AFRICA BEFORE 1800 GARDNER 15-2 PP

11 th to 18 th CENTURIES – DEJENNE TERRACOTTAS  Archer, from Djenne, Mali, 13 th to 15 th century, terracotta  Djenne terracottas present a striking contrast from the Ile-Ife sculpture from Nigeria  This archer is thin with tubular limbs and an elongated head with a prominent chin, bulging eyes, and large nose  Read handout on Great Mosque, Djenne

GREAT MOSQUE, DJENNE  (168-1)Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali, founded 1200 C.E.; rebuilt C.E., adobe  Located in present day Mali, on the inland floodplain of the Niger River  Largest mud-brick mosque in the world  First built in the 13 th century and rebuilt in after a fire  Resembles a Middle Eastern mosque in plan (large courtyard next to a roofed prayer hall), but the construction materials – adobe and wood – are distinctly African  Three tall towers, one in the center is the mihrab  Crowning ornaments have ostrich eggs -> symbols of fertility and purity

MONDAY MARKET AT THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DJENNE  (168-2)Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali, founded 1200 C.E.; rebuilt C.E., adobe  Made of adobe = a baked mixture of clay and straw  Torons = wooden beams projecting from walls  Wooden beams act as permanent ladders for the maintenance of the building -> occurs in an annual festival  Vertical fluting drains water off the surfaces quickly

GREAT ZIMBABWE – CONICAL TOWER  (167-1) Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe, CONICAL TOWER, southeastern Zimbabwe, Shona peoples, c C.E., coursed granite blocks  Zimbabwe derives from a Shona term meaning “venerated houses” or “houses of stone”  Prosperous trading center and royal complex  Stone enclosure, probably a royal residence  Conical tower modeled on traditional shapes of grain silos -> control over food symbolized wealth, power, and royal largesse

GREAT ZIMBABWE – CIRCULAR WALL  (167-2) Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe, CIRCULAR WALL, southeastern Zimbabwe, Shona peoples, c C.E., coursed granite blocks  Walls – 800 feet long, 32 feet tall, 17 feet thick at base  Walls slope inward toward the top  Internal and external passageways are tightly bounded, narrow, and long  Watch the Khan Academy video

BENIN – QUEEN MOTHER IVORY  This ivory head probably portrays Idia, mother of a Benin king Oba Esigie, who wore it on his waist  Above Idia’s head are alternating Portuguese heads and mudfish, symbols, respectively of trade and of Olokun, god of the sea

 (169-1) Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace, Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria), 16 th century C.E., cast brass  900 brass plaques produced; between inches  Decorated walls of royal palace in Benin - > show aspects of court life  Oba (king) believed to be direct descendant of Oranmiyan, the legendary founder of the dynasty  Only the Oba was allowed to be shielded in the way depicted on the plaque  Hierarchical proportions: largest figure was the greatest  Symbols of high rank are emphasized; stepping on a fallen leader  Lost wax process; high relief sculpture

 (169-2) Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace, CONTEXTUAL PHOTOGRAPH: OBA OF BENIN, Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria), 16 th century C.E., cast brass  Read handout on Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace

BENIN – ALTAR TO THE HAND AND ARM  One of the Benin king’s praise names is “ great hand,” and on this cast-bronze royal shrine, he is represented larger than all the other figures and his proportions are distorted to emphasize his head -> the seat of his will and power

 The Golden Stool is the royal and divine throne of the Ashanti people. According to legend, Okomfo Anokye, High Priest and one of the two chief founders of the Asante Confederacy, caused the stool to descend from the sky and land on the lap of the first Asante king, Osei Tutu. Such seats were traditionally symbolic of a chieftain's leadership, but the Golden Stool is believed to house the spirit of the Asante nation— living, dead and yet to be born.

 (170-1) Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool), Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana), c C.E., gold over wood and cast-gold attachments  Symbol of the Ashanti nation -> held in Ghana  Contains the soul of the nation  Never actually used as a stool; never allowed to touch the ground  New king is raised over the stool; he alone is allowed to touch it; carried to the the king on pillow  Taken out on special occasions  Entire surface inlaid with gold  Bells hang from the side to warn the king of danger  War of the Golden Stool, March-Sept > the British Governor of the Gold Coast demanded to be allowed to sit on the stool -> causes rebellion -> British annex the Ashanti

 Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool), CONTEXTUAL PHOTOGRAPH, Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana), c C.E., gold over wood and cast-gold attachments