African Art

Art isA basic form of communicationAll art has a practical, personal or cultural functionSome art can be recognized by its cultural style

Art is passed on from generation to generation.An artists will pass on :1. techniques2. style3. best practice4. A story or an idea

Rock painting of a dance performance, Tassili-n-Ajjer, Algeria, attributed to the Saharan period of Neolithic hunters (c. 60004000 BC).

Rock PaintingsImages of antelopes and humans have been interpreted as evocations of Khoisan trance experiences

If there were such a thing as an artist colony in Africa, that colony would have been Benin. But people did not come from all over the world to live in Benin to learn about art and bronze making. Rather, the people of Benin sent their art out all over the world.

Benin EmpireKingdom of Benin, also known as Edo, dates back to 14th c. AD.It is a state of West Africa that flourished from the 15th to the 17th century.Its capital was Benin City, in present-day Nigeria. Benin produced some of the most wonderful art in Africa. Their sculpture was playful and fun. Their carved wood masks are still world famous.

Purpose of African ArtMost African art serves a practical as well as a cultural purpose. For kings, even the smallest piece of jewelry helps secure their honored positions by publicly demonstrating royal wealth. Surrounded by attendants and luxurious objects produced by the finest craftsmen in their kingdoms, kings presented an image of complete power to their subjects.

Plaques in the PalaceThe obathe king of Beninadorned his palace with hundreds of metal plaques, or decorated pieces of metal. The scenes showed what the oba of Benin wanted his people to think about himthat he was powerful and that he was divine. The plaques were small (about a foot and a half tall) and were made of brass Brass is hard and long lasting, therefore the people of Benin associated it with the enduring power of the oba. The king controlled the manufacture of brass in Benin.

Bronze plaque of Benin Warriors with ceremonial swords. 16th-18th century, Nigeria.

Relief plaque of an equestrian king and followers Benin, Nigeria 17th century,

Altar of the Hand,Benin, Nigeria.Bronze. 17

Plaque with multiple figures mid 16th-17th century Edo peoples, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria Copper alloy 19 1/8 in.

Oba Supported by Attendants1500-1897; Nigeria, Benin; Bronze; height 15 3/4 in.

*****Evocation means to evoke or conjure up a spirit**********