AP AH College Board Presentation

Medsker-Mehalic Content Area #6 Africa 1100-1980 C.E. • CHAPTERS 15 and 32 • Human life is understood to have begun in Africa, developed over millions of years and radiated beyond the continent of Africa • Earliest African art dates to 77,000 years ago • Clarity and strength of design and expression • Focus on oral history, passing down of cultural information through story-telling • Smithsonian National Museum of African Art Link • Ancestral themes • Early 20th century- rapid British colonization Conical Tower of Great . Southeastern Zimbabwe. Shona Peoples. 1000-1400 C.E. • Coursed granite blocks • Most famous southern African site- 1800 acres of present- day southeastern Zimbabwe • Complex of stone ruins • Royal residence- special areas for the ruler, his wives and nobles (200-300 members of the elite classes) • Population of 10,000 living a distance from the large stone buildings • Constructed and expanded for more than 300 years in a local style preferring flowing curves • Remaining ruins unusual for their size and stonework • Bantu-speaking people- the ruling elite appear to have controlled wealth through the management of (staple diet) • Video Link • Summary Link Circular Wall of Great Zimbabwe. Southeastern Zimbabwe. Shona Peoples. 1000-1400 C.E. • Coursed granite blocks • Commonly referred to as the “Great Enclosure” • Walls as high as 36 feet extending approximately 820 feet- largest structure south of the Sahara Desert • Granite blocks gathered from the exposed rock of the surrounding hills • Fitted without the use of mortar by laying stones one on top of the other, each layer slightly more recessed than the last to produce a stabilizing inward slope • Walls thought to have been a symbolic show of authority, designed to preserve the privacy of royal families and set them apart from the above commoners Great Mosque of Djenne. Mali. Founded 800-1250 C.E.; rebuilt 1906-1907 • Adobe (timber beams) • One of the wonders of Africa- one of the most unique religious buildings in the world • Largest mud-built structure in the world • Flourished as a great center of commerce, learning, and (practicing Islam started in the 13th century) • Unique annual festival called the Crepissage de la Grand Mosquee (Plastering of the Great Mosque) • Third reconstruction- completed in 1907 • Rectilinear plan, partly enclosed • Earthen roof, monumental pillars • Special court reserved for woman • Principal entrance with earthen pillars signaling the graves of two local religious leaders Monday Market at the Great Mosque of Djenne. Mali. Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906-1907 • During the annual festival- the entire city contributes to re-plastering the exterior of the mosque • Djenne’s inhabitants have withstood repeated attempts to change the character of the mosque and nature of the annual festival (music and material) • Summary Link • United Nations Djenne Video Link Wall plaque, from Oba’s Palace. Edo Peoples. (Nigeria). 16th Century C.E. • Cast brass (19”x16”x4”) • Symmetrical hierarchical composition • Oba (king) and his attendants from the Benin Empire- located in present-day Nigeria • Oba wears distinctive coral beaded regalia • Smaller, lesser members of the court, holding shields above Oba’s head • Proportions- distorted to emphasize the heads • Originally hung alongside many others on posts throughout the palace of the Oba- placement order would have shown history of the royal lineage of Benin’s Obas • Summary Link • The Metropolitan Museum of Art African Lost-Wax Casting Link Contextual Photograph: Oba of Benin. Edo Peoples. Benin (Nigeria). 16th Century C.E. • Benin Kingdom’s mutually beneficial trade with Portugal (Benin peppers, cloth, and stone traded for Portuguese coral and brass) Sika kofi (Golden Stool). Asante (Ashanti) peoples (south central Ghana). c. 1700 C.E. • Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments • Object said to be the “soul” of the Asante nation- born from the heavens • More sacred than the King- always given its own chair (next to the King) • Gold was the color reserved for royalty • Central umbrella identified King as divine (intermediary between “his” people and the heavens) • Gold Coast- in 1874 the British destroyed the Asante capital • The Asante people hid the Golden Stool from the British • Yaa Asantewaa (queen mother) organized a group of Asante soldiers to fit the British and protect the Golden Stool • Asante peoples were defeated • Summary Link • Video Link Contextual photograph: Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool). Ashanti (Asante) peoples (south central Ghana) • By 1920s British allowed Asante King (Prempeh 1) to return and a promise was made that the Golden Stool would not be taken • Wooden Stools were gifted as coming of age presents (everyday stools for sitting) • Golden Stool is kept turned on its side- for the Aura to remain intact (no one can sit on it) Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul. Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). 1760- 1780 C.E. • Wood and camwood powder (19x 8x 8 inches) • Kuba King Mishe miShyaang maMbul was celebrated for his generosity and for the great number of his loyal subjects • At the height of his reign in 1710, he commissioned an idealized portrait-statue called an ndop • By commissioning his ndop, he recorded his reign for posterity and solidified his accomplishments amongst the pantheon of his predecessors • History in Sub-Saharan Africa was not written down by members of the cultural communities until in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries • Oral narrative was the primary method- changed an adapted to reflect their times • Summary Link Contextual Photograph: Ndop. Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo) • Before being purchased by Western collectors and museums, African served as important historical markers within their communities. • The ndop sculptural record helps freeze a moment in time that would otherwise be transformed during its transmission from generation to generation • Sculptural traditions like the ndop help us gain insight into information about historical individuals and their cultural ideals • Ndop (literally meaning “statue”) statues might be the most revered of all Kuba art forms (18th- 20th centuries) • Seven ndop statues of historical significance in Western musems • Kuba Kingdom Link Power Figure (Nkisi n’kondi). Kongo Peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). C. late 19th century C.E. • Wood and metal (36 x 18 x 14 inches) • Sacred medicines and divine protection central to the belief of the BaKongo peoples • BaKongo believe that the great god, Ne Kongo, brought the first sacred medicine (or nkisi) down from heaven in an earthenware vessel set upon three stones or termite mounds • Nkisi (plural: minkisi) loosely translated a ‘spirit’- represented as a container of sacred substances activated by supernatural forces that can be summoned into the physical world • Contain medicinal herbs and other elements determined to be beneficial in curing physical illness or alleviating social ills • Represent the ability to both ‘contain’ and ‘release’ spiritual forces which can have both positive and negative consequences of the community • Summary Link • Metropolitan Museum of Art Link Female (Pwo) mask. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the congo). Late 19th to early 20th century. C.E. • Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal (15 x 8 x 9 inches) • Chokwe name (pwo) referred to an adult woman who had given birth (adorned with tattoos, earrings, and elaborate coiffure) • More recent name, mwana pwo, probably adopted under European influence, emphasizes youthful, feminine beauty • Chokwe women typically wore a hairstyle entirely coated with red earth and known as tota • During the 17th century, Capuchin monks from the Order of Christ of Portugal had distributed medals in the form of a cross throughout Chokwe country, and this cross was probably the prototype for cingelyengelye (necklace in form of a cross) • Video Link • Summary Link Portrait Mask (Mblo). Baule Peoples (Cote d’Ivoire). Early 20th century C.E. • Wood and pigment • Portrait masks embody the core Baule sculptural style that is echoed in figural sculptural and decorative arts • Formal diversity- often apparent in imaginative decorative passages extending above the face • Often have wild-animal horns • Nuanced individuality, highly refined details, powerful presence, and considerable age • Broad forehead and downcast eyes are classic features associated with intellect and respect in Baule aesthetics • Departure from a rigidly symmetrical representation suggests an individual physiognomy Contextual Photograph: Portrait Mask (Mblo). Baule Peoples (Cote d’Ivoire). Early 20th century C.E. • The masks appeared as the final sequence of an operatic public entertainment known as Mblo • Mblo performance, culminating ultimately in tributes to the community’s most distinguished member • Individuals honored in this way are depicted by a mask that is conceived of as their artistic double or namesake • One of the oldest Baule dances in the Mblo, a dance of celebration and entertainment that honors an ancestor • Represent specific ancestors but they are idealized according to the Baule standards of beauty • Summary Link • Video Link Bundu Mask. Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of and Liberia). 19th to 20th century C.E. • Wood, cloth, and fiber (raffia dress) • Sowei refers most specifically to medicine, the kind of medicine that female healers/herbalists utilize • Embodied in this idea of medicine is a spiritual force • Mask, when danced, is a visual expression of this spirit • Term also refers to the custodian of the medicine- a Sande official • Mask used by the Sande female society during solemn anniversaries: exercising justice, during funeral and initiation ceremonies (3-months reclusion in the forest) • Mask represents the spirit of fertility and is considered the incarnation of the female waters • Masks always have female characteristics, even when they incarnate the male ancestral spirit • Half-closed and lengthened eyes, delicate lips, slim nose • Complexity of headdress and presence of neck and nape reference aesthetics, philosophical, and religious concepts • Video Link Contextual photograph: Bundu Mask. Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia) • Initiation rituals include female genital mutilation (idea that excision helps women become prolific bearers of children and keep women “clean”) • Sande champions women’s social and political interests and promotes their solidarity- controlled exclusively by women • Sande girls cannot marry until after initiation • Mask becomes an ideal for the young girls- how to look/act in their adult life (small ears, downturned eyes, closed mouth) • Neck rings symbolize rolls of fat- symbolizing fertility • Four lines under eyes- scarification marks Ikenga (shrine figure). Igbo peoples (Nigeria). C. 19th to 20th century C.E. • Wood • Ikenga is a ritual object symbolizing masculine strength and the ability to achieve one’s goals through one’s own efforts- Igbo ideals of status and success • Image of a horned male figure- cylindrical block and projecting “horns” • Horns symbolize the aggressive, assertive, and powerful nature of the male animal • More elaborate Ikenga’s are standing or seated male figures with fully realized head and limbs, usually holding a severed head in one hand and a machete in the other • Summary Link • Video Link Lukasa (memory board). Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). 19th to 20th century C.E. • Wood, beads, and metal • Luba Kingdom of the Democratic Republic of Congo was a very powerful and influential presence from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries in central Africa • Role of objects granting holders the authority of kingship and royal power • Luba people are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa and the largest ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo • Luba had access to the wealth of natural resources including gold, ivory, and copper, but they also produced and traded a variety of good such as and wooden • Summary Link Contextual photograph: Lukasa (memory board). Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). 19th to 20th century C.E • Kingship is sacred to the Luba people and the elite Mbudye Society (“men of memory”- have extensive religious training) use the lukasa to to recount history during spiritual rituals • Diviners (having power to predict the future) can also read the lukasa • Each lukasa is different but small enough to hold in the left hand- board is “read” by touching its surface with the right forefinger • Carved geometric designs on the back and sides, and complex clusters of beads of various sizes whose colors have faded over time. • The board is narrower at the center making it easy to hold • Configuration of beads dictates certain kinds of information • Most important function of the lukasa was to serve as a memory aid that describes the myths surrounding the origins of the Luba empire • Metropolitan Museum Link Aka Elephant Mask. Bamileke (, Western Grassfields Region). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. • Wood, woven, raffia, cloth, and beads • Beads, cloth panels and hoods woven from plantain fiber over raffia • Elephant masks symbolic of important leaders, signified kingship and wealth, worn by the powerful members of the Kuosi regulatory society (royalty, wealthy title holders, ranking warriors of the Bandjoun kingdom of western Cameroon) • Payment of a slave or a leopard pelt to the chief owning the society was necessary for entrance to the highest rank • Early glass beads were 19th century trade beads of Venetian or Czechoslovakian manufacture, used as well in exchange for slaves • Elephant masks were called “things of money” Contextual Photograph: Aka Elephant Mask. Bamileke (Cameroon, Western Grassfields Region). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. • Maskers dance barefoot to a drum and gong, moving slowly, waving poles with tips trimmed in horsehair • Maskers later joined by chiefs and princesses, parading by an elaborate tent in which high-ranking men sit to observe • A masker hurls his horsetail to the chief, the crowd cheers, and the celebration continues with various feats performed primarily by younger maskers • When festivities end, the favorites are rewarded with kola nuts and wine • Summary Link • Video Link Reliquary Figure (byeri). Fang peoples (southern Cameroon). C. 19th to 20th century C.E. • Wood and iron (23 x 6 x 5 inches) • Male ancestor figure carved from a single piece of wood wearing a thick copper alloy necklace • Figure was probably attached to a skull basket that was used in connection with ancestor worship • Original surface (stool) is gone leaving a concave depression • Guarded a reliquary- meant to ward off those who might harm the contents of the box (talisman) • Believed that the Fang culture used the reliquaries in place of burial (both male and female) • Eyes turned down, hands clasped together, power and strength “coiled up energy” • Fang emphasis on herniated belly button, tubular nature of the body, hair (coiffure) • Reliquaries used to educate the younger boys about their ancestors • Video Link • Summary Link Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife (Opo Ogoga). Olowe of Ise (Yoruba Peoples). C. 1910- 1914 C.E. • Wood and pigment (60 x 12 x 16 inches) • Veranda post is one of four sculpted for the palace at Ikere by renowned Yoruba artist Olowe of Ise • Considered among the artist’s masterpieces for the way it embodies his unique style- interrelationship of figures, exaggerated proportions, and the open space between them • King is the focal point- portrayal suggests a ruler’s dependence on others • Female figure behind the king represents his senior wife- large scale and pose, with hands on the king’s throne, underscore her importance- she had the critical role of placing the power-invested crown on the king’s head during his coronation • Senior wife used political acumen and spiritual knowledge to protect the king’s interests during his reign • Small figures at the king’s feet represent a junior wife, the flute- playing trickster-god Esu, and a fan bearer, now missing • Summary Link • Video Link