Winter Break Art Project: African Art

Transcription

1 Winter Break Art Project: African Art By: Clara Pozuelos 1

2 Introduction Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe) Circular wall and Conical tower of Great Zimbabwe Mali (Ancient City of Djenné) Great Mosque of Djenné and Monday market at the Great Mosque of Djenné Nigeria (Benin) Wall plaque, from Oba s palace + Contextual Photo of the Oba of Benin southcentral Ghana (Ashanti) Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) + Contextual Photo 2

3 Great Zimbabwe Originally home to a former cattle-herding people Economy was based on cattle-herding, crop cultivation, and gold trade; later played with metallurgy Name orginated from the Shona people s (Bantu) language and translates to stone houses or house of stone Reference to Zimbabwe s abundance of granite sites like Great Zimbabwe called zimbabwes 3

4 Great Zimbabwe cont. The empire was a thriving trade center from the 11th to the 15th century Archaeological excavations reveal artifacts from China, Persia, and Arab which prove to the long-distant trading that is claimed to have occurred At its most, the location could have held between 10,000 to 20,000 Shonans 4

5 Great Zimbabwe Summary of Great Zimbabwe 5

6 Circular wall The largest ancient structure south of the Sahara Made from the surrounding granite rocks located near the site No mortar was used, stones were laid one on top of another, each being slightly recessed than the last to produce a stabilizing inward slope Technique was refined and the walls became closer and even 6

7 Circular Wall cont. While the wall seems defensive scholars think otherwise, more of a show of authority and privacy for the royal families The walls surrounded and later adjoined huts made of daga (mud and thatch), linked with them to form a series of courtyards The perimeter wall is 820 feet in circumference (a little less than two wrapped football fields) and 36 feet high An estimated million granite blocks were used in its construction 7

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9 Conical Tower The tower is the last structure to be built in the enclosure, standing at 33ft high and 16 feet in diameter Built solely from granite blocks sitting directly on the ground No known solidified purpose for the tower, maybe symbolic Traditionally said to represent grain bin which signified good harvest and prosperity Suggested to have been the house of the chief, court for his wives, and even a school of sorts 9

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11 Ancient City of Djenné Founded between CE became the center for commerce and Islamic teachings The Great Mosque of Djenné became an important building and symbol for politics Both residents and foreigners (French invaders) saw its power for a dominate political symbol Founded near the ancient site of Djenné-Jeno, became a warehouse for goods between the traders of the central and western Sudan and those of Guinea s tropical forests 11

12 africa/ /the-greatmosque-of-djenn.html: Summarization of the City of Djenné + the debate of modernization 12

13 Great Mosque of Djenné Largest mud-brick structure in the world + greatest achievement of Sudano-Sahelian architecture Legend says that the original mosque was made in the 13 th c. when King Koi Konboro, Djenné s 26 th ruler and first Muslim sultan (king), decided to build a place of Muslim worship in town Successor added two towers and surrounded the main building with a wall. Writing logs and drawings allow us to know of the original two mosque before the third renovation done in the modern era 13

14 Great Mosque of Djenné: The 3 Mosques René Caillié travels through Africa gave us some of the earliest writings of the first version of the Great Mosque Described it as unkempt and deteriorating, most likely since replastering didn t occur as frequently as it does now The second mosque built between CE was much larger than the first and added more pillars with minarets as well; Construction drawings by French journalist Felix Dubois helped to show these characteristics Current mosque was completed in 1907 and thought to have been built with local guilds and forced labor 14

15 whc.unesco. org/en/list/ 116/video: The annual re-plastering of the mosque 15

16 Monday Market at the Great Mosque of Djenné Market opens on Monday where the people of Mali set up stands near the Great Mosque Almost everything is sold at the market including: cattle, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, goods for the household, drugs, etc. 16

17 Nigeria (Benin Empire) The main population of the Benin empire were the Edo people Current Oba (kings) of Benin trace their origins to a dynasty that began in the fourteenth century (ancient city of Ile-Ife) and Oranmiyan whose son was the first Oba Oba s treated luxuriously, adorned with beaded accessories setting them apart from others Traded with the Portuguese in the 15 th c., giving them natural resources found on their land and receiving things like the bronze used to make the plaques of artwork found today 17

18 Wall plaque, from Oba s palace The Oba would travel with an entourage of people, their level of importance is shown using hierarchy of scale The plaque would ve been hung with others in an order depicting the coherent linage of the Oba s of Benin Since the Oba rides a horse it is thought of being Oba Esigie since he is first documented Oba to ride a horse 18

19 Wall plaque, from Oba s palace cont. The rosettes are thought to be derived from the Christian cross Most unique plaques found in Africa from this era, thought to have been a merging of the African brass sculptures with European prints Plaques represent each Oba, but they are idealized depictions (like the Greeks canons) that emphasize the possessions of kingship. 19

20 Plaques were made from technique called lost cast waxing: v=upgeim-nbhq Find out about the theorized order of the plaques here (start at paragraph 3 and down): bnch/hd_bnch.htm 20

21 Contextual photograph: Oba of Benin: Compare/Contrast Like the Oba plaque, both wear beaded accessories on their body, have an entourage of people with them, and both have headwear signifying their power Unlike plaque, modern Oba where cloth, of royal standards, on their body + a little bit more exposed to the public than older Obas 21

22 Contextual photograph: Oba of Benin Obas still hold the sacracy of having attendants hold shields over them, in this case, to block them from the sun Surprising that many traditions still hold since the British in 1897 started Punitive Expedition killing many of the Benin About Benin Empire, documentary:

23 Southcentral Ghana (Ashanti) In the 18 th century, early 1700 s, Osei Tutu was a king who unified the surrounding lands creating the nation of the Asante (Ashantee) people The Asante area was abundant in gold and came to symbolize royalty in both material and color Since early 19th century the British were determined in controlling the gold located in the Asante, so in 1874 The Ashantee War occurred where they destroyed whole empire 23

24 Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) Legend says the Golden Stool fell from the heavens into the lap of Osei Tutu It is said to be the soul of the Asante nation and is still valued to this day, more so than the Asantehene (Asante king) Stools are really important for everyday life, given as a gift for coming of age and if used daily takes on sunsum 24

25 Sika dwa kofi cont./contextual Photo Always given its own stool or chair to it in next to the Asante king Since the Golden Stool belonged to the Asante, and using the ideals of sunsum, it is always seen on its side During the 19 th c. war with Britain, the Asante people took great measures of hiding and protecting the Golden Stoll, including disregarding the Asantehene s well being In 1920 when tensions died down, the Asante people brought the Golden stool out of hiding 25

26 About the Golden stool and culture of Benin: sika-dwa-kofi-golden-stool 26

27 Bibliography Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Origins and Empire: The Benin, Owo, and Ijebu Kingdoms". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Web. 4 Jan "Benin Plaque: Equestrian Oba and Attendants." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 4 Jan Department of AAOA. "Great Zimbabwe (11th 15th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Web. 4 Jan "Great Mosque and Monday Market." Djenne Mali -. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Jan "Great Mosque of Djenné." KhanAcademy. KhanAcademy, n.d. Web. 4 Jan "Great Zimbabwe National Monument." - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO, n.d. Web. 4 Jan Great Zimbabwe Ruins." Great Zimbabwe. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Jan Ross, Emma George. "Benin Chronology". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Web. 4 Jan "Sika Dwa Kofi (Golden Stool), Asante People." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 4 Jan The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannic. "Djenne Mali." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Dec Web. 4 Jan