African Art - Materials and Techniques Module 7 Done 1
Metalwork
Brass and bronze were the most valuable metals in Africa before the 20th century due to their reliance on imported components and long-distance trade.
Copper requires the addition of other metals to form alloys for smoother castings.
Copper + tin = bronze (Figure 22).
Copper + zinc = brass.
Gold was exploited in Senegal, Ghana, and parts of southern Africa and can be cast through cire-perdue (lost-wax casting).
Silver is relatively scarce in Africa, with its use typically derived from imported metal, especially European Maria Theresa thalers.
Metal dating:
Metal itself cannot be scientifically dated.
Clay cores remaining in sculptures can be TL-dated (thermoluminescence dating) to ascertain when the clay was fired, measuring the object's radiation since firing; this is more accurate than carbon dating.
Lost-Wax Casting (Cire-Perdue)
A technique used for metal casting, particularly with bronze and brass.
Process (Figure 21):
A roughly shaped clay core is created.
Beeswax is applied to the core, and details are created in the wax.
Wax sprues and vents are attached to the wax surface.
Fine clay and regular clay are packed around the head, with sprues and vents extending to the surface.
The head is heated, and the wax runs out, leaving a void.
Molten metal is poured into the void, filling the gaps left by the wax.
The outer terracotta shell is broken off.
Sprues and vents are filed down, and finishing work is completed.
Terracotta Sculpture and Pottery
Clay is a readily available material for creating sculptural structures that blend with the surrounding environment.
Architecture
Traditional African architecture varies greatly in material, shape, and decoration.
Permanent materials like stone are rarely used (Figure 29).
Sun-dried clay bricks or fiber are the most typical construction mediums (Figure 30).
Building roles:
Men are typically the builders.
Women are responsible for rapid construction among nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples.
Gender roles in wall painting or relief decoration vary by region.
Sun-dried brick construction:
Plastered with mud, allowing for versatile designs (Figure 31).
Enables round or rectangular buildings, built-in furniture, wall niches, and screening elements.
Thick walls provide insulation from heat, and thatch directs rain away from the walls.
Requires regular maintenance; abandoned structures will break down.
Roofing depends on geography.
Areas with heavy rainfall have steeply pitched thatched roofs.
Arid zones can have flat roofs (Figure 32).
Construction expertise:
In most of sub-Saharan Africa, building is a communal skill, with families and neighbors cooperating.
Specialized masons developed in regions with two-story buildings (e.g., northern Mali, Hausa regions of Nigeria and Niger) due to engineering demands.
Surface decoration:
Elaborate surface decoration includes mud relief or paint.
Natural pigments and commercial colors are used (Figure 33).
Living spaces:
Families usually live in compounds with communal and gender-specific spaces.
Most activities, including cooking, occur outdoors, so interiors are mainly for sleeping and storage.
Textiles
Weaving:
In West Africa, men weave textiles from cotton, silk, rayon, or wool after women spin the threads.
The warp (foundation threads) is stretched horizontally (Figure 37).
Looms use heddles to manipulate threads.
Shuttles carry weft threads back and forth.
Narrow-strip cloth:
The cloth is produced in long, narrow strips (1.5 to 6 inches wide) (Figure 38).
Strips are cut to standard lengths and sewn together to form wider cloths.
Known as narrow-strip cloth or men's weaves, worn by both men and women.
Weavers are professionals, often working in public areas.
Unsewn strips are sold in markets to assure buyers of their new condition.
Raffia cloth decoration:
In the Congo region, women decorate raffia cloth made by men via pile embroidery (Figure 45).
Loops are sewn onto the surface and then cut to create a plush, velvet-like texture.
Dyed threads create multi-colored effects or variations in surface depth.
Barkcloth:
Formerly more widespread, still found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Madagascar (Figure 46).
Men remove the inner bark of wild fig trees, boil or steam it, and pound it until the fibers interlock.
The resulting felt-like material cannot unravel.
Holes from pounding are disguised with decorative patching.
Cloth decoration techniques:
Woven cloth can be further decorated through tie-dye (Figure 47), stitching, or starch resist.
These techniques shield parts of the cloth from dye to create patterns.
Cloths can also be stamped with designs.