → when danced together, they bring fertility and prosperity for all time

• Identity is covered so “Pwo” can inhabit the body and teach the boys founding stories and to treasure women

City of Machu Picchu

• c. 1450–1540 CE

• Inka

• Granite (architectural complex)

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• Royal estate of first Inka emperor

• Lower elevation, but meant to be a place of entertainment, religious ceremony, and administering the affairs of the kingdom

• Stones for the complex were laboriously shaped with tools, and fit together meticulously

• Lower status buildings did not have the meticulously shaped stones of high Inka society + had rougher construction