African Art
commonly refers to sub-Saharan African art, particularly to sculpture and carving (mostly in wood) from the vast area surrounding the Niger and Congo basins. Ancient Egyptian art and bushman painting from southern Africa are usually not studied as African
Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe. Southeastern Zimbabwe. Shona peoples. c. 1000-1400 C.E. Coursed granite blocks.
In Southeastern Zimbabwe, the ruins of a massive stone complex started during the eleventh century CE by ancestors of the Shona peoples is set apart from the surrounding plateau by the terrific scale of its structure. The Great Zimbabwe complex (Image 167
Great Mosque of Djenn�. Mali. Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906-1907. Adobe
Djenn�, located 220 miles southwest of Timbuktu, is the oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa. It was founded by merchants around 800 CE, and the city thrived as a meeting place for traders from all regions of Africa, and by the 16th century, Djenn� was
animist
In African "animist"' religions, "being" is regarded as vital energy and not solely as the living state. Every existing thing has a vital force or energy and by understanding and correctly approaching these forces man can use them. In order to ensure the
banco
many of the citizens of Djenn� work to prepare banco (mud mixed with rice husks) for the community event.
Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool). Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana). c. 1700 C.E. Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments.
The Ashanti (Asante) are a people who live mostly in the country of Ghana. The Sika Dwa Kofi (Golden Stool) (Image 170) is one of the most renowned example of Ashanti metal work. The gold encrusted stool is a symbol of nationhood because it is believed to
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul. Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 1760-1780 C.E. Wood
The Kuba (Bakuba) peoples are a conglomeration of 16 Bantu-speaking groups in southeastern Congo. The Kuba are a unified kingdom that is a federation of chiefdoms, each of which is ruled by a chief alongside two or three councils representing the general
nyim
deceased Kuba rulers
Ndop
Ndop (meaning "statue") figures, such as the Ndop of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul (Image 171), are idealized and stylized depictions of deceased Kuba rulers (Nyim).
Power figure (Nkisi n'kondi). Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. late 19th century C.E. Wood and metal.
The Kongo (Bakongo) people are a Bantu-speaking group of peoples that inhabit the Atlantic Coast of Africa and are united by both a common language and a common culture. Kongo religion centers around ancestor and spirit cults, and these play a role in pol
Female (Pwo) mask. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Late 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal.
Female (Pwo) mask (Image 173) is a genre of Chokwe mask that honors founding female ancestors. The original Chokwe name referred to an adult woman who had given birth. The more recent name, mwana pwo, was likely adopted under European influence and emphas
Lukasa (memory board). Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, beads, and metal
Lukasa (memory boards) (Image 177) are used by the Luba People as conceptual maps of fundamental aspects of their culture. Made of wood, each board has a unique design that represents the divine revelations of a spirit medium in a sculptural form. Additiv
Wall plaque, from Oba's palace. Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria). 16th century C.E. Cast brass.
Benin is a country in West Africa inhabited by the Edo people, and it is bordered by Niger and Burkina Faso on the north, Nigeria on the east, and Togo on the west. The Oba (Image 169) is the traditional ruler of the Benin empire, with the first Oba holdi
Ikenga (shrine figure). Igbo peoples (Nigeria). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood.
The Igbo world is divided into several interconnected realms, principal among them being the realm of the living, the realm of the dead or of the ancestors, and the realm of the unborn, and the Igbo worhship spirits called Alusi. An Ikenga (shrine figure)
Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga). Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples). c. 1910-1914 C.E. Wood and pigment.
The Yoruba people inhabit southwestern Nigeria and are the largest and one of the most artistically prolific ethnic groups in West Africa. They are noted for wood carving, especially the masks of secret societies and religious cult objects. This veranda p
Portrait mask (Mblo). Baule peoples (C�te d'Ivoire). Early 20th century C.E. Wood and pigment.
The Baule people inhabit the region of C�te d'Ivoire between the Como� and Bandama rivers. They are known for their skills atwooden sculptures, such as ritual statuettes representing ghosts or spirits and carved ceremonial portrait masks (Mblo) (Image 174
Bundu mask. Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, cloth, and fiber.
Like many Africa cultures, the Mende people of Sierra Leone and Liberia have strong social and cultural divisions between males and females. The women's society, the Sande, is open to all women in the community, though some activities are hidden from men
Aka elephant mask. Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads.
Cameroon is a country in Central Africa. Music, dancing, and ritual masks are integral parts of Cameroonian festivals, rituals, and storytelling, just as we have seen in other areas of the continent. As in other cultures, traditional dances of the Bamilek
Reliquary figure (byeri). Fang peoples (southern Cameroon). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood.
The Fang are a populous complex of African peoples living in the region of the Northern Gabon. Fang peoples are devoted to ancestor lineages, and their carvers and sculptors are considered among the finest in Africa. They are especially noted for mortuary