1. Unit 6: Art of Africa
Despite existing across a massive continent there are many similar beliefs throughout the tribes of Africa. In general, Africans believe that ancestors never truly die; therefore a sense of family and a respect for elders are key aspects of the African mindset. Fertility, both individual and of the land is highly regarded. Main religions were/ are Christianity, Islam and African tribal religions. African kingdoms came and went with regularity. African affairs were largely internal as external natural factors kept outsiders out until later in history. Like the Sahara Desert and the Indian Ocean. By the 15th century Asia and Europe incursions were happening along coastal; areas. And by the 19th century when a large series of invasions split up the country into colonies. Colonization had devastating effects. Most states achieve independence in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
How does contemporary African art reflect ideas found in its ancient past?

2. Mende Chokwe Baule Kuba Kongo Luba Ashanti Edo Igbo Bamileke Yoruba
The spreading of the Sahara desert caused civilizations to move South where the arts flourished. African art is truly interdisciplinary. It encompasses fine art, textiles, theatre, music, etc…Addresses the spiritual world. African art is meant to be used, not just viewed. Art permeates all aspects of society. Rituals initiate coming of age, leadership, family communions, etc… African art has had a global impact.
Africans rely on an oral tradition to pass on their knowledge and history. African objects were often unsigned and undated. Though African artists were famous within their own communities and highly regarded written accounts were usually completed by outside explorers. Strong gender roles in African arts. Men were often the builders and carvers and were permitted to wear masks. Women painted, created ceramics, and worked with “soft” materials. Both sexes were weavers.
Edo
Igbo
Bamileke
Fang
Yoruba
Shona

3. Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe
African architecture was built to be as cool and comfortable as possible in the hot desert sun. Most were made of mud brick with thatched roofs. Don’t usually bother with stone work, which is why the royal complex at Zimbabwe is unique. This was a prosperous trading center and royal complex.
The ruins of this complex of massive stone walls undulate across almost 1,800 acres of present-day southeastern Zimbabwe. Great Zimbabwe is set apart by the terrific scale of its structure. Its most formidable edifice, commonly referred to as the Great Enclosure, has walls as high as 36 feet extending approximately 820 feet, making it the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert.
The conical tower modeled on traditional shapes of grain silos; having control over food symbolized wealth & power.
In the 1800s, European travelers and English colonizers, stunned by Great Zimbabwe’s grandeur and its cunning workmanship, attributed the architecture to foreign powers. Such attributions were dismissed when archaeological investigations conducted during the first decades of the twentieth century confirmed both the antiquity of the site and its African origins. Little is known about the Bantu-speaking people who built Great Zimbabwe or how their society was organized. The ruling elite appears to have controlled wealth through the management of cattle, which were the staple diet at Great Zimbabwe. At its height, Great Zimbabwe is estimated to have had a population greater than 10,000, although the majority lived at some distance from the large stone buildings. Only 200 to 300 members of the elite classes are thought to have lived within Great Zimbabwe’s massive edifices.  The function of these stone walls, however, has often been misinterpreted. At first glance, these massive nonsupportive walls appear purely defensive. But scholars doubt they ever served a martial purpose and have argued instead that cattle and people were valued above land, which was in any event too abundant to be hoarded. The walls are thought to have been a symbolic show of authority, designed to preserve the privacy of royal families and set them apart from and above commoners.
Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe
Southeastern Zimbabwe
Shona peoples
c CE
Coursed granite blocks
Africans didn’t usually work in stone
Monumental Structure
Royal Palace
Control over food symbolized wealth and power

4. Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace
Oba of Benin
Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace
Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria)
16th century CE
Cast brass
This remarkable brass plaque, dated between , depicts an Oba (or king) and his attendants from the Benin Empire—a powerful kingdom located in present-day Nigeria. We know that the central figure is an Oba because of his distinctive coral beaded regalia. Also, attendants hold shields above his head, either to protect him from attack or possibly from the hot, tropical sun. This was a privilege only afforded to an Oba. The figures around him range in size, not because of their actual height or distance from the Oba, but rather due to their level of importance within the court. This convention of sizing human figures based on status is known as “hierarchic scale” and is found in artwork from cultures around the world and across time. The Oba would have travelled with a large cohort of attendants, warriors, servants, diplomats, chieftains, and priests. Almost every detail in this work speaks to the Benin Kingdom’s mutually beneficial trade with Portugal, which first made contact with Benin in the late 15th century. The Portuguese received items like peppers, cloth, and stone beads from Benin, while Benin received—among other items—the coral that makes up the beads worn by the Oba, and even the brass that makes up this plaque in the form of manillas, or armbands, worn by the Portuguese, which would have been melted down as the raw material for this plaque. Trade began to decline with Portugal as the Portuguese empire waned in the 18th century. By the 19th century, Britain was seeking to make inroads with Benin as a new trading partner. However, this partnership was much less mutually beneficial and was marked with frequent tension. After increased aggression from both nations, the British launched the Punitive Expedition of 1897, seizing the Oba’s palace, burning down the city around it, killing many, and looting the royal court’s vast stores of art and treasure.
There are about 900 brass plates produced. The Oba is stepping on a fallen leader. This was created by the lost wax process.
Only Oba’s wear coral beads
Use of Hierarchal Scale
The coral and brass were traded from the Portuguese

5. Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana)
KHAN video
Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana)
c CE
Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments

6. Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul
Beloved King
Ndop’s help freeze a moment in time
Represents an IDEAL King
1:3 Proportion
Emblem and Designs are unique to each king
Characteristics:
Cross Legged
Sits on a base
Face uninvolved
Peace knife in left hand.
Ndop (portrait figure) of
King Mishe miShyaang maMbul
Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c CE
Wood
During the first half of the eighteenth century, the Kuba King Mishe miShyaang maMbul was celebrated throughout his kingdom for his generosity and for the great number of his loyal subjects. He was even the recipient of his own praise song. At the height of his reign in 1710, he commissioned an idealized portrait-statue called an ndop. With the commission of his ndop, Mishe miShyaang maMbul recorded his reign for posterity and solidified his accomplishments. Unlike in Euro-American contexts, history in  Sub-Saharan Africa was not written down by members of cultural communities until colonialism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Instead of written records, oral narrative  was the primary method for collective and personal histories to be passed down from one generation to the next. As these spoken histories were passed down, they were changed and adapted to reflect their times. The changing nature of oral narrative is like a highly complex game of telephone, where the words can be changed and often only the spirit of the original meaning is preserved. amongst the pantheon of his predecessors. The ndop sculptural record helps freeze a moment in time that would otherwise be transformed during its transmission from generation to generation.  Since that time, the name “Kuba” largely refers to nineteen unique but related ethnic groups, all of which acknowledge the leadership of the same leader (nyim). The ndop statues might be the the most revered of all Kuba art forms. The ndop (literally meaning “statue”) are a genre of figurative wood sculpture that portrays important Kuba leaders throughout the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. Art historians believe that there are seven ndop statues of historical significance in Western museums. These seven are significant because the lives of the nyim they portray were celebrated in oral histories that were recorded and written down by early European visitors, so we know the most about them. Instead, cultural conventions and visual precedents guide the artists in making the sculpture. The expression on the face, the position of the body, and the regalia were meant to faithfully represent the ideal of a king—but not an individual King. For example, the facial features of each statue follow sculpting conventions and do not represent features of a specific individual. All figures are sculpted using a one-to-three proportion—the head of the statue was sculpted to be one third the size of the total statue. Kuba artists emphasized the head because it was considered to be the seat of intelligence, a valued ideal. How are we able to identify each ndop, then? There are specific attributes that link each ndop to named individuals. All ndop sculpture would feature a geometric motif and an emblem (ibol),  chosen by the nyim when he was installed as a leader and commissioned his ndop. The  geometric motif pattern and the ibol served as identifying symbols of his reign and was sculpted in prominent relief on the front of each base. The ibol is a signifier that gives thendop its particular identity, making it clear who the sculpture portrays and what reign it represents. A drum with a severed hand is the ibol for Mishe miShyaang maMbul’s reign, and that helps us identify the sculpture as his likeness.
This is one of the earliest existing wood sculptures from Africa; and the oldest Ndop in existence. It acted as a surrogate for the king in his absence.

7. Power figure (Nkisi n ‘kondi)
Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c. Late 19th century CE
Wood and metal
Magical Charm carved in the likeness of a human being
Can be positive or negative
Spiritual Specialists oversee it’s construction
Glass represents the “other world”
Objects or marks on the surface have specific meanings
A fascinating example of a nkisi can be found in a power figure called nkisi nkondi (a power figure is a magical charm seemingly carved in the likeness of human being, meant to highlight its function in human affairs.). A nkisi nkondi can act as an oath taking image which is used to resolve verbal disputes or lawsuits (mambu) as well as an avenger (the term nkondi means ‘hunter’) or guardian if sorcery or any form of evil has been committed. These minkisi are wooden figures representing a human or animal such as a dog (nkisi kozo) carved under the divine authority and in consultation with an nganga or spiritual specialist who activates these figures through chants, prayers and the preparation of sacred substances which are aimed at ‘curing’ physical, social or spiritual ailments. Nkisi nkondi figures are highly recognizable through an accumulation pegs, blades, nails or other sharp objects inserted into its surface. Medicinal combinations called bilongo are sometimes stored in the head of the figure but frequently in the belly of the figure which is shielded by a piece of glass, mirror or other reflective surface. The glass represents the ‘other world’ inhabited by the spirits of the dead who can peer through and see potential enemies. Elements with a variety of purposes are contained within the bilongo. Seeds may be inserted to tell a spirit to replicate itself; mpemba or white soil deposits found near cemeteries represent and enlist support from the spiritual realm. Claws may incite the spirits to grasp something while stones may activate the spirits to pelt enemies or protect one from being pelted. Europeans may have encountered these objects during expeditions to the Congo as early as the 15th century. However, several of these “fetish” objects, as they were often termed, were confiscated by missionaries in the late 19th century and were destroyed as evidence of sorcery or heathenism. these figures have morphed into objects of superstition such as New Orleans voodoo dolls covered with stick pins. Nonetheless, minkisi have left an indelible imprint as visually provocative figures of spiritual importance and protection.

8. Ikenga (shrine figure) Igbo peoples (Nigeria)
c. 19th to 20th century CE
Wood
Ikenga is a symbol of masculine strength
Horns symbolize aggression, assertiveness of the male animal
Highly colonized, but still retains much of their culture
The Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria are amongst the varied African traditional peoples whose specific art forms have come to be symbolized in more spiritual and religious forms than ordinarily seen. In the early days of the 20th century, they encountered rapid British colonialism which saw to the ultimate dislocation of much of their traditional norms and values. However, they have remained certain of their ritualized art forms that have continued to shape their thoughts on the world they live in till today. One such emblem that has come to represent both the social and religious force of the society, which is largely seen as a masculine strength, is the Ikenga. This is a ritual object that symbolizes masculine strength and the ability to achieve one’s goals through one’s own efforts; those are the Igbo ideals of status and success. In the Igbo traditional format, these ideals consist of a large area in which to live, a high rank in major organizations – that is political power – the possession of large yam bans and many wives and children. The Ikenga is in the image of a horned male figure made out of wood. In its simplest form, it consists of only a cylindrical block and projecting "horns". The horn symbolizes the aggressive, assertive, and powerful nature of the male animal. The more elaborate type of Ikenga is a standing or seated male figure with a fully realized head and limbs which usually holds a severed head in one hand and a machete in the other. What the paper will explore is the emblematic significance of the Ikenga in the social, religious and political world view of the Igbo and how, over time, the emblem of Ikenga has ruled the cosmological world of the Igbo.

9. Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Lukasa (memory board)
Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
c. 19th to 20th century CE
Wood, beads, and metal
While Europeans may open a history book to learn about their past, in the Luba Kingdom of the Democratic Republic of Congo, history was traditionally performed—not read. In fact, Luba royal history is not chronological and static as Westerners learn it. Rather, it is a dynamic oral narrative which reinforces the foundations upon which Luba kingship is established and supports the current leadership. This history is also used to interpret and judge contemporary situations. Special objects known as lukasa (memory boards) are used by experts in the oral retelling of history in Luba culture. The recounting of the past is performative and includes dance and song. The master who has the skill and knowledge to read the lukasa will utilize it as a mnemonic device, touching and feeling the beads, shells, and pegs to recount history and solve current problems. Each lukasa is different but small enough to hold in the left hand. The board is "read" by touching its surface with the right forefinger. The tactile qualities are apparent. The lukasa illustrated here is one of the oldest known examples, with carved geometric designs on the back and sides, and complex clusters of beads of various sizes whose colors have faded over time. The board is narrower at the center making it easy to hold.
The lukasa is typically arranged with large beads surrounded by smaller beads or a line of beads, the configuration of which dictates certain kinds of information. This information can be interpreted in a variety of ways and the expert might change his manner of delivery and his reading based upon his audience and assignment. The most important function of the lukasa was to serve as a memory aid that describes the myths surrounding the origins of the Luba empire, including recitation of the names of the royal Luba line.
A tool to help tell stories
History is not linear
Mnemonic Device
Unique to the storyteller

10. Reliquary figure (byeri) Fang peoples (southern Cameroon)
c. 19th to 20th century CE
Wood
The Fang peoples of Gabon believed that ancestral relics held great spiritual power. Byeri was a Fang association devoted to the veneration of lineage ancestors and founders, leaders, and fertile women who made significant contributions to society during their lifetime. After death, their relics, particularly the skull, were conserved in cylindrical bark containers and guarded by carved wooden heads or figures mounted atop the receptacles. These reliquary sculptures may be male or female and are not considered portraits of the deceased. They were often decorated with gifts of jewelry or feathers and received ritual offerings of libations, such as palm oil. On the occasion of initiation into Byeri, the figures were removed from their containers and manipulated like puppets in performances that dramatized the raising of the dead for didactic purposes. embody the qualities that the Fang admire most in people—namely, tranquility, vitality, and the ability to hold opposites in balance. Such wooden figures and heads are placed on top of bark containers that hold the precious relics of important clan ancestors. The carved head or figure mounted on top of the reliquary box guards the sacred contents against the forbidden gaze of women and uninitiated boys. Before being removed from Africa, such works were invariably separated from the relic containers that they originally enhanced. 
Ancestral relics hold great power and were protected by Byeri
Not a portrait
Often decorated with offerings
Used and handled

11. Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga)
Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples)
c CE
Wood and pigment
One of four from a palace
Masterpiece of African Artist Olowe of Ise
Portrayal of how a King is dependent on the people around him
This veranda post is one of four sculpted for the palace at Ikere by the renowned Yoruba artist Olowe of Ise. It is considered among the artist's masterpieces for the way it embodies his unique style, including the interrelationship of figures, their exaggerated proportions, and the open space between them. While the king is the focal point, his portrayal suggests a ruler's dependence on others. The stately female figure behind the king represents his senior wife. Her large scale and pose, with hands on the king's throne, underscore her importance. She had the critical role of placing the power-invested crown on the king's head during his coronation. Moreover, the senior wife used political acumen and spiritual knowledge to protect the king's interests during his reign. The small figures at the king's feet represent a junior wife, the flute-playing trickster-god Esu, and a fan bearer, now missing.

12. Baule peoples (Cote d’Ivoire) Early 20th century CE Wood and pigment
Portrait mask (Mblo)
Baule peoples (Cote d’Ivoire)
Early 20th century CE
Wood and pigment
The Baule recognize two types of entertainment masks, Goli and Mblo. To perform a Mblo mask, like the one depicted, a masker in a cloth costume conceals his face with a small, wooden mask and dances for an audience accompanied by drummers, singers, dancers, and orators in a series of skits. In the village of Kami, the Mbloparodies and dances are referred to asGbagba. When not in use, the Gbabda masks were kept out of sight so it is unusual that we get to see a mask displayed in this manner.  The Gbagba masquerade is a form of entertainment no longer practiced in Kami since the 1980s, replaced today by newer masks and performance styles. What is known, however, is that masks like this one were not intended to be hung on a wall and appreciated, first and foremost, for their physical characteristics. Sculpture throughout West Africa has the power to act; to make things happen. The physical presence of a mask can allow the invisible world to interact with and influence the visible world of humans. In the case of this Gbagda mask, Vogel tells us that it was meant to honor a respected member of Baule society. This mask is unusual. Most older African carving come into Western collections without information about the artist or subject, but in this case, both the carver and the sitter have been recorded. In the photograph below we see an older woman seated next to the portrait mask. She is Moya Yanso and this is her image carved by a well-known Baule artist, Owie Kimou. The man holding the mask is her stepson who danced this mask in a Gbagda performance. It was commissioned and originally worn by Kouame Ziarey, Moya Yanso’s husband and later his sons. Revered as a great dancer, Moya Yanso accompanied the mask in performances throughout her adult life until she was no longer physically able.
Mask used for entertainment
While not in use, masks are hidden away
Meant to honor a respected member of society
We know the artist and the subject, uniquely

13. Sande Society, Mende peoples
Bundu mask
Sande Society, Mende peoples
(West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia)
19th to 20th century CE
Wood, cloth,
and fiber
Sowei masks- unique to the region around Sierra Leone- are worn by senior members of the all-female Sande Society during rite-of-passage ceremonies that signify a girl’s transition to adulthood. They are carved expressions of local ideals of feminine beauty, health, and serenity that vary widely in their detail. Sowei refers specifically to medicine- the kind of medicine that female healers/herbalists utilize. The mask, when danced is a visual expression of this medicinal spirit.
Worn by senior members of the all female Sande Society
Coming of Age Ceremonies
Carved in accordance with local ideals of beauty

14. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Female (Pwo) mask
Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Late 19th to early 20th century CE
Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal
Female mask- KHAN academy video

15. Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region)
Aka elephant mask
Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region)
c. 19th to 20th century CE
Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads
KHAN video