African art

African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, such as African American, Caribbean or art in South American societies inspired by African traditions. Despite this diversity, there are unifying artistic themes present, when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa.Ashanti trophy head; circa 1870; pure gold; Wallace Collection (London). This artwork represents an enemy chief killed in battle. Weighing 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), it was attached to the Asante king's state swordDoll (Akuaba); 20th century; 27.3 x 11.4 x 3.8 cm (10​3⁄4 x 4​1⁄2 x 1​1⁄2 in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City)Soul washer badge (Akrafokonmu); 18th-19th century; gold; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)Calabash adinkra stamps carved in Ntonso (Ghana)Nok seated figure; 5th century BC – 5th century AD; terracotta; 38 cm (1 ft. 3 in.); Musée du quai Branly (Paris). In this Nok work, the head is dramatically larger than the body supporting it, yet the figure possesses elegant details and a powerful focus. The neat protrusion from the chin represents a beard. Necklaces from a cone around the neck and keep the focus on the face.Relief fragment with heads and figures; 5th century BC – 5th century AD; length: 50 cm (19.6 in.), height: 54 cm (21.2 in.), width: 50 cm (19.6 in.); terracotta; Musée du quai Branly. As most African art styles, the Nok style focuses mainly on people, rarely on animals. All of the Nok statues are very stylized and similar in that they have this triangular shape eye with a perforated pupil, with arched eyebrows.Male head; 550-50 BC; terracotta; Brooklyn Museum (New York City, USA). The mouth of this head is slightly open. It maybe suggests speech, that the figure has something to tell us. This is a figure that seems to be in the midst of a conversation. The eyes and the eyebrows suggest an inner calm or an inner serenity.Male figure; terracotta; Detroit Institute of Art (Michigan, USA)Plaque with warriors and attendants; 16th–17th century; brass; height: 47.6 cm (18​3⁄4 in.); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)Plaque equestrian an Oba on horseback with attendants; between 1550 and 1680; brass; height: 49.5 cm (19​7⁄16 in.), width: 41.9 (16​1⁄2 in.), diameter: 11.4 cm (4​1⁄2 in.); Metropolitan Museum of ArtPlaque that probably represents a musician; 17th century; bronze; 48.26 cm (19 in.) x 18.42 (7​1⁄4 in.) x 8.89 cm (3​1⁄2 in.), irregular; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA)Rooster figure; 18th century; brass; overall: 45.4 cm (17​7⁄8 in.); Metropolitan Museum of ArtBronze Head of Queen Idia; early 16th century; bronze; Ethnological Museum of Berlin (Germany). Four cast bronze heads of the queen are known and are currently in the collections of the British Museum, the World Museum (Liverpool), the Nigerian National Museum (Lagos) and the Ethnological Museum of BerlinLeopard aquamanile; 17th century; brass; Ethnological Museum of Berlin. The bronze leopards were used to decorate the altar of the oba. The leopard, a symbol of power, appears in many bronze plaques, from the oba's palaceFigure of a horn blower; 1504-1550; copper alloy; 62.2 x 21.6 x 15.2 cm (24​1⁄2 x 8​1⁄2 x 6 in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City). Blowing a horn or flute with his right hand, his left arm is truncated. He also wears a netted cap with chevron design decorated with a featherBenin ivory mask of the Queen Mother Idia; 16th century; ivory, iron & copper; Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of four related ivory pendant masks among the prized regalia of the Oba of Benin taken by the British during the Benin Expedition of 1897Maiden spirit mask; early 20th century; wood & pigment; Brooklyn Museum (New York City, USA)A mask known as the Queen of Women (Eze Nwanyi); late 19th-early 20th century; wood & pigment; Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA)Bronze ceremonial vessel in form of a snail shell; 9th century; Igbo-Ukwu; Nigerian National Museum (Lagos, Nigeria)Bronze ornamental staff head; 9th century; Igbo-Ukwu; Nigerian National MuseumHelmet-mask; 20th centry; Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA)Female figure for a small temple; 20th century; Indianapolis Museum of ArtIgbo wooden complex, currently in the Britfllunish MuseumGrament; 1950-1975; cotton; Indianapolis Museum of ArtBust of a king or dignitary; 12th–15th century AD; terracotta; Ethnological Museum of Berlin (Germany); discovered at Ife (Nigeria)Yoruba mask for King Obalufon II; circa 1300 CE; copper; height: 29.2 cm; discovered at Ife; Ife Museum of Antiquities (Ife, Nigeria)Bronze head from Ife; 12th–15th century; brass; British Museum (London)Mask with 7 birds; 19th-20th century; Detroit Institute of Arts (USA)Mask with superstructure and two birds; 19th–20th century; Detroit Institute of ArtsHeadgear; circa 1900-1915; Detroit Institute of ArtsPair of door panels and a lintel; circa 1910–1914; by Olowe of Ise; (British Museum, London)Carnival mask; circa 1950; Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA)Carved door; circa 1920-1940; wood with iron staples; by Nupe people; Hood Museum of Art (Hanover, New Hampshire, USA)Headdress; early 1900s; wood, antelope skin, basketry, cane, metal; by Ejagham people; Cleveland Museum of Art (USA)Headdress; early 1900s; wood, hair; Idoma people; Cleveland Museum of ArtOtobo (hippopotamus) mask; by Kalabari people; British Museum (London)Terracotta seated figure; 13th century; earthenware; 29.9 cm (11​3⁄4 in.) high; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, USA) The raised marks and indentations on the back of this hunched Djenné figure may represent disease or, more likely, sacrification patterns. The facial expression and pose could depict an individual in mouring or in painFemale figure; 13th-15th century; terracotta covered with red ochre; height: 37.5 cm (14.7 in.), width: 31 cm (12.2 in.), depth: 24 cm (9.4 in.); Musée du quai Branly (Paris)Equestrian figure; 13th-15th century; height: 70.5 cm; National Museum of African Art (Washington D.C., USA)Male figure; 14th-17th century; Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio, USA)Person who wears a Satimbe maskPerson who wears a Walu mask, based on an antilopeMask based on a hyena; 20th century; Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA)Decorated door in the Hogon villageFigure of a seated musician (koro player); late 18th century; 55.8 x 17.7 x 10.8 cm (22 x 7 x 4​1⁄4 in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City)Figure of a kneeling woman; circa 1500; wood; height: 35.2 cm (13​7⁄8 in.); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)Equestrian figure; 16th–17th century; wood; height: 68.9 cm (27​1⁄8 in.); Metropolitan Museum of ArtStool; possibly late 19th to early 20th century; wood & pigment; National Museum of African Art (Washington D.C., USA)Kanaga mask in three pieces; 20th century; 108 x 59.1 x 22.9 cm (42​1⁄2 x 23​1⁄4 x 9 in); Brooklyn Museum (New York City)Black and white picture of a female figure with raised arm; 15th–17th century; wood (ficus, moraceae), sacrificial materials; height: 44.8 cm (17​5⁄8 in.); by the Tellem people; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)Zoomorphic figurine; 12th-16th century; by Tennenkou culture; Museo de Arte Africano Arellano Alonso (Valladolid, Spain)Equestrian figurine; by Bankoni culture; Museo de Arte Africano Arellano AlonsoNgady-Mwash mask; 19th century; Ethnological Museum of Berlin (Germany). The colors, red, brown & beige create a warm atmosphere of a savanna, being in contrast with the rows of blue beads. Like many other Kuba masks, this one is decorated with cowrie shells. Like many Kuba types of masks, ngady-mwash mask is extensively polychromed, or multicoloredMulwalwa mask; 19th or early 20th century; painted wood and raffia; Ethnological Museum of Berlin. This mask embodies a powerful nature spirit. As there are no holes through which a performer could see, it was probably mounted on a wall at an initiation camp, signaling that the initiation was almost completePwoom Itok mask; late 19th century; 39.1 x 28.6 x 29.8 cm (15​3⁄8 x 11​1⁄4 x 11​3⁄4 in.); Brooklyn Museum (USA). This mask may have represented a wise older man at boys' initiations. One of the principal Kuba dance masks is called pwoom itok. The chief identifying characteristic is the shape of the eyes, whose centers are cones surrounded by holes through which the wearer seesBelt (Yet); possibly early 1900s; cord, leather, glass beads, shells; Cleveland Museum of Art (USA). Like some of the masks, this belt is decorated with colorful beadsNdop of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul; 1760-1780; wood; 49.5 x 19.4 x 21.9 cm (19​1⁄2 x 7​5⁄8 x 8​5⁄8 in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City). Ndops are royal memorial portraits carved by the Kuba people of Central Africa. They are not naturalistic portrayals but are intended as representations of the king's spirit and as an encapsulation of the principle of kingshipHead goblet (Mbwoongntey); 19th century; wood; Brooklyn Museum. It has one-inch cylindrical lip with linear decoration. The hair is made up of crosshatched lines with a raised diamond-shaped segment on the back of the head. Its cheeks have curved multilinear scarificationItoon (diviner's instrument, in form of a hippopotamus); 19th century; wood; 7.5 × 26.6 × 6.4 cm (2​15⁄16 × 10​1⁄2 × 2​1⁄2 in.); Brooklyn MuseumCloth; raffia; 20.3 x 85.7 cm (8 x 33​3⁄4 in.); Brooklyn Museum. In Kuba culture, men are responsible for raffia palm cultivation and the weaving of raffia cloth. Several types of raffia cloth are produced for different purposes, the most common form of which is a plain woven cloth that is used as the foundation for decorated textile productionHeadrest; 19th century; wood; height: 18.5 cm (7.2 in), width: 19 cm (7.4 in), thickness: 8 cm (3.1 in); Musée du quai Branly (Paris). This headrest presents 19th century Luba hairstyles, as well as the long limbs, bent-back legs, cylindrical torso and dynamic pose typical of the artist who made itFigurine of a standing woman; late 19th or early 20th century; wood; 27.9 × 8.3 × 10.2 cm (11 × 3​1⁄4 × 4 in.); Brooklyn Museum (New York City)Heddle pulley with female head; late 19th or early 20th century; wood; 20.6 × 5.4 × 4.8 cm (8​1⁄8 × 2​1⁄8 × 1​7⁄8 in); Brooklyn MuseumKifwebe mask; wood; Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium)Anthropomorphic pot; early 20th century; pottery; 40.0 × 24.0 cm (15​3⁄4 × 9​1⁄2 in.); by Mangbetu people; Brooklyn Museum (New York City)Plank mask (emangungu); possibly early 1900s; wood; by Bembe people; Cleveland Museum of Art (USA)Head of a scepter; 19th century; by Yombe peopleFemale figure; 20th century; wood; by Lumbo people; Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA)Mask; early 20th century; wood, raffia & color pigments; by Yaka people; Rietberg Museum (Zürich, Switzerland)Chair (throne) of a chief; 19th or early 20th century; wood; by Hemba people; Rietberg MuseumFunerary figure (tumba); 19th century; wood; by Sundi people; Rietberg MuseumMask (kifwebe); wood; by Songye people; Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium)Mbangu mask; wood, pigment & fibres; height: 27 cm; by Pende people; Royal Museum for Central Africa. Representing a disturbed man, the hooded V-looking eyes and the mask's artistic elements – face surfaces, distored features, and divided colour – evoke the experience of personal inner conflictTomb figure; soapstone; by Boma people; Royal Museum for Central Africa. Stone sculptures are extremely rare in African artWarrior ancestor figure; 19th century; wood; 84.1 × 26 × 23.2 cm (33.1 × 10.2 × 9.1 in.); by Hemba people; Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth, Texas, USA)Statuette of a woman; 19th century or early 20th century; by Holoholo people; Ethnological Museum of Berlin (Germany)Antropomorphic figurine; terracotta; 9th-16th century; Musée du quai Branly (Paris)Antropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai BranlyAntropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai BranlyAntropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai BranlyHead; terracotta; Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle (La Rochelle, France)Zoomorphic figure; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai BranlyFragment of a pectoral; 9th-16th century; cuprous alloy; Musée du quai BranlyMurals in the Ndebele from the Maastricht University (the Netherlands)Murals in the Ndebele from the Maastricht UniversityA beaded apron or meputo; late 19th-early 20th century; hide, glass beads, metal beads, straw; 46.9 × 50.8 cm (18.5 × 20 in.); Birmingham Museum of Art (Alabama, USA)Both sides of the Narmer Palette; circa 3100 BC; greywacke; height: 63 cm (24​3⁄4 in.); from Hierakonpolis (Egypt); Egyptian Museum (Cairo). The Narmer palette is the quintessential statement of the Egyptians' mythology of kingship. A clear manifesto of royal power, it is also one with multiple layers of symbolismStele of Princess Nefertiabet eating; 2589-2566 BC; limestone & paint; height: 37.7 cm (14​7⁄8 in.), length: 52.5 cm (20​5⁄8 in.), depth: 8.3 cm (3​1⁄4 in.); from Giza; Louvre (Paris). This finely executed relief represents the most succinct assurance of perpetual offering for the deceasedThe Bust of Nefertiti; 1352-1336 BC; limestone, plaster & paint; height: 48 cm (19​7⁄8 in.); from Amarna (Egypt); Egyptian Museum of Berlin (Germany). Perhaps the most iconic image of a woman from the ancient world, the bust of Nefertiti is difficult to contextualize because it seems so exceptionalThe Mask of Tutankhamun; circa 1327 BC; gold, glass and semi-precious stones; height: 54 cm (21​1⁄4 in.), width: 39.3 cm (15​1⁄2 in.), depth: 49 cm (19​1⁄4 in.); from the Valley of the Kings (Thebes, Egypt); Egyptian Museum. The mummy mask of Tutankhamun is perhaps the most iconic object to survive from ancient Egypt African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, such as African American, Caribbean or art in South American societies inspired by African traditions. Despite this diversity, there are unifying artistic themes present, when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa. Masquerade, metalwork, sculpture, architecture, fiber art, and dance are important art forms across Africa and may be included in the study of African art. The term 'African art' does not usually include the art of the North African areas along the Mediterranean coast, as such areas had long been part of different traditions. For more than a millennium, the art of such areas had formed part of Berber or Islamic art, although with many particular local characteristics. The art of Ethiopia, with a long Christian tradition, is also different from that of most of Africa, where traditional African religion (with Islam in the north) was dominant until relatively recently. African art includes ancient art, Islamic art of West Africa, the Christian art of East Africa, and the ritualistic art of these and other regions. Most African sculpture was historically in wood and other natural materials that have not survived from earlier than, at most, a few centuries ago; older pottery figures can be found from a number of areas. Masks are important elements in the art of many peoples, along with human figures, often highly stylized. There is a vast variety of styles, often varying within the same context of origin depending on the use of the object, but wide regional trends are apparent; sculpture is most common among 'groups of settled cultivators in the areas drained by the Niger and Congo rivers' in West Africa. Direct images of deities are relatively infrequent, but masks in particular are or were often made for religious ceremonies; today many are made for tourists as 'airport art'. Since the late 19th century there has been an increasing amount of African art in Western collections, the finest pieces of which are now prominently displayed. African art has had an important influence on European Modernist art, which was inspired by their lack of concern for naturalistic depiction. It was this appreciation of African sculpture that has been attributed to the very concept of 'African art', as seen by European and American artists and art historians. West African cultures developed bronze casting for reliefs, like the famous Benin Bronzes, to decorate palaces and for highly naturalistic royal heads from around the Bini town of Benin City, Edo State, as well as in terracotta or metal, from the 12th–14th centuries. Akan goldweights are a form of small metal sculptures produced over the period 1400–1900; some apparently represent proverbs, contributing a narrative element rare in African sculpture; and royal regalia included impressive gold sculptured elements. Many West African figures are used in religious rituals and are often coated with materials placed on them for ceremonial offerings. The Mande-speaking peoples of the same region make pieces from wood with broad, flat surfaces and arms and legs shaped like cylinders. In Central Africa, however, the main distinguishing characteristics include heart-shaped faces that are curved inward and display patterns of circles and dots. Art from Tanzania is known for modern Tinga Tinga paintings and Makonde sculptures. Like in other regions, there is also a diversified tradition of producing textile art. The culture from Great Zimbabwe left more impressive buildings than sculpture, but the eight soapstone Zimbabwe Birds appear to have had a special significance and were presumably mounted on monoliths. Modern Zimbabwean sculptors in soapstone have achieved considerable international success. Southern Africa's oldest known clay figures date from 400 to 600 AD and have cylindrical heads with a mixture of human and animal features. The study of African art until recently focused on the traditional art of certain well-known groups on the continent, with a particular emphasis on traditional sculpture, masks and other visual culture from non-Islamic West Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa with a particular emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently, however, there has been a movement among African art historians and other scholars to include the visual culture of other regions and time periods. The notion is that by including all African cultures and their visual culture over time in African art, there will be a greater understanding of the continent's visual aesthetics across time. Finally, the arts of the people of the African diaspora, in Brazil, the Caribbean and the southeastern United States, have also begun to be included in the study of African art. African art takes many forms and is made from many different materials. Most African artworks are wood sculptures, probably because wood is a very widespread material. Jewelry is a popular art form and is used to indicate rank, affiliation with a group, or purely for aesthetics. African jewelry is made from such diverse materials as Tiger's eye stone, haematite, sisal, coconut shell, beads and ebony wood. Sculptures can be wooden, ceramic or carved out of stone like the famous Shona sculptures, and decorated or sculpted pottery comes from many regions. Various forms of textiles are made including chitenge, mud cloth and kente cloth. Mosaics made of butterfly wings or colored sand are popular in west Africa. Early African sculptures can be identified as being made of terracotta and bronze. Traditional African religions have been extremely influential on African art forms across the continent. African art often stems from the themes of religious symbolism, functionalism and utilitarianism, and many pieces of art are created for spiritual rather than purely creative purposes. Many African cultures emphasize the importance of ancestors as intermediaries between the living, the gods, and the supreme creator, and art is seen as a way to contact these spirits of ancestors. Art may also be used to depict gods, and is valued for its functional purposes. However, it is important to note that the arrival of both Christianity and Islam have also greatly influenced art of the African continent, and traditions of both have been integrated within in the beliefs and artwork of traditional African religion. The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. African rock art in the Sahara in Niger preserves 6000-year-old carvings. Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the western cultural arts, ancient Egyptian paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes. The Nubian Kingdom of Kush in modern Sudan was in close and often hostile contact with Egypt, and produced monumental sculpture mostly derivative of styles that did not lead to the north. In West Africa, the earliest known sculptures are from the Nok culture which thrived between 500 BC and 500 AD in modern Nigeria, with clay figures typically with elongated bodies and angular shapes.