APAH: African Art

Thousands of languages and ethnic groups Cradle of humanity Little known prior to 1800 Oral history traditions Importance of ancestral connections Ancestral afterlife / spirit world Focused on abstraction, conceptual art

Conical tower and circular wall of Great (c. 1000-1400 C.E.) Southeastern Zimbabwe Shona peoples Zimbabwe = stone houses, venerated house Housed royal family Included ritual sites and cemeteries Coursed granite blocks Shows knowledge of stone masonry Irregular shapes without use of mortar Compare to the city of Cusco

Trading in gold, copper and ivory Think of the Ming vase in Dutch art or Greek Connected to Middle East and China in Etruscan tombs Chinese porcelain found at site Mysterious end around in 15th century Famine, political conflict ??? Hill Ruins Sacred cave King’s residence Guarded by 7 m high walls City at base ~18,000 people Great Enclosure Queen’s residence or temple (perhaps) Conical towers Granaries Tribute and wealth Monoliths Soapstone Ancestral shrines Animal totems or means of communication

Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace (16th century C.E.) Edo peoples, present-day (Nigeria) Oba = king Cast brass Lost wax casting method Compare method to Seated Boxer or Donatello’s David Decorative elements Oba shielded by attendants Rosettes from Christian crosses Hierarchy of scale Hung in palace – order of plaques story of lineage Oba rides sidesaddle on horse (not indigenous to West Africa) Trade with Portugal Late 15th century Portugal wanted peppers, gold, ivory, and slaves Edo wanted beads, horses, and brass Conquest by British 1897 destroyed palace – looted treasures Cultural imperialism

Sika kofi (Golden Stool) (c. 1700 C.E.) Ashanti (Asante) peoples, present-day south central Ghana Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments Osei tutu unifies Asante peoples (c. 1700) Golden stool falls from sky – miracle, gods’ message Wooden stool covered in gold More sacred than even the king Given its own stool next to king Contains sunsum (soul) of the Ashanti Gold = royalty Gold coast 1874 British destroyed city of Kumasi Tried to find the golden stool –wanted to steal, sit on it Failed Children are gifted a stool when they came of age When you left the room you tipped your stool over – like the Golden Stool

Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul (c. 1760–1780 C.E.) Kuba peoples, present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo Carved wood Record of the Nyim (king) – accomplishments Oral traditions Praise song

Kuba artists Worked exclusively for the ruler Woodcarvers, blacksmiths, weavers Apprenticeship system Ndop image Ideal king – not the individual king Head = 1/3 of statue (intelligence) Geometric motif (ibol) identifies the nyim Taken by Belgian colonial ministers

Power figure (Nkisi n’kondi) (c. late 19th century C.E.) Kongo peoples, present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood and metal Nkisi – “spirit” represented as a container of sacred substances Power figure – magical charm Avenger or guardian Carved by spiritual specialist Activated by chants, prayers, or preparation of medicines Cures both physical, emotional and spiritual ailments Two parties lick the blade or nail to show agreement Failure to abide by the agreement will activate the nkisi nkondi

Female (Pwo) mask (Late 19th to early 20th century C.E.) Chokwe peoples, present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal Danced by a man Carved by a man Matrilineal society Honors women Ideal female figure Especially for childbirth Eyes, mouth closed – turned inward, knowing, inner wisdom White eyes imply second sight, connection to spiritual realm Suggestive dots of tattoo pattern – scarification

Portrait mask (Mblo) (Early 20th century C.E.) Baule peoples, present-day Ivory Coast Wood and pigment Personal shrines and performances Dance accompanied by drums, singing, oration, other dancers Danced and worn by men Kept out of sight in homes can perform actions – communicate with dead Sculpted by Owie Kimou of Moya Yanso of an ideal inner state – not a realistic portrayal Subtle asymmetry – left eye higher than right adds complexity to personality Headpiece is aesthetic, not a real object

Bundu mask (19th to 20th century C.E.) Mende peoples, present-day and Liberia Sande Society – secret society of women and girls Taught traditions and roles for women in Mende society Incorporated FGM (Female genital mutilation) Wood, cloth, and fiber Masquerade tradition – performance art Women wore the mask – men carved it Worn above head Elaborate headdress and hair (raffia missing) Raffia gown Performed for girls going through initiation Roles of women in society Inner morality an ideal for girls to mimic in adulthood Reserved – small ears, small closed mouth Don’t gossip (don’t speak) Downcast eyes Rolls of fat under chin Wealth? Fertility? Bearing children? Scarification marks on face – beauty Seen in a museum takes it out of context and performance Less spiritual too

Ikenga (shrine figure) (c. 19th to 20th century C.E.) Igbo peoples, present-day Nigeria Carved wood Human and animal forms Inclusion of ram horns Highly abstract Ikenga – power of the right hand Earned status through achievements Home shrine figure One’s personal achievements Offered food sacrifices Body decoration – scarification

Lukasa (memory board) (c. 19th to 20th century C.E.) Luba peoples, present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo Powerful kingdom 16th to 20th centuries Sub-group of Bantu peoples Wood, beads, and metal Mbudye Society Elite religious society Diviners Oral tradition Mnemonic device Beads, shells, pegs Narrative of historical leadership Used to make contemporary decisions Held in left hand

Aka elephant mask.. c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads. Bamileke Kingdom, present-day Danced by members of Elephant society – masquerade Elite group – only ones allowed to wear mask and leopard skins Social harmony Leopard skins Power of the leader Transform into animals Stable hierarchy

Reliquary figure (byeri) (c. 19th to 20th century C.E.) Fang peoples, present-day southern Cameroon Carved wood Reliquary Compare to Reliquary of St. Foy Objects from the deceased – bones Medicines Perhaps for movement Carried with nomadic community Guardian imagery Defended ancestors Supernatural powers Powerful latent energy Muscular Consulted for decision-making Calm, closed eyes – inner wisdom Emphasis on the head

Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga) (c. 1910–1914 C.E.) Yoruba peoples, present-day Nigeria and Benin Carved wood with pigment Olowe of Ise – renown 20th century sculptor Fame from program of sculptures for royal court in Ise Commissions from other royalty Unusual to know artist’s name Carved from single piece of wood One of four posts for royal courtyard Exaggerated proportions, open spaces Divine kingship Authority of the crown Spiritual object Dependence on others Senior wife She crowns the king during coronation Her wisdom guides and protects his reign Wide eyes Fertility Importance of Yoruba women She is the architectural support Bird on crown = female ancestors and deities

Great Mosque of Djenné. (Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906–1907) Djenné, Mali Oldest known known city in sub-Saharan Africa Wealthy trading center and religious center Muslim merchants brought Adobe construction Fermented husks and mud Wood supports – bundled sticks Ready-made scaffolding Community participation in upkeep Annual repair festival Imposing size in landscape Compare to Chartres Cathedral in rebuilding Raised on 10’platform and imposing size Separation between secular and sacred space Above floodplain Traditional layout Compare to Great Mosque of Cordoba and Courtyard, rectangular hypostyle hall Mosque of Selim II Three minarets in qibla wall