Chapter 17 Africa Flashcards
Trapeza
furniture with only 3 legs used for uneven floors. The most striking characteristic of the chair is the figured carved on its back, It is not a realist depiction of a human; its body is long and thin as its neck and its hand re unnaturally large. the head on the long neck is observant and watchful, the big hovering hands are protective;its a guardian spirit or the chairs user
2 of the worlds greatest religions:
Islam and Christianity are well respected in Africa
Islam
came into Africa with the invasion of the Arabs in the 17th century
Christianity
Came into Africa with the invasion of the Portuguese in 15th century.
African Religions
overall there is an intense focus on individuals of uncommon spiritual powers. Sometimes these individuals are dead ancestor or tribal chief, sometimes living people. These spirits often retain human forms, or animals forms. WHATEVER FORM OR EXPRESSION, RELIGION IS A DOMINANT PRESENCE IN AFRICAN DESIGN.
What is considered the oldest trace of intentional graphic activity in the world?
a piece of red ocher with multiple diagonal scratches forming a diamond pattern. Found in the Blombos Cave near the southern tip of Africa, this rock dates at least 65,000 years.
Bushmen of Southern Africa and the Pygmies of the congo river valley have traditionally________________________.
migrated in search of game or fresh pastures for there sheep and cattle.
Agrarian societies and permanent settlements architecture include?
- Mud buildings
- stone buildings
- mud buildings with stone foundations
- and wood-frame buildings with there walls covered with painted mud or woven mats.
Living units are based on what?
based on extended families. Several generations with a shared lineage often live together under the guidance of a respected family elder, with a shared kitchen and courtyard.
-Interiors doors often connect more pirate spaces hierarchically, with the elders family quarters the inner most and least accessible, the youngest families quarters the most accessible.
Construction of the Nankani Compound, Ghana
Construction is of Sun Dried earthen brick and mud mortar
2 distinctive dwelling types in Nankani Compound
Circular in plan: which are homes of the women.
Rectangular in plan: homes of the men.
Both types have:
- flat roofs of mud over supported wood members.
- An outdoor Kitchen
- areas for cattle
- comical buildings with straw roof that are used as granaries.
Men are charged with the basic construction of the buildings and women with the decorating of the walls both inside and out.
Three colors women use on mural for decorating walls
black, white, and red obtained from natural materials such as white earth, leaves, tree bark, and cow dung.
Patterns used on Wall decoration
geometric, repetitive, may incorporate stylized animals such as cows(symbols of prosperity), Pythons (symbol of protection), or crocodiles (symbol of the clan).
Mosque at Djenne, Mali
is the largest mud building south of the Sahara Desert. Features 3 tower like minarets, and a staircase inside one of them leads to a flat roof.
- On top of these spires, is an electric light, powered from a nearby generator and in more traditional gesture, a pair of ostrich eggs, symbols of purity.
- Inside the mosque there are 9 rows of adobe brick columns, with 11 columns per row.
- Floor is cool sand
- walled courtyard is almost as big as the mosque itself, is where the women pray.
Emirs Palace, Kano Nigeria
- 15 century
- Chiefs palace
- round in plan and built of dry stone walls
- Territory of the Hausa people
- FAMOUS FOR TEXTILES AND LEATHER WORK
Great Zimbabwe:
AKA: Elliptical building, now in ruins, was most likely was a palace.
-Its interior furnishing of finely molded and painted clay include sleeping platforms, benches, and hearths
African Ornament On a Grand Scale
sometimes entire villages, are planned to symbolize the human body, with both male and female organs represented in there centers.
African Ornament on a Small Scale
Animal images are generally metaphorical ad there meaning may vary from one tribe to another
- Elephants and Leopards: mean authority and leadership
- Crocodile eating his own tail: symbol of death and regeneration
- More abstract patterns resemble basketry and weaving.
What is the chief focus of Architecture ornaments?
its WALLS and the chief material of the wall is MUD= the earth
What is the name of the ornament treatment used on the Palace of the King of Dahomey?
The treatment is a repeated convex FLUTING running horizontally around the walls. In addition the walls were so thick it also had sunken cavities that would be used for storage or display niche.
What is the chief tool?
Knives and adzes (axelike tools with the handle and blade at right angles to one another). Adze blade can also be used as a chisel
Who is the Famous Carver?
Olowe of Ise (Yoruba people) Famous for wood carvings for utilitarian objects.
African Furniture
Wood Stools: supported by Caryatids (women supporters)
Cameroon:
a rare form of stool, the base is covered with beadwork and the seat with cowier shells.
