Dustin Miller, Jimmy Lee, Aileen Jiang,
Patrick Huang, Leo Choi
Period 1
Introduction
• Diverse
– Full of people,
societies, and
civilizations
– Unique cultures
Unifying Artistic Themes
• Emphasis on human figure
– Sapi culture near Ivory Coast
in West Africa created ivory
saltcellars
• Influence from Portuguese
traders
– Common theme:
intermorphosis of human and
animal
(cont.)
• Visual Abstraction
– Favored over naturalistic representation
– Many African artworks generalize stylistic norms
– African art often depicts nature (animals, plant life,
natural designs) in abstract interpretations
• Emphasis on Sculpture
– Favor 3D artwork over 2D artwork
– House paintings often seen as continuous design
wrapped around a house
– Decorating cloths worn as garments– wearer as a
living sculpture
(cont.)
• Emphasis on Performance Art
– African art displays animation;
readiness to move; crafted for
performance
– Ceremonial masks and costumes
• Nonlinear scaling
– Often, a small part of an African design
will look similar to a larger part
– Diamonds at different scales in Kasai
pattern
Influences
• Arab Conquest of North Africa
– 7th century CE
– Conversion to Islam; assimilation into Arab
communities
– Helped in Arab conquest of Spain in 8th
century
Influences
• Influence on Western Art
– Inspired artists like Picasso, Matisse, Van
Gogh, and Gauguin at start of 20th century
– Demonstrated power of well organized forms–
not only by sight but also by imagination,
emotion, and religious experience
– Explosion of interest in abstraction,
organization, and reorganization of forms
African Sculpture
Nok Heads
500 B.C.E- 200 C.E
Nok Culture
• The Nok culture appeared in Nigeria
around 1000 B.C. and mysteriously
vanished around 500 AD in the region of
West Africa.
• The terracotta figures are hollow, coil built,
nearly life sized human heads and bodies
that are depicted with highly stylized
features, abundant jewelry, and varied
postures.
The human and animal
figures made of terracotta
that have been found in the
region are the earliest
known sculptures of subSaharan Africa.
The heads of the figures
are several times larger
than the heads of real
human beings. Most
African sculpture the head
is emphasized because it
is the most vital part of the
body.
Ife Figures
Eleventh-twelfth
centuries
These figures are made
from zinc and brass. The
head was emphasized as a
seat of intelligence. Usually
was decorated in large
amounts of jewelry
Benin Figures
• cast-metal work
perfected by the Ife
people, is continued
from the 15th century in
Benin
• Almost all of the bronze
pieces from benign
Kingdom was created
to honor the king,
or Oba
Ivory Belt Mask
• Made of Ivory and Iron.
Created in Benin(1440–
1897), an African state
in present day Nigeria.
based on Queen Idia,
the mother of Oba
Esigie the ruler of the
Benin Kingdom from
1504 -1550
Kongo Power
Figures
1875-1900
• Made from Wood,
Nails, Blades and
Shells
• Spirits are
embedded in the
images, to be
called upon to
harm, or bless
others.
African Painting
General Characteristics
• Favor visual abstraction over naturalistic
representation in order to generalize
stylistic norms
• Makes use of highly abstracted and
regimented visual canons, especially in
painting
• Uses different colors to represent the
qualities and characteristics of an
individual being depicted
General Characteristics (cont.)
• Emphasis on human figure
• The human figure may symbolize the living
or the dead, may reference chiefs,
dancers, or various trades such as
drummers or hunters, or even may be an
anthropomorphic representation of a god
or have other votive function.
The Inevitable by Ibrahim El Salahi
• This is one of the
finest creations by
African Artist Ibrahim
El Salahi. Salahi has
infused thoughts of
modernism along with
the Sudanese
traditions to make an
art form that has a
universal appeal.
The Inevitable (cont.)
• This painting is more or
less a depiction of the
time he spent in prison.
The nine sections in this
painting represent the
different phases of his
incarceration, and it also
symbolizes the civil
upheaval and strife that
devastated Sudan after
the collapse of British
rule. Arab and Coptic
motifs have been
extensively used to give a
feel of distorted faces.
Arms and fists depict an
uprising against injustice.
The Inevitable (cont.)
• Although the painting
is in a monochrome
format, the lack of
color is not felt. With
absolute no-negative
space, this piece of
art is bold, sharp and
progressive.
Semakazi by Willie Bester
• Bester is a yet another progressive thinker who
has tried to depict the condition of migrant
workers in South Africa. The art work outlines
the fact that during those times, none of the
migrant workers received a pension or a secure
and respectable retirement, once their tenure
was over.
Semakazi (cont.)
• This painting is a collage of images depicting various aspects
of his life.
• At the center, there is his bed which has been shown in the
form of a prison.
• To the left of the bed, there is an image of a family which
clearly states that Willie always aspired to lead a family life.
• In the foreground, there is a bible which has been connected
to the bed by a chain.
– Symbolizes that during those times, African nations were run on
Christian beliefs.
Healing of Abiku Children by Twins
Seven Seven
• Created by the world renowned Nigerian painter
who works under the pseudonym of Twins
Seven Seven
• influenced by the Yoruba mythology and culture
to a large extent
Healing of Abiku Children (cont.)
• Included human figures along with one of
the most revered Yoruba gods, with
magical powers to cure people
• Depicts a village scene where kids from
far away lands have been brought to get
cured
Healing of Abiku Children (cont.)
• Each kid is getting cured with the help of
solutions prepared by the healer
• Brown hues and circular lines highlight the
orthodox nature of the artist and his strong
belief in the traditions of his civilization
•Most importantly, this
painting depicts the
strong inclination of
people to associate to
the Yoruba gods for
respite to their
problems.
African Architecture
General Characteristics
• Built to be as cool and comfortable as
possible
– Used mud-brick walls and thatched roofs
– Mud-brick has to be constantly maintained in
the rainy season, so they built in horizontally
placed timbers as maintenance ladders
Great Mosque of Djenné
• Made of adobe—baked mixture of clay
and straw
• Wooden beams serve as decoration and
as permanent ladders for building
maintenance
Great Mosque of Djenné (cont.)
• Ceramic half-pipes
extend from roofline
and direct rain water
away from the walls
• Parts of a mosqueQuibla wall on
northeast side
Ruins of Great Zimbabwe
• Ancient city that was
once the capital of the
Kingdom of Zimbabwe
• “Zimbabwe” is Bantu for
“stone building”
• Unusual because African
culture generally avoided
stonework
– Nothing to suggest skilled
stoneworkers
• Built in the 14th century
Ruins of Great Zimbabwe (cont.)
• Ruins cover almost
1800 acres
• Prosperous trading
center
• Probably a royal
residence inside
Great Enclosure
• Walls 30 feet high
– Made of granite blocks
Ruins of Great Zimbabwe (cont.)
• Political debate about origins of the Ruins
• European colonists believed that the Shona
civilization was not sophisticated enough to build
such a complex
• White-supremacist gov’t of Zimbabwe in 1900s
officially declared it was made by foreigners
• More modern archaeologists proved by the mid
1900s that it was actually created by the ancient
African civilization
• Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
African Masks
• Essential feature of
the traditional culture
and art of the peoples
of Sub-Saharan and
West Africa
• Mask-making is an art
that is passed on from
father to son, along
with the knowledge of
the symbolic
meanings conveyed
by such masks
• African masks were a
very important part of
the African Culture,
although masks are
alot less common
now, then it was in
earlier times.
• People think that
masks are used as a
disguise, or a
costume, like on
Halloween. But
Africans wore their
masks in ceremonies.
• Masks are usually made of materials like:
wood, cloth, dried leaves, or even animal
fur. For decoration, Africans used things
such as; bird feathers, dried grass, paint,
and twigs. The type of material used really
depends on what the Africans were trying
to represent.
• Usually the Africans were trying to
represent humans, important animals in
their culture, mythical creatures, or
gods/goddesses that they believed in.
• The ceremonies were held to honor the
dead, gods/goddesses, animals, and even
important people in their society like the
king.
• Masks were never played with. This was
because Africans believed that masks
were very powerful.
• Often represent a spirit and it is strongly
believed that the spirit of the ancestors
possesses the wearer.
• Masks of human
ancestors or totem
ancestors (beings or
animals to which a
clan or family traces
its ancestry) are often
objects of family pride
Ceremony:
• During the mask ceremony the dancer
goes into deep trance, and during this
state of mind he "communicate" with his
ancestors.
• A wise man or translator sometimes
accompanies the wearer of the mask
during the ritual. The dancer brings forth
messages of wisdom from his ancestors.
• Rituals and ceremonies are always
accompanied with song, dance and music,
played with traditional African musical
instruments.
• Masks are one of the elements of African
art that have most evidently influence
European and Western art in general.
• In the 20th century, artistic movements
such as cubism and expressionism have
often taken inspiration from the vast and
diverse heritage of African masks.
Ivory Belt Mask
• C.1550 ivory/iron
• Worn by king “Oba”,
King of Benin
• Mudfish designrepresents royalty
because they live on
land and sea, king is
both human and
divine
Jewelry
Introduction
• Symbolic expressions of codes and
identity
– Worn as sign of beauty, wealth, status
• Jewelry is believed to be able to “protect”
and “heal” the wearer
• Materials:
– Pendants, colored enamel, precious/ semiprecious stones, beads, amber
Techniques
• Casting, piercing,
filigree work,
enameling, niello
decoration
• Inherited from
Egyptian, Greek,
Roman, Byzantine
traditions
Variations
• To suit needs of different wearers, objects
can be borrowed, reworked, and altered
• Regional styles of ornamentation as artists
experimented with new materials
– Rural areas:
• Made of silver
• Geometric forms and decorations
– Urban areas:
• Made of gold
• Floral, arabesque, rounded designs
Khamsa Pendant
• Moroccon hand pendant
(khamsa) of silver and
copper with six-pointed
star
• A protective symbol in
North Africa was the hand
– Hand-shaped pendants
known as khamsa
• Five fingers relate to the
five pillars of Islam–
making it a protective
amulet or charm
Hand Pendant (Khamsa)
• Hand Pendant with
Salamander Motif
• Morocco
• Variation of Khamsa
– Salamander: represents
transformation and
disguise; also relates to
element of fire
Fibula (Tabzimt)
• Algeria; late 19th century;
made of silver, enamel
and coral
• Silver linked to honesty
and purity
• Coral associated with
life-sustaining blood–
prized for healing
properties
– Promote fertility
– Prevent harm to children
Role of Beads
• Beads cherished since ancient times
– Strung on fiber cord/ metal wire to make
jewelry
– Stitched to African clothing
– Used to decorate sculpture
• Role in personal lives of Africans
– Valued as currency
– Used as artistic medium
– Used in court life
• Beads and royalty
Variety of Materials
• Shell beads (Heishi
and Cowrie Shells)
• Stone beads
• Coral beads
• Clay (terra cotta
beads)
• Metal beads
• Glass beads
Clay Baule Beads from Cote
d’Ivoire
Stool covered with beads
• Bamum People
• Fumban, Cameroon
Topotha Beaded Hat
• Sudan– 1930’s
• Hat created by
sewing glass beads in
tightly arranged
circular patterns onto
an open-weave frame
foundation of hide
lined with hair.
Yoruba
• Yoruba: beaded
crown/ headdress
• Nigeria, 20th century
• Beads, fabric, glass
beads, beaded bird
Necklace with Central Pendant
• Necklace with central
pendant
• 20th-century necklace
of silver, coral,
enamel, glass, coins,
shell, cotton, plastic,
buttons from Draa
Valley, Morocco
Photographs
• 19th century
• Photographs provide
glimpse into North
African society;
showed ethnic
diversity
• Europeans mounted
images on picture
postcards and studios
sold larger prints