Themes Of Power And Culture

The major themes that my two chose pieces of artwork convey are power and culture. The First piece is named ‘stool’, a wooden/ copper sculpture that is based off the customs of the Akan peoples, Asante Group, and Ghana as a whole. The piece, although without a date, seems fairly recent. In African Cultures, stools are believed to be the most important piece of furniture in a household. The stool is a symbol of power and represent the wealth of the owner. It holds great political and spiritual significance and it provides a place to sit solely for the owner. it generally isn’t used by anyone else and even goes to the grave with the owner. Men normally have the largest and most decorative stools while women and children respectively get lower …show more content…
For example, once the owner dies, the stool is blackened and stored for the use of the owner’s spirit. Certain stools are reserved for royal ceremonies. Originally owned by Osei Tutu, the first king of Asantebene, The Golden stool was a symbol of unity throughout Asante, a kingdom that was located in Modern day Ghana. It was made of gold and was said to have manifested the spirit of the soul of the nation of Asante. It was a ceremonial stool, only used twice a year by the regional chief; on court day and at the festival honoring the carvers of …show more content…
This piece expresses the theme of culture because it pertains to the role of women in African cultures. In that particular culture, art is used to revere its subject especially if it is a statue or painting. Despite their generally low political standing, women who bare children and maintain their families are said to have immanent power because they are sources of strength, endurance and stability within the home. Women in African communities as a whole are what sustain a community and their families respectively. In African cultures, a woman is believed to be connected to the source of all life because of her ability to give it which bestows upon them sacred knowledge and special abilities. Women are frequently used as symbols of eternal life and progression in African art, portrayed as goddesses, mother healers and protectress. To reiterate, this piece relates to culture because it portrays the role of women in African cultures and demonstrates how art, a culture element, is used as a method of