Art of Africa

ART OF AFRICA

1100–1980 CE

Theme: “Spirits and Ancestors”

Most of the traditional African art focused upon spirits imbedded in nature and ancestor worship.  These beliefs were powerful and motivated artistic production through the desire to positively affect the Africans’ relationship to those spirits or ancestors.

Historical Context

The African continent is vast, complex, and difficult to summarize. The people worship their ancestors. The people do not die but can be communicated with. There is also a great deal of respect for elders.

Spirit worship is key. It is thought that spirits can control fertility of both humans and of land.

There is an interpretation of African art, culture, and history as primitive.  This often stemmed from European interpretations that privileged realism and science over stylization and ancestral/shamanistic religions.

Artistic Innovations

• Art was not only intended to be decorative but was supposed to serve a ceremonial purpose.
• Artists generally used wood, ivory, and metal, as these were common natural resources surrounding these African tribes.
• Artists worked with workshops and were trained in this manner.
• There are often no written histories. African work is not typically signed or dated

Sculpture

Sculpture was made to be portable. There are no large sculptures. Sometimes these works were multimedia such as jewelry.

The work is often made from wood. Prestigious works were sometimes made of ivory or metal.

Carvings of ancestors and kings are frontal and stiff. Heads are too large for the bodies. Also note the geometrization of forms.

This work is a bracelet that is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was made between 1550-1680, by the Edo people and part the Nigeria Court of Benin. The jewelry is made with ivory and possibly some copper. Below is the backgrounder the museum gives on the work:

At palace festivals, the king and chiefs of Benin wear pairs of long, cylindrical bracelets made of ivory or brass decorated with images that symbolize royal power. On this example, images of mudfish and Portuguese heads–both referring to the king’s divine nature and his association with Olokun–alternate checkerboard style around the bracelet. Bracelets were among the few ivory objects available to chiefs and not strictly monopolized by the king.

Architecture

Architecture is generally made of mudbrick, and sometimes stone. Rain presents challenges and buildings need constant maintenance.

A requirement in African are buildings that remain cool inside. They also must be easy to make and inexpensive.

 

(6) 167. Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe.

Shona peoples. 1000-1400 CE. African.

Learning Objective: African palace

Themes:

Palace
Politics
Power
Status
Rulers
Architecture

Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe is made of coursed granite blocks and stands in Southeastern Zimbabwe, in Africa. The ruins that survive are a four-hour drive south of Harare, the country’s capital.

This is a huge site and complex that includes, Hill Ruin (on a rocky hilltop that includes a sacred cave), Great Enclosure and Valley Ruins.

 

The town lay at the bottom of the hill with a royal complex. A total of 18,000 people lived here.

Granite blocks, quarried from surrounding hills, were cut into the same size, and stacked up from the ground. There were no straight lines or right angles. It was entirely built using curves. No mortar was used. Stones were just carefully placed upon other stones.

The walls slope inward at the top, standing 36 feet high and stretching 800 plus feet. A smaller wall parallels the exterior wall creating a tight passageway leading to large towers.

This is the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert.

Function

• City state
• Built as a royal residence for the king
• It may have also been a space for religious rituals
• Display of power and status, as the size and immensity make clear it a great ruler lived here.

Content

This was a prosperous trading center and royal complex. The site had temples, places for rituals, cemeteries, homes, fields, and a marketplace.

The conical tower is shaped like a granary. It represented the power of the king somehow. What was it? A temple?

The circular wall was a sign of defense. It also helped to preserve the privacy of the royal family and show their status by setting them apart from the commoners.

The walls don’t seem to be for protection. There are gaps and interrupted patterns. This makes the spaces weak.

 Context

The Bantu migrations moved Africans from Western African into the interior. The people brought agriculture with them.

The Shona peoples found Great Zimbabwe. They are the largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe. The community was based on farming, livestock, mining, and trade. The ruling elite appear to have controlled wealth through the management of cattle which was the cornerstone of the Zimbabwean economy. By 1500, their influence waned though historians are not sure why.

Archaeological evidence has revealed glass beads and porcelain from China and Persia, as well as gold and Arab coins. This illustrates the extent of the long-distance trade that Zimbabwe participated in with the outside world.

In  the 1800s, English colonizers found Great Zimbabwe and were stunned by the grandeur and workmanship. It was concluded that Muslims must have constructed this (even though there is no evidence of Muslims in this area). This is a symbol of longstanding prejudices against African culture.

(6) 168. Great Mosque of Djenné.

Malian. 1200 CE; rebuilt 1906-1907. African/Islamic.

Learning Objective: African mosque

Themes:

Religion
Architecture
Place of worship
Community
Cross-cultural
Propaganda

Great Mosque of Djenné located in Djenné, Mali, is one of the largest mud-brick mosques in the world. The African influenced structure uses local material such as mud/ straw bricks (adobe) which is common in West Africa, as well as palm wood. The walls cool down at night and slowly warm up during the day. They help to retain some of the coolness from the evenings

Torons or timber beams throughout the exterior are both decorative and structural and act as permanent scaffolding for the building.

An Islamic Influenced Floor plan

There are huge exterior walls that are between 18 and  24 inches thick. An earthen roof covers the building and is supported with pillars. The roof has several holes covered by terracotta lids  that provide the interior with fresh air.

The vertical buttresses on the exterior helps to funnel rain run-off.

The Hypostyle hall plan has a courtyard with hypostyle hall interior.

There are three large towers in the qibla wall (minarets). Remember qibla wall overlooks the city marketplace.

A Maintenance Festival

This is the site of an annual festival called the Plastering of the Great Mosque (maintenance). The adobe and mud buildings require periodic (and really, annual) re-plastering. If re-plastering does not occur, the structure will slowly melt in the rainy seasons. During the annual festival, the whole town contributes by re-plastering the mosque with a mud plaster made from melted butter and fine clay.

Function

This is a place of Muslim worship, prayer, contemplation, and community gatherings. It is the center of Islamic leaning and pilgrimage in West Africa. It was constructed by Mansa Musa, the king of the Mali empire who converted to Islam. His point was to show that African Muslims are just as devout as Arab Muslims.

Content

The mosque overlooks the city marketplace which is held on Mondays. This shows us the intersection of commerce and religion. At the top of the three minarets are conical extensions with ostrich eggs placed at the top. This is a symbol of fertility and purity in Mali.

The Building of the Mosques

Djenné l was founded between 800 – 1250 CE. It flourished as a great center of commerce, learning, and Islam.

In 1200 CE the original mosque was constructed by Mansa Musa. He is evidence of the royal cult of the phenomenon of ruling classes in Africa converting to Islam to gain political benefits.

Later the rulers added surrounding towers and a wall around the complex.

In the early 19^th century, the original building fell into disrepair.

Between 1834 – 1836 a second mosque was constructed. The original was demolished because it was in disrepair, but it was also deemed too lavish in its original design.

In 1907 after the second mosque fell into disrepair again, a third version was made. During the period of French colonialism in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the mosque became a political symbol for residents.

The French postcard above from 1900 illustrates the ruins of the original mosque.

 

(6) 169. Wall plaque from Oba’s Palace.

Edo peoples from Benin (Nigeria). 16^th century. African.

Learning Objective: African brass sculpture

Themes:

Rulers
Politics
Power
Cross-cultural
Ideal man
Commemoration
Stylized bodies
Propaganda

Wall plaque from Oba’s Palace is made from cast brass and measures 20 by 16 inches. The work crafted in high relief was one of 900 brass panels in total, which were nailed to wooden pillars.

The heraldic composition has a central figure and is flanked evenly on both sides. The hierarchical scale uses the size of figures to delineates importance.

In this work communicating the of power of the king is more important than achieving an exact likeness. Therefore, it is not a portrait.  The idea of a large, stylized head  comes from a common African cultural belief stating that the head is the seat of intelligence.

The European influence is evident with the lost-wax casting technique used to produce this. It is likely a result of trade between the Portuguese and Benin.

How it was Made

The first step was to make a malleable version in wax and then cover it in clay. Then, it was fired to harden. As the heat intensified the wax melted out of the clay. Then, hot molten liquid brass was poured into the clay mold.

It is not sculpture- in- the round, so there is no need for a clay interior to hold its shape.

Why it was Created

• Created to adorn the exterior of the royal palace in Benin City
• Ennoble/honor the ruler
• Political propaganda to display the power, royalty, and prestige of the ruler

The Story in the Art

This is a generic image of the oba. The king (oba) has mounted a horse and is flanked by attendants. He is a warrior chief depicted with distinctive coral-beaded regalia which rulers still wear today. And rulers still use the shield the attendants are holding to protect the ruler’s head from both danger and sun. Only the oba gets this privilege and they always travel with a large cohort of attendants.

Rosette shapes that adorn the background of the plaque were possibly derived from Christian crosses brought by European traders.

Context

Obas were spiritual leaders in addition to being kings/rulers.

The Benin Empire was known for its brass works. Trade was high between the Benin and Portuguese from the 16^th-17^th centuries. This led to cultural diffusion through the lost-wax technique and Christianity.

 

(6) 170. Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)

Ashanti peoples from south central Ghana. 1700 CE. African.

Learning Objective: African relic

Themes:

Politics
Power
Status
Interpretation of history
Rulers
Relic
Utilitarian
Propaganda
Materials with significance

(Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) is an artwork with gold over wood (gilded) along with cast-gold attachments.

Function

This is an Incredibly important relic. It is believed to be the soul of the Ashanti people and stands for the entire community. The stool sits next to the king. He does not sit on it but has his own separate stool.

Content

This is a gold covered stool with gold attachments. The gold symbolizes royalty and prestige. 

The Story of the Golden Stool

In the early 1700s, this area in Ghana was politically divided and involved in many wars.

An important king named Osei Tutu received the Golden Stool from the gods. It fell from the sky and landed in his lap! This was considered a miracle and interpreted as the gods choosing Osei Tutu to unite all the other kings in the area. He not only replaced all existing chieftains but also eliminated all other objects related to political authority. This stool was the only one.

This created the Ashanti nation.

The Land of Gold

The Ashanti kingdom in Ghana is an area rich in gold. The textile color gold and gold itself is reserved for royal use. This kingdom headed up the gold trade with Europeans in North Africa.

The British Invasion

In 1874, the British destroyed the Ashanti capital in an attempt to colonize the Gold Coast. The British  also wanted possession of the Golden Stool. This war was aptly named the War of the Golden Stool (1900).

The King was exiled. The king’s mother (Queen Mother) encouraged people to fight against the British. Of course, the stool was hidden, and the British were unable to find it.

Ultimately, it was a British victory. Ashanti became a colony but was allowed to retain a ceremonial king and the stool came out of hiding.

Stools are iconic now in the Ashanti kingdom and even appear on their flag.

 

(6) 171. Ndop. (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul.

Kuba peoples from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1760-1780 CE. African.

Learning Objective: African royal portrait

Themes:

Rulers
Commemoration
Ideal man
Portrait
Stylized bodies
Ancestors
Power

Museum: Brooklyn Museum

Ndop. (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul is made of wood and stands 19 inches tall.

What is a Ndop?

Ndops are stylized and idealized portrait sculptures but not a portrait that captures an exact likeness.  These figures are stylized in the same way. They are made of rounded contours to create a plump body.

The head makes up 1/3 of the body or a proportion of 1:3. They represent the generic body of an ideal ruler. All have the same basic components, but each have an individual motif/emblem. Ndops are individualized by the object in that appears in front of the seated king, as a symbol. They are all rubbed with oil to polish them and darken the wood color.

Function

Ndop. (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul represents and honors the spirit of a now-deceased ruler. It recorded the kings’ reign for posterity and serves as a totem or contact point with his spirit.

Content                                             

The word Ndop means “statue”. These are idealized and stylized wooden images of individual Kuba rulers. The ruler sits cross-legged on a raised platform. His face is calm with eyes closed. He is above mortal affairs.

The short sword in his left hand has the handle out. This illustrates nonaggression, but he is still strong.

He is dressed in ornamental regalia with long plank of a stylized crown. Remember the head is the seat of intelligence.

King Mishe’s object is a drum with a severed hand. He expanded his empire during his reign through conquest.

About the King

Kuba King Mishe miShyaang maMbul was celebrated for his generosity and his popularity. At the height of his reign in 1710, he commissioned a Ndop statue to be used after he died. This is now the oldest surviving ndop.

About the People

Kuba are renowned for a dynamic wooden artistic legacy. Ndops are the most revered of all Kuba art forms.

One can still see many of the same elements today (regalia, raised platform, crown).

 

(6) 172. Power figure (Nkisi n’kondi).

Kongo peoples from Democratic Republic of the Congo. Late 19^th century CE.

Learning Objective: African ritual object

Themes:

Contracts
Oaths
Offering
Stylized bodies
Utilitarian
Religion
Power
Community
Ancestors
Ceremony
Ritual
Materials with significance

Museum: Detroit Museum of Art

Power figure (Nkisi n’kondi) is an art object made of wood and metal that measures 14 inches tall. Sculpted from wood, treated with red clay or plant extract, and dressed in knotted fibers and beads, the works are embellished with a variety of materials, the most important of which is metal protrusions.

The artist was not important. This was viewed more as a practical object when it was created rather than a work of art.

Function

Totem is a spiritual object that creates a point of contact. It is a container of power. A specialist would use this work, with one per community. The specialist was also the artist (ngonga, pronounced ung-gan-ga)

The specialist used the power figure to help mediate in a social dispute, or aide those concerned with their health.

 

• Figure was punctured with metal pieces
• One could also place materials in its stomach.
• Before use, people would lick the blades or bleed onto it.
• To ensure the power figure understood its task, materials related could be tied to the nails that were driven into the figure.
• Spiritual forces were summoned to work on behalf of the person who supplied the nails.
• The more deeply inserted, the more serious the offense or problem.
• This served as a visual reminder of pacts and appeals as figure’s history is literally on the figure.
• The more a power figure was used, the more powerful it became.
• The density of nails validated its potency.

Examples of functions:

• Parties in a dispute could each drive a nail into the work, sealing their agreement
  • If you broke your oath, bad luck would befall you
• The power figure could get rid of witches or bad spirits
• It could heal the sick
• It could increase fertility

The Story

Typically, the power figure was a man, although it could also be a woman or animal. The figure’s belly was filled with bilongo (medicinal materials), such as herbs, plant matter, bits of animal bone, egg, fur, and seeds.

The figure’s posture is leaning-forward and aggressive, with a partially opened mouth. It has a readiness to act or speak on behalf of individuals who call on his assistance. Hands on the hips show a sense of immediacy and physical power. The figure’s feet are on blocks as an intermediary between heaven and earth.

The Offerings

Items were always connected to the desired outcome. Often substances were related to the dead like dirt from the cemetery for example. This would serve to bring powers of the dead under the control of the specialist.

A person who might wish to be faster would take mouse fur, revered for speed, and put it inside. Seeds were inserted for a good harvest.

Claws could incite spirits to grasp something. Stones could activate spirits to attack. Stones from an ancestor’s grave could help the relative to take on attributes of that ancestor.

A cowrie shell would seal the hole and make sure the substances stayed inside.

The Context

The Kongo culture believed the mooya, or belly was the focal point to the soul. Thus, the belly button is the access point to the soul and to other worlds/realms. This is after all where we are connected to our mothers.

Community believed spirits could collectively help them and had special abilities to see potential enemies or wrongdoers.

Nkisi comes from the verb “konda” (to hunt). Hunters were the most powerful. Their job was to hunt down wrongdoers. Hunters administer justice appropriate to the transgression. The power figure was an active enforcer just like hunters.

Europeans probably first encountered these during expeditions to the Congo as early as the 16^th century. Several were confiscated in the 19^th century by missionaries. Many were destroyed as examples of sorcery. Some were confiscated as objects of fascination and as evidence of Kongo culture.

Many of the Kongo traditions migrated to the Americas and Caribbean, as the Kongo were one of the groups who most often traded in the African slave trade. This largely led to the development of voodoo practices.

 

(6) 173. Female (Pwo) mask. 

Chokwe peoples from Democratic Republic of the Cong. Late 19^th to early 20^th century CE.  African.

Learning Objective: African mother mask

Themes:

Mask
Ideal woman
Commemoration
Ceremony
Status
Stylized bodies
Fertility
Male/female relationships

Museum: Smithsonian Museum of African Art

Female (Pwo) mask is constructed from wood, fiber, pigment, and metal. This artwork measures  15 inches tall. The carver of mask was a man

The mask face is symmetrical with a wide forehead and made from wood. Fiber is used for the hair. Pigment for coloration and metal for earrings. The reddish-brown skin is mix of red clay and oil, while white clay was used for eyes.

Function

This work honors mothers and more broadly, it honors female ancestors and any living women who are young, fertile, or have given birth. The strength women exhibited in childbirth was particularly worthy of honor

These masks were used in dances. Interestingly, they mark initiations for men into adulthood as a process of maturation. The male dancers wore tight-fitted costume and wooden breasts, not to be transgressive or cross-dressing but to honor the mother.

The outcome of the performance was to bring to fertility to a community to honors mothers.

The messages were:

1. Men could not be here without mothers.
2. This marks the dissolution of the bonds of intimacy between mothers and sons.

When the dancer to whom the mask belonged died, the mask was buried with the male dancer. These masks were not gifts to the women! It stayed with the man to honor the mothers in his life

Content

Pwo meant a woman who had given birth or a mother. It was the image of an ideal beautiful mother and NOT a portrait.

The pounded dots around the eyes suggests a typical scarification or tattooing pattern.  Sadness over growing children is represented often by a single teardrop on the cheek. Her hair and thick, long braid are a sign of fertility.

The eyes are closed. She doesn’t need to talk or impress us. She deserves our respect.

The white clay around her eyes connects her to the spiritual realm. A mother’s sixth sense is received  through giving birth.

Context

• Represents a classic Chokwe mask genre
• Culture was matrilineal (means lineage/status traces to mother)

 

(6) 174. Portrait mask (Mblo). Baule peoples from Côte d’Ivoire. Early 20^th CE.  African.

Learning Objective: African “MVP” mask

Themes:

Portrait
Mask
Commemoration
Status
Ceremony
Stylized bodies

Museum: Private collection

Portrait mask (Mblo) is a wooden mask that has been painted with pigment and measures 14 inches tall. The artist for this mask was  Owie Kimou. Every mask is unique despite following some basic guidelines as is similar to Ndops.

Characteristics of Portrait Masks

Portrait masks have oval faces with elongated noses, small open mouths, and downcast eyes with slits. Broad forehead, pronounced eye sockets, column-shaped nose, quiet and peaceful face is also part of the features.

Function

Mblo masks are symbolic portraits to honor a community’s “MVP”. This one was created for Moya Yanso  who was a prestigious dancer. The “portraits” are not supposed to be realistic, rather, they are an artistic double.

These masks appear in a public dance known as the Mblo. The choreography features a succession of dances that increase in complexity. This culminates in a tribute to the community’s MVP. Individual is honored by having a ritual dance performed in their honor.

The person who performs this dance wears the mask. These performers are trained in this type of dance, just as a ballerina would be.

The masks were then given as a gift to that MVP after the ceremony.

Content

These masks are the artistic double of the honoree. They are an idealized representation and not a portrait.

• Half slit eyes suggest modesty
• High forehead suggests wisdom
• Heavy incised lines around the cheeks and nose suggest age
• Triangular patches of pigment suggest life
• Color in cheeks suggests health
• Animal horns on the top of the head indicate characteristics from the animal that they want to associate with

Context

There is a rich mask carving tradition in this region. When not in use, these masks were kept out of sight as a sign of humility. Today, indigenous practices are dying out. Since the 1980s the Mblo masquerade performance is no longer practiced.

The older woman on left is the great dancer Moya Yanso, the woman who was being honored. The man holding the mask is her stepson who danced this mask for her.

Her mblo mask was commissioned by her husband Kouame Ziarey. It was common for mask to be commissioned by family.

 

(6) 175. Bundu mask.

Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19^th to 20^th century CE.

Learning Objective: African girl mask

Themes:

Mask
Ideal woman
Ceremony
Stylized bodies
Sexuality
Fertility

Bundu mask is constructed from wood, cloth, and fiber. The mask is worn over the top of the head and the raffia is meant to fall over the face. Men were responsible for making these masks. When a girl became initiated, the village’s master woodcarver created a special mask just for her. The carving was dependent on a dream the carver would have about the occasion.

When the mask was not in use, it remained hidden.

How the Mask was Used

The mask was worn by a woman and the ceremony was for a woman.  Each mask was unique to the girl, and this is the only masquerade performance known where women wore the masks. This illustrates the important role of women in the Mende community.

Used to celebrate initiation of young girls into adulthood, the mask was used when girls arrive back in town after seclusion. Mask is worn by both an older woman and the initiates.

 The Dance

Women dance with the mask on. The dance was taught when girls were in seclusion They practice for hours, and sometimes are even forced to stay awake for 48 dancing. By the end, they have transformed into young women, who are tough in even the harshest of conditions

The dance teaches girls about certain spiritual and cultural beliefs and is performed with raffia costume and music.

The Background Story

The raffia costume represents Sowei, the water spirit. It must disguise the entire body so that a vengeful spirit does not take her. The mask sits on top of the head.  It represents ideal female spirits and qualities. Shaped like the chrysalis of a butterfly, the mask symbolized a young woman entering puberty.  When young girls are in seclusion, they are referred to as chrysalis.

The Mask in Detail

The eyes are downcast and suggests reserve and humility. There are small eye slits to look out of. The mouth is small indicating she does not gossip. The ears are small too indicating she does not listen to idle gossip. The forehead is high to illustrate a sharp mind. Hair indicates health and purity, while the intricate hairstyle represents a close tie with the women in the community.

The rings around the neck have some significance. The prominent rolls at the back of the neck shows that the figure has enough body fat to give birth to healthy children. These rings could also symbolize concentric waves from which the Sowei breaks through the surface.

The color black symbolized water, coolness, humanity, mystery.

In Context

The Mende People are an ethnic group of mostly agriculturalists. They are divided into two groups of those who have been initiated and those who haven’t.

Initiation rites for girls in the Sande Society involved being removed from their everyday lives and taken to a secluded place in the forest. The act of going to the jungle symbolized secrecy and fertility. Seclusion could last several weeks to several months

While in the forest, girls were anointed with white clay and animal fat to make themselves dry, pasty, unattractive. Girls were taught how to be good wives and good mothers. They were instructed in domestic skills, sex, farming, dancing, medicine by the women of the Sande Society.

While secluded, the main ritual girls underwent is female genital mutilation were the labia and clitoris were removed. This was supposed to increase fertility. It was also thought to instill proper sexual behavior which was considered that sex should not be pleasurable for the woman, rather it was a duty. It was thought to make a young woman clean, test her strength and foreshadow the pain of childbirth. It was also considered a bondage experience between the girls, who had all gone through the same pain and healing process.

At the end of the ceremony, their white clay is ritually washed off their body. The young women emerge with a new name and new clothing.

The community has been reluctant to share details of ceremony with scholars, particularly Western scholars.

(6) 176. Ikenga (shrine figure). 

Igbo peoples from Nigeria. 19^th to 20^th century. African.

Learning Objective: African shrine

Themes:

Commemoration
Status
Power
Ideal man
Ancestors
Hybrid
Offering

Ikenga (shrine figure) is made of wood. Wood. 

Shrine figures can be as high as 6 feet or as small as 3 inches. These works are carved from hard wood as this is seen as a masculine material. They are stylized, hybrid figures.

Function

This is a personal shrine to honor a man’s right hand. More broadly, it is about honoring a man’s power skill.  The right hand grows food, protects/defends, make sacrifices, builds homes and more.

Every Igbo male has a personal shrine, and the size depends on the man’s status.

It is a totem as it holds a combination of spiritual forces, including one’s ancestors. The shrine figure requires blessings before use.

Content

• Ikenga means “strong right arm”
• Personal shrine figure depicted on a stool, as symbol of prestige
• Basic form of an Ikenga is a human figure with horns symbolizing power
• Scarification markings on the face can indicate status, clan, or position

Context

• Patriarchal culture
• As a man achieves more success, he might commission another statue that is larger to show his success and honor his ancestors
• At death, an ikenga is destroyed and sometimes buried with the deceased
  • Its purpose becomes defunct as it is no longer needed to act as a medium between worlds

 

(6) 177. Lukasa (memory board).

Mbudye Society of the Luba peoples from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 19^th to 20^th century. CE. African.

Learning Objective: African record of history

Themes:

Interpretation of history
Status
Utilitarian
Animals

(Lukasa (memory board) is an additive sculpture with a wood backing that is carved, with beads, and metal attachments. It is designed to be a unique marker.

How the Memory Board is Used

It is held in the left hand and used to “read” history with by touching the surface with right finger. Only members of highest scholarly group (Mbudye Society) have the skills and knowledge to read it. Like aNavigation Chart, it is individual to the reader. Each reader makes their own

Used as a mnemonic device (PEMDAS – Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This in and of itself doesn’t mean anything but it reminds people of the order of operations)

The three yellow dots don’t “symbolize” anything, but the combination might trigger something in the reader’s mind to recall a historical fact. Think of it as a “cheat sheet” or a “hard drive” that backs everything up.

On Closer Reflection

The back of Lukasa (memory board) was designed to look like a crocodile’s back. This was animal who the people considered was able to live in multiple worlds. It reveals the Luba people’s ability to be adaptable and timeless.

The overall shape is designed to look like a tortoise and the head would be screwed on to peg. This create was a symbol of Luba royalty through strength and perseverance.

This presents a concept mnemonic map of Luba history. It’s a cultural story of Luba, chronicling their history, diagram of territories and chiefdoms.

Each memory  board is unique. The beads combine in various ways to make a code.

In general, it is set up like this:

• One colored bead is an individual
• Large beads surrounded by small beads – king and court
• Line of beads – journey or migration or expansion

Context

Mbudye (Mm BOO dee ay) was established in the 1700s to preserve and disseminate Luba knowledge. The council of men and women were charged with sustaining and interpreting the political and historical history of the Luba. The Mbudye is the highest level. To reach this one must pass through many stages of test as they master successive levels of knowledge.

The community is preliterate. As a result, all histories and traditions are oral. To prevent their loss, lukasa boards are used.

(6) 178. Aka elephant mask.

Bamileke peoples from Cameroon (western grassfields region). 19^th-20^th. African.

Learning Objective: African royal mask

Themes:

Animals
Politics
Power
Status
Mask
Cross-cultural
Ceremony
Propaganda
Rulers

Museum: Brooklyn Museum

Aka elephant mask is constructed from wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads and measures 4 feet 9 inches long.  The highly stylized mask has zig-zag pattern that repeats. The base colour of the cloth is navy blue with colored beads sewn on in pale blue, white and yellow, as well as cowrie shells.

The mask forms a hood that sits over the head with eye slits to look out. It has a wooden frame to help hold ears out,  with an inside lining of woven raffia. The long trunk hangs over the front and back of body.

Function

Aka elephant mask was used for a masquerade dedicated to the Bamileke king. This was to show of support and confirmation of his political authority. Kuosi society would have performed  in this mask. They were people such as nobility and court officials.

The animal mask also showed that the king was in harmony with nature.

Content

The body of an elephant is an expression of calm strength and wisdom. It is associate this with the king

The pattern of a leopard symbolizes the belief that leopards could transform into humans. This was a symbol of divine rule,  like kings who can change form and move through worlds

Color symbolism:

• Black beads: relationship between living and dead
• White beads: ancestors and medicine
• Red beads: life and royalty

Context

The Kuosi society wore these with a larger red feather headdress and leopard skin pelts that formed a full body costume

The glass beads and cowrie shells used to create the designs were acquired through trade and contact with Europeans, generally in exchange for slaves.

Similar to the Bandolier Bag, Europeans believed they were trading cheap glass for slaves and presumed to have the better end of the deal.

The beads were made from Venetian glass.

(6) 179. Reliquary figure (byeri).

Fang peoples from southern Cameroon. 19^th to 20^th century. African.

Learning Objective: African reliquary

Themes:

Reliquary
Guardian
Duality
Ancestors
Power
Stylized bodies
Funerary

Museum: Brooklyn Museum

Reliquary figure (byeri) is made of wood and stands just under 2 feet tall at 23 inches. The artists who made these traveled widely all over Cameroon.

The artwork is comprised of very basic shapes including cylinders and circles. The figure has and elongated torso, large, rounded head, closed mouth, and musculature. The face is highly stylized. The figure is not naturalistic, but this is intentionally so. The purpose was to present certain spiritual and abstract ideas.

The oiled wooden surface is rubbed with palm oil to clean it , as well as darken the wood. This creates a rich surface, which was interpreted as evoking a spiritual power.

The Purpose

Reliquary figure (byeri) sat atop a skull basket (nsek-bieri) that contained ancestral bones. As a guardian of ancestral remains it helps to promote ancestor worship in this community. It also protects women and uninitiated men from the relics as they have tremendous power.

Works of this type were brought out to educate young men about their ancestors and explain their lineages. They were displayed only during certain ritual circumstances, unless they are guarding the bones.

Terminology

• Totem: able to access ancestral power and protective forces and be an intermediary between the living and the dead
• Talisman: intended to ward off evil with supernatural properties
  • Therefore, his pose is seated and protective

Content

• The figurine is a male ancestral guardian figure
• He could balance opposites / encapsulates dualities
  • Bring together the living and the dead
  • Sense of calm (expressionless) vs. sense of power (coiled up energy and vitality)
  • Image of child (oversized head, short arms, and legs) vs. image of adult (muscular)
  • Belly button: able to move from one realm to the next (just as an umbilical cord connects a fetus to its mother’s womb through the belly button)

 Historical Context

Communities practiced ancestor worship widely. Contents of the nsek-bieri were sacred and incredibly powerful. These were bones of ancestors, along with other potent substances like beads or medicine. Each family maintained their own box.

Nsek-bieris remain aboveground. As this community was migratory, moving bones was a necessity and it helped communities maintain worship and cohesiveness.

Nsek-bieris were maintained by elder men in the community

Byeri tradition dates to pre-colonial times, but the French colonial officials banned it in the early 20^th century.

 

(6) 180. Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga).

Olowe of Ise. Yoruba peoples from Nigeria. 1910-1914. African.

Learning Objective: African royal sculpture

Themes:

Male-female relationships
Politics
Power
Propaganda
Rulers
Utilitarian

Museum: Art Institute of Chicago

Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga) is an object made of wood and pigment standing 5 feet tall.

The work was made by a renowned sculpture from Olowe of Ise.

Veranda post is vertical sculpture that acts as a column in a palace courtyard or porch.

Caryatid is a column that is carved in the shape of a female figure

Pride of place refers to the most significant placement of a figure. In this work it is difficult to determine. Is it the Queen? She is the largest, most prominent, and blue. Or is it the King because he is the furthest forward and central and seated?

The figures are highly stylized, and this is not a portrait of specific rulers.

Function

This is one of four sculpted veranda posts for the palace at Ikere. It was made for structural support as well as a display of power and prestige of the king and his wife.

Comment on the strength of the couple’s relationship. The difficulty in determining pride of place is intentional. They are both important and each one needs the other figure to secure that importance. The queen literally holds up the roof and stands behind her husband, supporting the throne.

 Content

In the word Opo Ogoga ogoga means king.

The Images of generic rulers and are not portraits. The Queen’s scale, color and pose underscore her importance as she stands behind his throne. The King is enthroned, wearing a crown with a bird on it, symbolizes female ancestors. The mmall figures at king’s feet represent a junior wife, a flute-playing trickster-god Esu, and a fan bearer.

Context

• Yoruba queens had the critical role of placing the crown on the king’s head during coronation
• Senior wives were allowed to use their political acumen and spiritual knowledge to assist the king in making decisions regarding the state (remember Yaxchilan and Menkaure)