specific Flashcards
the major regions we will examine include what
we will call
Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Central
Africa, and Western Africa
why isnt NOrth Africa included
The history of the art of Northern Africa, and Egypt
in particular, has generally been told within the context
of Western culture. Egypt is typically seen as a
forerunner of the Greek and Roman art it precedes
in the Mediterranean region. Art of Northern Africa
is also often covered in studies dealing with the advent
of Islamic art or the expansion of Christian art.
The first Sub-Saharan objects appeared
in the West in the
1400s
Fascination
with African art peaked again in the __
century, as __
early 20th
avant-garde artists, primarily in France
and Germany, were inspired by the visual forms of
African art-sculpture and masks in particular.
For example, the Western tradition emphasizes __
and ___ in artistic practice. African art, on the other hand, is generally
more focused on __.
evolution and progress
continuity
Additionally, African art has not been understood
as privileging __ in the way Western
art generally has.
authorship
many African objects are __ in
nature
functional
name 3 durable materials
stone, ceramic, metal
a central aspect of much African
art that we will see repeatedly in this Resource
Guide is
centrality of the human figure
another central theme is a focus on
visual abstraction
describe visual abstraction in african art
not necessarily express itself in the total abstraction
seen in twentieth-century art in the West, but
rather involves the distortion, stylization, and exaggeration
of figures and imagery in African art
Other visual and conceptual
concerns that may be seen as fairly consistent
in African art include an emphasis on
sculptural forms
For our purposes, “southern” Africa includes
present-day (7)
Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
5 cultural groups in southern africa
San,
Zulu, Swazi, Sotho, and Shona peoples
Most studies of African art end with discussions
of the __ and __ regions
southern, eastern
art from __ and __ regions are more emphasized and widely studied than art from __ and __ regions
southern, eastern
western, central
speical art thing found in southern africa
ancient rock art
Eastern Africa, like the southern region, is where
some of the most ancient traces of African culture
may be found
Eastern Africa provides the
earliest evidence anywhere in the world of
the development
of distinctive human activity
We will
consider “eastern” Africa to include present-day
Sudan and South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia,
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar
geography of
Eastern Africa is extremely varied, though it has the
distinction of being home to
two tallest mountains
in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount
Kenya.
eastern african landscape is esp. well suited to ___, as ____
agriculture
water is relatively abundant and the
climate is cool and dry
most culturally and
ethnically diverse of the African regions we will discuss
eastern africa
eastern african trade – __ and __ were imported,
while __, __, __, and __ were sent across
the Mediterranean Sea and to the Near East.
iron goods, glass
gum, ,spices, ivory, and horn
It was
also largely in Eastern Africa that ___ took hold on the continent
foreign religious
systems
Christianity arrived
shortly after the ___ in ___, with
the development of ____ in
__ soon to follow
edict of milan, 313
strong coptic art tradition in egypt
Islam arrived in c.___, again
first in __
640, egypt
Some of the most exciting examples are the painted
scenes found in rock shelters, the oldest of which
are approximately
26,000 yrs old
old rock shelter paintings
are generally found in
the mountains at the
edge of the South African plateau
cave shelter paintings – europe vs africa, regarding depth
europe – almost always
found deep in the cave areas
africa – exposed in relatively shallow, open rock shelters
cave shelter paintings – europe vs. africa, regarding size
african paintings tend to be smaller than their European
counterparts
what did african cave shelter paintings most often depict
suggest
narrative scenes-presenting images of people
dancing, fighting, hunting, and performing rituals.
African prehistoric
rock art also includes many engraved images, created through __ or __ techniques
chipping / incising
african prehistoric engraved images are typically found
in the semi-arid
plains of the interior.
why are african prehistoric engraved images hard to date
They are carved into exposed
rocks, which are often weathered
3 types of african prehistoric engraved images
1) fine, hairline engravings carved into the rock surface;
2) animal representations made using a “pecking”
technique, where a stone is hammered into the
surface of the rock to produce pockmarks;
3) geometric forms
african engraved geometric forms date from
1300 bce
african engraved animal imagery dates from
6000 years ago
The rock engraving shown in your Art Reproductions
Booklet comes from
Twyfelfontein Valley in
Namibia, near the Brandberg Mountain
Twyfelfontein Valley is one of the richest sites for __ in africa
animal imagery
The most prevalent imagery includes animal
forms such as
elephants, rhinoceroses, zebras, and
antelopes. Giraffes are also quite common
the mass slaughter of animals in Africa began
in earnest during the
19th century
In addition to the animal
forms, imagery at Twyfelfontein includes a handful
of human images – __ in total
27
in addition to animal forms and human images, imagery at Twyfelfontein inclues
- human footprints
2. various geometric forms – circles, lines, arches
in Stone Age Petroglyphs, which 3 animals stand on the same line (in decreasing size)
giraffe
lion
rhinoceros
Stone Age Petroglyphs: The animals all appear to be oriented to the __.
They are in __ profile
right; strict
Stone Age Petroglyphs: The fascinating exception to the naturalistic renditions
of these animals is the presentation of the __
lion
Stone Age Petroglyphs: What is striking about the animal
is the depiction of its __ and __
feet, tail.
feet – paws have 5 digits, not 4
tail – greatly elongated, extends straight away from the cat’s body before angling sharply at a ninety-degree angle. The tail ends, not with a tuft of fur, but with yet
another print
The Great Bantu Migration began around
1000 bce
great bantu migration was extremely significant in that it
completely
transformed the population of most of
Sub-Saharan Africa.
great bantu migration began in the area of present-day __ and __
chad and cameroon
What is generally
known is that the great bantu migration appears to have happened in two
major waves. describe the waves
The first surge moved to the east and
through the forests of the Congo. The second traveled south along the eastern coast and inland along
the region’s extensive river system.
with the great bantu migration came 2 major developments?
mastery of iron production, cultivation of food crops
The introduction of the WHICH TWO CROPS??
helped support greater and greater populations in
sub saharan africa, which grew to fill the vast landscape
around them
Asian banana and the yam
the __ are the earliest sculptures
to have been found in South Africa
“Lydenburg Heads”
“Lydenburg Heads” discovered in [ year ] in [ place ]
1962 in the northeastern town of Lydenburg
how were lydenburg heads discovered
A
schoolboy stumbled upon them in an eroding gully
just outside of the town. As the hillside weathered, it
exposed a pit filled with pottery shards, beads, metal
ornaments, and other domestic trash. The fired
clay heads, which were found in fragments, were
taken to Cape Town University for study.
lydenburg heads had how many forms?
7 head forms
lydenburg heads: The heads are __ and take the basic form
of ____.
hollow,
inverted vessels
lydenburg heads: name 3 elements of their decoration
herringbone
patterning, bands of hatched lines, triangular
design motifs
lydenburg heads were consturcted in [ medium ] ?
coarse, gritty clay
lydenburg heads: It is possible that the forms
started as ____, which were then ___
simple pots;
turned upside
down and embellished with incised carvings
and added clay elements
what makes it unlikely that the 2 bigger lydenburg heads were used as masks?
their substantial weight, fragility,
and the positioning of the eye and mouth holes
what makes it likely that the 5 smaller lydenburg heads were used as masks?
have holes drilled into their bases
that have been interpreted as anchor points to allow
the forms to be tied to posts or effigies, or possibly
to be strapped on to the top of a dancer’s head
which lydenburg head is featured in the art reproductions guide
the large intact one
Lydenburg Head:: The facial features appear to have been created
through
the working of the existing clay body as
well as the application of additional pieces of modeled
clay
Lydenburg Head: These ridges, as well as the two
small knot forms seen near the ears, are typically
understood to represent
facial scarification, a common
practice in many regions of Africa
lydenburg head: The hairline and crown of the head are also notable. This appears to have been sculpted into the form
of
an animal, particularly a lion
wattle and daub
Using
this method, wooden sticks are woven into a lattice
structure that is then covered with a thick pastelike
material comprised of clay, dirt, sand, dung, and
straw.
__ is fairly unusual in traditional African
architecture
stone
shona refers to
the peoples
who settled the plateau south of the Zambezi
River in Southern Africa
“the plateau south of the Zambezi
River in Southern Africa” – this region corresponds to areas of prresent day
Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique.
area where shona people lived – describe landscape
plateau region, primarily savanna woodland
great zimbabwe
One
of the most significant of these empires ; flourished from the
eleventh through the fifteenth century.
the great zimbabwe is the [ MOST what?? ]
largest ancient structure
in Sub-Saharan Africa
zimbabwe (meaning in the past)
a judicial center or royal palace in Shona
culture. The concept basically corresponds with
our contemporary idea of a court
zimbabwe (meaning today)
used to describe any of the over three hundred
ruins of this nature on the Zimbabwean plateau
The Great Zimbabwe is comprised of three main
sections or components:
Hill Ruin, the Great
Enclosure, and the Valley Ruins.
The Great Zimbabwe is comprised of three main
sections or components, all of which include
granite walls enclosing spaces filled with stone
floors, platforms, and mud buildings.
hill ruin
oldest section and is sited on a rocky hilltop
overlooking the valley. Its built stone components
are connected to a cave of living rock.
time the great enclosure was completed
at least a hundred years
after the Hill Ruin, sometime before 1450 CE.
great enclosure
most impressive of the ruins and is characterized
by its largely intact exterior wall,
the Valley Ruins
are made up of
various walls and structures dotting
the valley floor between the Hill Ruin and Great Enclosure.
great zimbabwe – The illustration in your Art Reproductions
Booklet is a view from
the Hill Ruin looking down
into the valley.
great zimbabwe – The most obvious feature we see
from this __ perspective is __
semi-aerial;
the wall of the
Great Enclosure.
The Great Enclosure’s main wall is constructed
of
dry stone masonry – no mortar was used to bind
the rocks to each other
While the great enclosure’s size suggests a ___, the wall ___
defensive function;
does not fully enclose the
interior space and meanders
great enclosure – Curving forms, both
in the wall itself, and in details such as the steps at
the entrance points, add
an almost playful, purely
aesthetic component.
exfoliated granite
a fascinating
type of natural quarrying. The topography of
the Zimbabwean plateau is characterized by granite
outcroppings. These mounds of stone are stressed
by the annual temperature and humidity changes
in the area-the extreme heat of the summer rainy
season that extends from November to March and
the dry, cold winters from April to October. The
granite breaks apart into even sheets of stone under
these climatic pressures. Shona stone masons were
originally able to collect their materials as needed
by merely picking them up off the ground. Later,
the stone was more actively quarried, as it was
alternately heated and then doused with water to
artificially create these natural weather conditions
great enclosure wall medium?
exfoliated granite
describe appearance of exfoliated granite
unusually beautiful
aesthetic quality, as the micas in the granite sparkle
and glow in the sun.
great enclosure – ____ are set into the walls, both exterior and interior
various turrets and monoliths
what kind of sculptures were found in the buildings enclosed by the Great Enclosure?
a number of carved soapstone sculptures in the
form of birds
The bird, and
particularly the eagle or other raptor, was a symbol
for
the Shona kings who ruled the area
the Shona kings who ruled the area were symbolized by
The bird, and
particularly the eagle or other raptor
The Conical Tower is shaped
like
a grain bin
describe conical tower symbolization
In Shona culture, the ruler received
tribute in the form of grain, which he then distributed
to visitors and the poor. Thus, the tower form
is a symbol of royal authority and generosity
chikuva
stand upon which a wife displayed
her pottery in the home
great zimbabwe – what did the stepped platform represetn?
the platform served as a symbol for the wife’s value
and role in family, and that the tower and platform
together symbolized male and female roles, or those
of the state and the family
the great enclosure generally functioned as
a royal court
great enclosure – Structures inside the wall ____, while those outside
____
served the needs of the
ruler and his immediate family;
would have housed other members of the court,
such as minor royalty and governmental officials
It is possible that the Hill Ruins were built initially
to house other members of the court, but ____
that as the population increased,
more extensive grounds were needed
all the structures of the great zimbabwe emphasize
a human assertion
of itself over nature, albeit with a measure
of respect and unity
what did the shona believe about the dead
The
Shona believed that the dead, and particularly the
male head of a family, continued to remain a living
and protective presence
The architecture of the Great Zimbabwe,
then, served as a visual demonstration of ___
the ruler’s
power over – and also his ultimate responsibility
to – the people.
shona – The
land was seen as___, and the
leader’s authority was connected to ___
belonging to the ancestors;
his control of
that land, which he merely held in trust during his
lifetime
Musical instruments are
often highly decorated, which
beautifies them and indicates
their importance culturally
Decorations may also be an integral
component of ___, thus connecting
____,
the sound an
object makes;
ornamentation to the instrument’s
functionality
The region of ancient Nubia corresponds to present-day
Egypt, the Sudan, and Ethiopia
Ancieent Nubia, like ancient Egypt, was
divided into two parts:
Lower Nubia in the north and Upper Nubia in the
south.
Nubian culture centered, again like ancient
Egyptian, on
the nile river
describe geography of nile river
The river runs northward
from the highlands of Eastern Africa down to
the delta region in the north, where it empties into
the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, “upper” refers to the
highlands of the more southerly area, where “lower”
refers to the lowlands in the northern region
The border between Upper and Lower Nubia coincides
with
the modern border between Egypt and
the Sudan.
__% of ancient nubia was [ landform ]
96%; desert
Nubian culture relied on __, allowing for agricultural production.
the annual
flooding of the Nile to bring the rich soil to the
riverbanks
Nubia’s Nile Valley provided the only dependable
route
across the Saharan desert to the Mediterranean
Sea
Ancient Nubia was seen as __. Nubia became a key crossroads
between __
the “gateway to Africa”;
between the African interior and other civilizations
in the broader region.
The Nubians traded with (4)
ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, as well
as with cultures from the Near East
The Nubians and Egyptians alternately ___. We see evidence of this in
Egyptian art of the period, which often depicts
dominated
each other over time;
the
Nubian rulers who intermittently ruled in the north.
Nubian figures can be distinguished by __, as well as __
specific and
distinct symbols of kingship;
recognizable
clothing, jewelry, and short, curly hairstyles
the Egyptians depicted themselves with __
skin (for males) or __ (for females)
red brown;
yellow
Nubian individuals
were shown with __ in Egyptian art
very dark brown or black
skin
Nubian culture can also be distinguished from
the culture of ancient Egypt through (3)
its distinctive
architectural forms, funerary rituals, and pantheon
of gods.
many of the descendants of ancient Nubians were relocated with
the construction of
the Aswan High Dam (1960-71) along the Nile.
kissar
lyre
kissar – was owned by who?
singer and spiritual healer
who holds the kissar?
british museum
lydenburg heads are all now on display at
the South
African Museum in Cape Town.
Musical
ensembles primarily performed at
weddings and
other life-cycle ceremonies, harvest festivals, and
most importantly, ceremonies associated with the
zar cult.
The lyre would have been the __
in a small musical ensemble that included other instruments
such as __ and __
lead instrument;
tambourines and drums
Zar ceremonies
were intended as
healing rituals for women in
Nubian culture
gender of musicians and their audiecnes?
While the musicians themselves would have been
male, the audience and beneficiaries of the zar ceremonies
would have been largely female
during zar ceremonies, women seek to
communicate with and to placate whatever zar spirits have taken possession of their bodies in order to regain an equilibrium, which has somehow been disturbed
the lyre’s main body is consturcted of
a hemispherical wooden
form with a skin sound board stretched across its
surface.
the lyre was understood as
an anthropomorphic
object-one with human characteristics.
Again, according to the British Museum’s description,
the lyre has
“two ‘eyes’, a ‘nose’ and outstretched
‘arms’ -and when played it has a ‘voice.’
Each item exuberantly suspended from this object
likely relates to a specific instance of its use.
One scholar has stated that
“it is probable that each
time the instrument was used in a ceremony, the
person receiving the rituals offered an item of personal
adornment.’’
People
have inhabited Central Africa (sometimes also
referred to as “Middle Africa”) for at least the last
100,000 years
although central africa experienced some of the
worst effects of the slave trade and colonialism in, it was the center of
very powerful kingdoms, such as
the Lunda Empire and the Kingdom
of Kongo
what countries comprise central africa
southern Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Congo Republic, Cabinda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and northern Angola
central africa is bisected by ___ and is generally defined as the area ___
the equator; the broad area drained by the
Congo River system
central africa climate
hot and wet
central african cultural groups
Kongo, Fang, Chokwe, Yombe, and Cameroon Grasslands
peoples
most central african groups have traditionally engaged in
agricultural production, primarily cultivating (3)
root
crops, bananas, and plantains
central aafrican Spiritual practices largely consist of rituals associated
with
initiation rites, veneration of the dead,
and healing ceremonies
our study will have a partiuclar focus on ____, which is characteristic of the arts of Central
Africa
sculptural production
