African Art Quiz 2 Flashcards

Ibini

Second Dynasty capital of Benin, established by Oranmiyan. Means “Land of Vexation.” Where the name Benin comes from.

Edo

The name for the Kingdom of Benin’s cultural group.

Olokun & divine kingship (oba)

Olokun is the god of the sea and the counterpart to the Oba, who is the king of Benin.

Hierarchical composition

In Benin art, differences in size represent different places in the social hierarchy. The Oba is the largest and most important, while foreigners and others are much smaller.

Mudfish, Pythons & the principle of duality

Mudfish symbolize the meeting of land and sea, representing Olokun and the Oba. They transcend natural and spiritual boundaries through their dual existence (lungs and estivation). Pythons, often carved on turrets, link the earth and sky and symbolize hierarchy and duality between land and sea/sky.

Quatrefoils

A four-lobed design motif used in Benin art (specific meaning uncertain).

The Office of the Queen Mother

The queen mother was an important political and spiritual figure in Benin. When her son became Oba, she moved nearby and was consulted on key issues, though she could not see the Oba.

The significance of the Warrior Kings Period

A period of great prosperity, trade with Portugal, and military expansion in the Kingdom of Benin.

The Punitive Expedition

A British attack on the Kingdom of Benin that weakened it and led to the looting of many artworks.

The pre-Islamic social model of the Sahel & its relationship to the arrival and spread of Islam

Pre-Islamic Sahelian societies were clusters of distinct social and occupational groups that valued diversity. Islam arrived as another cultural and trading group and was integrated rather than imposed.

Manding Style

Mud mosque architecture of the Sahel featuring four elements: toron (wooden beams for climbing/support/rain spouts), crenels (notches inspired by European castles), ostrich eggs (protect against rain), and gendered architectural symbolism (phallic finials and female forms).

Sahel

Semi-arid region between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan Africa; home to ancient kingdoms like Mali and Djenne. Means “edge” or “shore.”

Inland Niger Delta

A region of floodplains, marshes, and lakes in the Sahel, supporting agriculture and settlement.

Jenne-Jeno

Means “Old Jenne.” A pre-Islamic city and trading center in present-day Mali.

“Entreaties for Divine Intervention”

Sculptures from Jenne-Jeno that served as appeals for divine aid, reflecting responses to the arrival of Islam.

“White” bogolanfini

Known as Kanjida; secular cloth worn by men and women, appearing slightly whiter than sacred red bogolanfini.

“Red” bogolanfini

Includes Basiae and N’gale types; sacred cloths worn only by women.

“Crocodile” motif

Symbolizes power, transformation, and danger; associated with water and hunters.

“Crocodile Digits” motif

Represents the crocodile’s strength and its connection between land and water.

“that which holds up the head of a Moor woman” motif

Square with an X inside, representing the pillow of Moorish women.

“house surrounded by calabash flowers, small stars” motif

A decorative pattern possibly symbolizing fertility or protection.

Bogolan

Mud cloth made through a dyeing process using fermented mud; a major textile art of the Bamana.

“The aesthetic of the irregular”

Intentional subtle inconsistencies in design meant to give life and authenticity to the piece.

“The wing of the swallow”

A motif referencing the swallow, a bird symbolizing the first rain and important medicine; represents hidden cures known only to initiates.

Nyama

The powerful, potentially dangerous energy that all things possess.

Jayan vs. Dibi

Dual principles expressed in art: Jayan (order, clarity) vs. Dibi (obscurity, mystery).

“Mother-childness” and “Father-childness”

Mother-childness symbolizes nurturing and goodness; father-childness represents strictness or negativity.

Akan

People who speak the Twi language, forming a major cultural-linguistic group in West Africa.

Asante/Ashanti

A powerful 19th-century confederacy in present-day Ghana.

Asantehene

The paramount leader or king of the Asante.

The Verbal/Visual Nexus

The close relationship between oral wisdom (proverbs, speech) and visual symbols in Asante art.

Durbar

A royal festival or public gathering where the Asantehene appears in full regalia.

Ananse

The spider trickster figure symbolizing wisdom: “No one goes to the house of the spider Ananse to teach him wisdom.”

The Reef Knot motif

Symbol of wisdom; “Only the wise man can untie the wisdom knot.”

The Chain motif

Symbolizes unity and family: “If we are linked together like a chain, in life we are linked, in death we are linked. Family links are never broken.”

Human Mandibles motif

Human jawbones affixed to a linguist staff, symbolizing the power of speech and authority.