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41 Cards in this Set
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Stelae, Axum, 300-500 CE, (Ethiopia)
- Major power in between Asia and the Mediterranean - First established by Menalik - Marks the burials place of leaders - This stele has the form of the palace - Located over huge tomb complex with altars - Thrones and altars located with stelae - A doorway into the afterlife, brings 2 realms together - Offerings made to either gods or leaders as a continued force in their culture - Don't know exactly if there were gods/kings - Location of the introduction of Christianity - Most sacred city in Ethiopia: Stelae and sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant, beginnings of Christianity, origin of Solomonic dynasty |
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Reconstruction Drawing of “Palace” from Axum. Axum, 100 BCE- 400 CE, (Ethiopia)
-Trade center between Europe/Asia - Now ruins of Dungur Palace - Other Ethiopian palaces - the 11 rock churches & Stelae - Stelae is a representation of the palace, on top of the tomb of a royal family - Churches honor Jerusalem and angels that helped construct the churches - Have a similar style of architecture - Consistent architecture that honors Christianity and their leaders/gods |
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Church of Debre Damos, Aksum, 6th Century CE, (Ethiopia)
- King Exana made Ethiopia a Christian country in c. 350 CE - After Mary became impregnated with Jesus, Mary and Joseph fled to Tabot, Ethiopia - Ethiopia considers themselves the vessel of Christianity and the New Jerusalem -Aksumite style of architecture used here - Same architecture of Palace of Axum becomes symbolic of Christian history - Axum fell, moved into highlands, takes culture to new location - Built on top of a plateau because it was a solitary place to live - To access it, a priest throws a rope and visitors climb up the rope to see the church - Known to be the oldest existing church |
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Beta Emanuel, Lalibela, 12th century CE, (Ethiopia)
- King Lalibela claimed to be the son of Moses, not Solomonic - Also the location in which the 11 rock churches were built - Was told Jerusalem was going to collapse by angels - He built 11 churches in 10 years with the help of angels - The recreation of Jerusalem - Beta Emanuel references New Axum & New Jerusalem - Because it is the only monolithic church of the 11 rock churches - Looks like Palace of Axum, Solomonic Dynasty is pulled in |
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Medicine Scrolls, Ethiopia, C18-19
- Used for protection and healing - Uses images of churches, priests, crosses, and angels - Angels are used as the dominant image of healing - Made by priests - Holy text and images - Vehicles for protecting people - Handed down from generation to generation
Where does the power in these works come from? - Spiritual power |
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Zerihun, Scale of Civilization, 1988, (Ethiopia)
- Modern Art issues: Adaption of western materials - Reclaiming of history and culture under colonialism - Issues of identity - Pan-African - masks from Western Africa, share experiences and history - Becomes Ethiopian-Christian identity - Reminiscent of medicine scrolls, images of Ethiopian history |
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Turkana men and women, Kenya, 21st century, (Eastern Pastoral Africa)
VITAL ARTS: Body arts shows you're civilized, status, accomplishments, distinguishes different cultures, genders, groups
- Women wear short hair, mohawks, necklaces, and wraps (more traditional) - Turkana men wear t-shirts, more European clothes - His head shaved, pink made out of mud, feathers, the way he's wearing particular wrap - The man with the red wrap is the leader of the group, as well as the man behind him to his right. - Color differentiates him from the rest of the group. Pattern represents family, status, clan. - Same clothing patterns mean the same culture - Jewelry is attractive, no beads means uncivilized - Long hair also means uncivilized |
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Man’s body art, Pokot, Kenya, 1977, (Eastern Pastoral Africa)
- Pokots wear mud hats, coiled earrings, beads, necklaces, feathers - Decorating the body shows which Pokot clan and family you are apart of, as well as your achievements, level of initiation - It has changed over time in terms of the mud cap, other symbols remain the same (color, hat additions, etc) - Exposure to new cultures means they adopt elements of other cultures |
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Pokot Man, Kenya, 21st century, (Eastern Pastoral Africa)
- By wearing a westernized style of hat, versus the mud hat, the color of his hat still represents which group this Pokot Man comes from. - Vital arts are still present, but in a different form |
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Maasai warriors on their way to their eunoto ceremony, Kenya & Tanzania, late 20th century, (Eastern Pastoral Africa)
- Moran = warrior - Under the Ayonoto group, young men 12-16 y/o are circumcised and sent to live outside the community and return when they are considered elders. - Wearing a mane as a hat symbolizes their accomplishment of killing a lion in group hunts. Makes you a man - Value braided hair, which shows endurance and dedication - Red body paint is seen as appealing. - Eunoto Cermony - Transition from outside to becoming junior elders 3-4 day ceremony, physically changes them - Shaves hair and start completely new life - Mothers build a village for their sons in the process of becoming elders - The mother herself moves up in status when their son becomes an elder, she shaves her head, as well and the man becomes an elder. - Transitions in this community consolidates values and cultural identity, their accomplishments, and signifies transition into adulthood. - Effects entire community, these warriors become in charge of the community. |
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Maasai Woman, 21st century, Kenya and Tanzania, (Eastern Pastoral Africa)
- Well layered necklaces means more beautiful, describes family/accomplishments, layering of identity - Earrings tell relationship status, thick ear flaps mean they are married - Also signifies son's/family's status |
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San, Botswana & Namibia, late 20th century, Trance dance, (Southern Africa)
- Functions of the Trance: + Purifying the community + Finding/controlling game + Finding water + Healing - N/um "boiling energy" is the stomach pain they get - Metaphors of Trance: + Eland + Death + Being under water - Trance Relation to Rock Art: Eland was depicted in 90% of rock art - People depicted dancing around - Central figure, fainting, going into the spirit world |
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San, South Africa, Rock art painting depicting ceremony, 2,000 years old,
- Depicted in rock art: Life & events, relationships with the environment, life with the Other World, 90% shows eland - Study of elands and their significance in the tradition of trance explains what their lifestyle was like - Painted by Shaman, who have gone into the spirit world |
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San, Drawing of Rock art painting, South Africa, 2,000-BCE.
- It depicts what a Shaman sees from the spirit world, looking down at a trance ceremony, there are participants and eland of the trance - Shaking, n/um, nose bleeds, hair on the back rises, etc. When an eland dies in a hunt this is what happens, - Therianthrope: part animal part human watching what is going on - Looks like its underwater - 1 is going through n/um, bending over - Damaged because they were in the outer caves - No written record of any kind - A lot of them have been killed |
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Louw, Washington St., 1986 Apartheid Art, (Southern Africa)
- Apartheid was a time period when Black South Africans were stripped of their citizenship and were forced to live in Homelands - Depicted forced removals, omnipresent police violence, armed guards, lack of satisfactory foods - Circulated because they created art under centers that were trying to encourage info about apartheid to get out. |
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Bester, Mr. Semakazi: Migrant Miseries Series, Post-Apartheid art, South Africa, 1993
- Documents a dad had to go far away to support family - Gets job in Homelands, in Johannesburg - Built home for himself, shared with 4 men - Bed sprains (like a prison), passbooks, bike rims, numbers on cans, photographs, chains - Yes, they each symbolize parts of life during Apartheid, being imprisoned, no jobs, thinking about home, family, and God - A passbook was a form of identification that allowed you to leave the homelands in order to work on white territory. Police would ask for your passbook when crossing white borders, and if you did not have it, you would be imprisoned. |
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Alexander, The Butcher Boys, 1985, Apartheid art, (Southern Africa)
- Yes, as she is speaking from the viewpoint of a White South African versus the Black South African experience of apartheid. She speaks about how apartheid had made White South Africans devilish and beastly, demonizes white population. In her work, she depicts these anonymous white figures with devilish heads.
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Returning the Gaze, 2000, Post-apartheid art, (Southern Africa)
- Shows the effects of apartheid on Black people versus white people. - The effect on Black people are visible, whereas on Whites they are not noticeable. - The Black man looks directly into the camera to communicate how his wounds are still affecting him. - The White man looks away because he is not still burdened with Apartheid. - "Flesh" colored band aids - Two billboard images shown side by side. Side-by-side comparison of the two effects of Apartheid - 2000, during post-Apartheid - People of color talking back |
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Kongo, DRC, Republic of Congo, Angola, 16-18th century Cross, (Central Africa)
- Christianity introduced in 1490s - Easily accepted because it aligned with their own ideals of the Cosmogram, a person has died and in their afterlife is still guiding you through life - A Kongo symbol that represents that time and life is circular - Vertical element suggests that they continue to influence each other - Ancestors continue to have an impact on your life. They decide which person is going to be born again when a woman is pregnant |
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Kongo, DRC, early 20th century, Nkisi, (Central Africa)
- Power object that focuses and harnesses spiritual power, from spirits, mostly ancestors - This particular nkisi is for contract binding - Seen through nails & ropes to awaken spiritual realm - Hand raised because he is hunting out evil - Stones from empowered locations, animal bits, organics, wrapped with feathers - Ritual specialist (Nganga) uses it to make contact with spiritual realm |
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Ntadi, Kongo, DRC, C19, (Central Africa)
- Garden figures that connect the humans and ancestors, placed on graves - Represents entire culture - Royalty as seen in the textile hat - Caring towards infant, women are important in the culture - Scarification - scar patterns on body, patterns have meanings - Funerals are important to please ancestors. They must make offerings, for instance, pots, bottles (for food and libation) - The cosmogram is closely related in this context because ancestors have impact on living. Therefore, funerals and offerings are important for good karma. |
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King seated in state, Kuba DRC, c. 1975, (Central Africa)
- Covered in animal skins (esp. leopard), cowry shells, made bigger with feathers, and his bwim, not touching the ground - Has to be calm and cool - what you want from a leader - Basket of knowledge - The bwim is a signature pattern designed by the king. The king is seen wearing the bwim. Shows authority and signature as a king. - Westernized people were asked to be removed in this image. It is important because it deals with "re-presentation". It is not an image in its natural state. It does not honestly represent the Kuba King, it represents it in the way Westerners want to portray it. |
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Ndop, Kuba, DRC, 18th Century, (Central Africa)
- Depicts the king - Assist the king to communicate with ancestors - Can stand in for king, if king is busy - Present when royal wives are giving birth - Kept in shrines or gardens - Not an exact likeness, all stylized - Unique to king's character (ex: the Mancala ruler) - Shows bwim of the king - Relates to belief in ancestral power - This one is located in a museum |
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Tshibumba, African Leaders, 1970s, DRC, (Central Africa)
- His back is to the people, they need him - In support of Seko - Appears as though the president is being praised - Kleptocracy - ruler by theft, stole billions of dollars - Leopard hat |
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Ibeji shrine, Yoruba, Nigeria, 20th century, (Ife and Yoruba)
- Ibeji was a twin - Twins were seen as good luck - When one died, the living twin would want to reunite with its other twin, thus made into a figurine - Ibeji share a soul - Deceased twins were treated as though they were alive (bathed, fed, etc) - Wore beaded tunic, elaborate headdresses |
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Divination tray, Yoruba, Nigeria, 20th century, (Ife and Yoruba)
- Provides guidance so you can reach your own solution - Diviners conduct the divination - They interpret the signs given by the gods so they can assist people - Able to read 267 verses and express it to clients - Face on tray refers to Eshu - a trickster, have to be very cautious of what you ask for from him - Must be on the divination tray - Only Orisha in given human form |
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Gelede maskers, Yoruba, Nigeria, late 20th century, (Ife and Yoruba)
- Gelede is a masquerade put on by men to honor the women of the community - Always in pairs - Older women are more spiritual, can wreak havoc on you if you don't respect them - Performers (always twins) who try to emphasize elegance, beauty, and grace of women by wearing masks and perform - Values expressed (culture, aesthetically) - Community is formed - Entertainment |
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Oba, Yoruba, Nigeria, 20th century, (Ife and Yoruba)
- Oba wears beaded crown, does not touch ground, pages beside him, garments - Beaded veil says that he is of divine ancestry - Beads are sacred, linked to Gods - Protects him, shields face from unworthy eyes, protects people because he is divine |
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2 styles of heads, Ilé-Ifè, Nigeria, 12th-15th centuries, (Ife and Yoruba)
- Heads used inside altars - As a connection to their ancestors, connection to spirit realm - Symbolize the outer appearance (naturalistic head) and the inner head or destiny - Representations of kings and queens - "Ori Inu" inner head because of destiny |
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Veranda Posts at royal palace, by Olowe of Ise, Yoruba, Nigeria, early 20th century, (Ife and Yoruba)
- 1st Figure: King - Divination birds, kneeling person (lesser than), page, mother stands behind him valued because she gave him life (blue figure) - King needs support in the form of a mother, a warrior, and women in general (twins) - Supports the palace |
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Altar to the Head, Benin, Nigeria, mid 20th century
- They are used to communicate between the living and deceased Obas - 1 for queen mother - 1 for every Oba before 1897 - 1 for current Oba
- Current Oba makes them for his predecessor - A vehicle of communication Offerings are made to honor ancestors and to give Oba access to knowledge of previous Obas
Uses: - Elephant tusks - king-like qualities - Heads - scarification, coral necklaces, crowns & details - Staffs - allow Oba to call on that power - Altars on top of the altars - represent Oba in court - Bells - call dead |
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Wall plaque, Benin, Nigeria, C17-18
- Showed everyday scenes of court life, everything was documented in the Palace - Oba depicted in this plaque - Coral beading, swinging leopards by tails (has powers), mudfish on waist (links to spiritual realm), legs are paralyzed (contracted disease by mudfish - link to spiritual realm) - King wears ivory hip pendants, metal hip masks (crocodile and leopard), Iyoba (mother of Oba) -- wears ivory necklaces
British Punitive: - British wanted to colonize Nigeria for control of powerful Benin - King disagreed and British trespassed and were killed by the Nigerians - British sent punitive expedition and burned everything down/took everything from the palace |
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Oba with his retinue, Benin, Nigeria, 1970s
- Enlarging of presence - Wearing coral -- (Olokun God of Underwater) - So powerful, can't hold his own arms - Ivory represents Elephants, kingship
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Toguna, Dogon, Mali, late 20th century
- Men's meeting house, place for speech - Highly decorated - Stack on top of men's house - weight of community on your head, structured to control behavior - Breast, penis, and testicles depicted on side paneling to remind that women are holding everything together, reminder of their presence - Snakes - connection to ancestors - Contemporary Toguna are highly decorated
* Can you apply concepts of the “salvage paradigm” to the art associated with this structure? |
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Masquerade, Dogon, Mali, late 20th century
- A 6 day ceremony - A line of 30 dancers, swinging their heads up and down, touching the earth and coming back up - Ceremony marks passing of a generation, celebrated every 50 years - Masks symbolize lineage, ladder to Heaven - Usually 12-18 ft tall, bite in their mouth to keep the headpiece in place - Representation of what Damma is - linkage between worlds |
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Primordial Couple, Dogon, Mali, early 20th century
- Husband and wife - No one is more powerful than the other - Arm around her - Backs of figures - she has baby (she gives life) - He has quiver (he takes life) |
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Anatsui, Hover, 2004, Asante, working in Nigeria
- Bottle caps, tabs, foil around bottles - Everything is recycled, nothing is thrown out, make due with what you have - Reciclia
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Asantehene seated in state along side the Golden Stool, Asante, late 20th century, Ghana
- Gold links to proverbs and metaphors - Golden Stool represents the confederacy - Stool descended from heaven - Signal that creator wanted everyone to join under this man - Represents the soul of the people - Kings come and go - Connects to visual-verbal nexus: Every man must climb the ladder of death - Asantehene's Dress: Kente - Sewn strips together to make a larger pattern - Originally made from silk, imported (labor intensive) - Patterns are specific to meanings for each king - Symbolic of black identity
- Verbal Visual Nexus- swords
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Kwei, Fantasy Coffin, Asante, Ghana, late 20th century
- Honors the deceased, who then become their ancestors - Represents something important to the deceased
- Traditional Forms of Burial Art: + Funeral objects + Placing the pots + Sculpture made of the deceased, dressed and seated, made of occupations |
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Linguists, Asante, Ghana, late 20th century
- Linguists make the king's words sweet - Intercessor between king and other people - Speak only in proverbs - Staffs are associated with proverbs - Hand holding egg -kingship is a balance of power - Ex of Visual Verbal Nexus: speaks to a proverb, gives an image of it all at once |
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Akuaba, Asante, Kenya, mid 20th century
- Impregnates women looking to have children - Fertility sculpture - Women have them carved - Treat them as their child - Become pregnant - They like fat babies, not skinny - They have large round heads, tiny chins, little features - Prefer daughters over sons - Given to other women to use |
