Arts of Africa Flashcards
how many languages in how many language families
2000 languages in 5 families
how many countries
54
population
1.2 billion
the north is majority
Muslim
the south is majority
Christian or Christian syncretic
what are examples of smaller groups of religions
Buddhist and Hindu
East Africa kingdoms
- Kingdom of Kush
- Kingdom of Aksum
Kingdom of Kush
around 700 BCE
what happened around 700 BCE in the Kingdom of Kush
significant building but exists longer
Kingdom of Aksum
100 BCE to 825 CE
The pyramids of Meroe have a cultural connection to
Egypt and its southern neighbours
Nubian Kingdoms
2500 BCE to 350 CE
One of the Nubian Kingdoms
Kingdom of kush
Meor was the city of
rulers
region of the Southern Nile was called ____ by Egyptians
Nubia
Egypt was regularly trying to do what
expand into this region
for some periods the Kushites ruled
all of Egypt
The kingdom of Kush _____ and _____ in this region
rises and falls
from about 2500 BCE
Kush becomes a major and important site
why was there regular trade and war between Egypt and Kush
Kush had lots of gold that Egypt wanted
The Meroe pyramids date from the
latest part of Kush period
the pyramids of Meroe were
burial places for kings
what is the difference between the Meroe pyramids and the Egyptian
have smaller shrines marked by pylons
where were small shrines found in Meroe pyramids
at the entrance for ongoing worship after death
Gold was thought to be a
conduit for the ancestors
what is shared between both cultures
gods
Apedemak
Nubian god of war
Apedemak had ____ parallel to Egyp gods
NO
pyramids included statues of
kings, gold and silver jewllery
where was a major power in the region (where Christianity began)
Rome
Kingdom of Askum was a major kingdom in
East Africa
where was the Kingdom of Aksum nowadays
Ethiopia
Kingdom of Aksum
100 BCE to 825 CE
when was Aksum Kingdom the most powerful
500s
Aksum kingdom was at the height of its influence at the same time as
Rome declining and Byzantium rising
one of the first states to become Christian in 300s
Aksum
Christianity spreads from Aksum to
West Coast of Indian
very little of what survived from Aksum
written script
what happened by the 800s
Islam made its way into northern Africa and Aksum declines in power
after Aksum declines, what remains
Christian community
is Christianity only found in Europe and Rome
NO
Aksumite monoliths
mega stone caved single piece of granite
Who is associated with converting Aksum to Christianity
Ezana
Aksumite monoliths are associated with
the earlier time that is more polytheistic
Aksumite monoliths mark
gravesites
larger Aksumite monoliths represent
graves of kings
smaller Aksumite monoliths represent
regular people
what makes Aksum very powerful traders between Mediterranea
control access to Red Sea
crescent moons were symbols of
a god
one of the earliest surviving Christian illuminated manuscript gospel books
Garima Gospels
without support of the central state and wealth what happens to art
it declines and often shifts to isolated religious communities
monasteries focus on
preserving information and copying texts
Aksumite monasteries were often
isolated
Lalibela carved 11 churches related to
a church in Jerusalem
Bet Giyorgis would have been
painted
churches would have all contained
a tabot or replication of the Ark of the Covanant
churches would have all contained
a tabot or replication of the Ark of the Covenant
Great Zimbabwe was home to people known as
Shona
zimbabwe means
houses of stone
zimbabwe refers to the
walls encircling communities or community that housed the regional leader
stone enclosures are associated with
residence of king
most famous art associated with Great Zimbabwe
8 large carved stone birds
what was suggested about the carvers of the birds at Zimbabwe
females
In Shona culture, what do birds symbolize
messengers
Eagles are large birds and are appropriate for
important people
West Africa was dominated by the
Niger River
Nok people are associated with
West Africa
Nok People
1000 BCE to 300 CE
Kingdome of IFE most powerful in
West Africa
Kingdom of IFE
1000 to 1400
Nok is a name of
village where series of terracotta sculptures found
surviving work from Nok is mostly
terracotta
terracotta from Nok is very hard to
date
Empire of Mali
declines in 1600s
Empire of Mali was renowned for
its wealth and gold
Empire of Mali was founded
1235 by Sundieta Keita
what kingdom in West Africa is an important link in trade routes/silk road
Empire of Mali
City of Djenne
ancient city
by 800 City of Djenne had
grown to a large city
City of Djenne was central to
trading between Sahara and south
torons
projections of wood that are decorative but also functional
torons are functional as
hold scaffolding for the mudding
largest mud-brick structure in the world
Great Mosque of Djenne
IFE is the
historic city of Yoruba people
IFE flourished especially from
1000 to 1400
trade is IFE is dominated by
flow of gold north into Sahara
heads for IFE were seen as
locus of power and place
the early tradition of IFE was
realistic terracotta heads
metal heads for IFE were for
royalty
IFE heads tended towards more
- naturalism
- symmetrty
- beauty
- small eyes
- sense of immobility
the expression of IFE heads was often
serenity or lack of expression
holes found in IFE heads
- neck
- hairline
- head for a crown
Kingdom of Benin
1000 to 1897 CE
Oba were used to ______ in Benin
line the alter
