1. Act. 4.2 African Art African art was not made to be viewed on walls in museums or displayed in glass cases. They were made for a variety of purposes: to be worn or carried by participants in religious ceremonies or placed on an altar in shrines; to enable the living to communicate with the realm of the ancestors and to address forces of nature; and to enhance the power of the ruler. In cultures in which writing played no role, these masks and figures expressed ideas about nature, the social order, and the spiritual realm.

2. In a human figure, some parts may be exaggerated because of their importance to the purpose of the figure. Most often it is the head that is disproportionately large, but sometimes it is the breasts or stomach. Sometimes the figure symbolizes many things. A woman holding a baby, for example, may represent motherhood, but she may also represent the founding of the group, the transmission of wisdom, or authority. Similarly, a mask is often a composite, combining aspects of several animals, but not resembling any specific one. Art usually takes the form of sculptures of animals and humans, or functional items such as weaving and pottery. Art permeates every aspect of life in sub-Saharan Africa, but each of the hundreds of groups has its own styles and forms. Surely the names of the carvers who created the art pieces that you will see were known in their own communities, but because we do not know them, we identify a work in terms of the culture in which it was made.

3. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Bamileke people, Cameroon Title: Throne of State with a depiction of Chief Ne’re’ Materials used: Wood, cloth, glass beads, cowrie shells Height:lifesize

4. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Akan people, Ghana Title: Akua’ba Materials used: Wood, beads, shells Height: at least 12 inches USE: A young girl may carry a figure like this in a sash to learn child-care routines or a pregnant woman may carry it to express her wish for a beautiful, healthy baby.

5. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Baule people, Cote d’Ivoire Title:Pendant-Mask Materials used: GoldHeight: 4 inches

6. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Kota people, Gabon Title: Reliquary Guardian Figure Materials used: Wood, copper, brass Height: 30 inches USE: The bones of ancestors are placed in small bark boxes or kept wrapped in baskets, into which a figure such as this would be placed as a guardian.

7. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Yaure people, Cote d’Ivoire Title:Mask Materials used: Wood Height: 18-24 inches

8. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Kongo people, Zaire Title: Power Figure Materials used: Wood, metal, mirror, beads

9. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Benin kingdom Middle Period (15 th -17 th century), Nigeria Title: Architectural plaque Materials used: Bronze Height: 18 inches

10. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Akan people, Ghana Title: Kente cloth Materials used: Cloth USE: It is worn by Akan royal people as a wrapper for state occasions.

11. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Luba people, Zaire Title:Neckrest Materials used: Wood, beads Height:7 inches

12. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Bini people, Benin, Nigeria Title: Royal Pendant Mask Materials used: Ivory Height: 9 inches

13. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Yoruba, Nigeria Title: Three standing female figures in a beaded vest (ibeji) Materials used: Wood, glass, beads, cotton, basketry Height: 10.5 inches

14. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Bamana people, Mali Title: Headcrest mask (Chi Wara) Materials used: Wood, metal, beads, fiber Height: 40 inches

15. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Asante people, Ghana Title: Maternity figure Materials used: Wood Height: 12 inches USE: Portrays the idea of fertility and the role of the woman as the mother of society.

16. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Yaka people, CongoTitle: Male initiation mask Materials used: wood, pigments, woven raffia cloth, raffia fibre Height: 16 inches USE: It is posted at gates to ward off evil spirits during an initiation ceremony and it is danced around at coming-out ceremonies by successful initiates after a 1-3 year education in manhood.

17. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Yoruba people, Nigeria Title: Gelede mask Materials used: Wood Height: 16x20 inches

18. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Songye people, Zaire Title: Kifwebe face mask Materials used: hardwood, pigments Height:12 inches

19. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Kuba kingdom, Zaire Title: Royal Commemorative Figure Materials used: Wood Height: 22 inches

20. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Yoruba people, Nigeria Title: Divination Cup Materials used: Wood Height: 10 inches

21. Act. 4.2 African Art Place: Zande people, Zaire Title: Water bottle Materials used: Clay, pigment Height: 9 inches USE: Store and transport water…a basic, functional piece of art.