Art of Africa the Continent of Africa Is Approximately the Size of the United States, China and All of Europe Combined

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Art of Africa The continent of Africa is approximately the size of the United States, China and all of Europe combined . or about four times the size of the United States Africa contains over 40 countries and an estimated 2,000 different cultural or linguistic groups Traditional African Art • The concepts of ‘art’ and ‘artist’ in Africa • Here are some examples – Not pictured, but also jewelry/ adornment, weavings, etc. • Today, we will focus on masks Traditional African mask-making is dictated by the social and religious beliefs of the community and influenced by the individual vision of the carver. Each mask’s different details will reflect the various purposes for which the mask was made. Masks from the collections of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art Ceremonial Mask Types Helmet Mask Face Mask Headdress The People of Dogon, Mali The Bandiagara Cliffs, in the West African country of Mali, are the home of the Dogon people. Approximately 300,000 Dogon people live in 700 small villages in a 125 mile stretch of land along the Bandiagara Cliffs. The Dogon have successfully preserved their culture from outside forces for centuries. Dogon Ritual & Ceremony Ritual is an integral part of Dogon culture. Cultural rites and ceremonial themes reflect awareness of the necessary harmony between the human spirit, the land and animal life. Let’s take a look at two Dogon ceremonies… Masked Dancer, Dogon Country, Mali lonely planet images The Fox Divination ceremony is undertaken to foresee the future of the Dogon tribesmen and Dogon villages. This divination ceremony of Mali is performed by the ‘diviner’ or Dogon priest. The Dogon are highly artistic; creating elaborate carved wooden masks for their lively dance- dramas. Dogon masks rank among the most respected within the world of tribal art collections and have influenced such Western 20th-century artists as Picasso and Braque, even the Cubist movement. Video: Dogon Mask Ceremony Activity: Name That Mask You are a team of talented scientists who have been asked to give your expert opinion on the meaning and use of the mask before you. Here’s what you know: • The mask was hand carved in Ghana • Ghana is a country located in West Africa • The mask is most likely carved from sese wood (an African tree) Examine the mask closely and look for signs of what the mask may represent or for what purpose it might be used. Look carefully at the markings, size and shape of the features, the colors used, and the adornments (decorations) for clues as to the meaning of the mask. .

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Travel Africa (Autumn 2007), 'A Setting Sun?'
Mali JOSE AZEL / GETTY IMAGES / GETTY AZEL JOSE A setting sun? Long heralded as one of the planet’s most fascinating and well-preserved ancient societies, the Dogon may now be a potential victim of their own reputation. Anthony Ham descends into remote Mali and asks: “Are we’re loving them to death, or does tourism hold the key to preserving the life that remains?” Dogon Country – a complex n the grey light of early morning, the Dogon his demeanour to be a picture of innocence and world caught between day begins with a goat symphony and a hum hope. Although it’s 6am and he has before him a the past and present Iof human voices. Soon they are joined by the two-hour climb up the escarpment to school, he’s toctoc…toctoc of women pounding millet, the rhythm as fresh-faced and cheerful as the night before. echoing off the escarpment like an ensemble of Despite the joyful start to the day, I have my African drums, before chattering children join worries about this remote land. It used to be said the clamour. I lie still, unwilling to move lest that the average Dogon family consisted of a mother, I disturb village Africa as it comes to life. a father, two children and a French anthropologist. Then, with surprise, I realise that my name is Ever since the Dogon were ‘discovered’ by European being called. It’s Antoine, a Dogon youth who’d travellers to Mali in the 1930s, their world has been drawn near the night before, eager to practice his assailed by inquisitive foreigners.
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