AFRICAN ART Lecture 7C: Western Africa
MAP OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
WESTERN AFRICA: Art of the Nok and Yoruba in Nigeria and Benin Art of the Dogon and Bamana in Mali
THE NOK Earliest known figurative sculpture in sub-sahara Africa. Hollow, coil built forms of men and animals. Made individually rather than from molds. Works feature elaborate hair, D- shaped eyes, large heads, and holes in the eyes, nose, and mouth to allow air to pass during firing. Seated Dignitary, c. 250 B.C. Nok People, Africa, Eastern Nigeria, Fired Clay.
Nok portrait head. See also figure 7.10.
THE YORUBA Largest ethnic group in West Africa. Located today in the modern country of Nigeria and parts of Benin. There are several Yoruba kingdoms, of note are Ile-Ife and Benin. Ile-Ife ruled by Oni Benin ruled by Oba Goodness and beauty are intertwined. Art should strike a balance between realism and abstraction. Traditional ancestral religious practices continue today to keep the traditions alive; however, many Yoruba people today are Christian or Muslim. Iyoba from Benin, 18 th century.
PORTRAITS: Yoruba are famous for their stunning portrait heads. Head a symbol of Intelligence Wisdom Ability of communicate with ancestral spirits Head leads the body as the king leads the people. Is there a link to the Nok? We can t be sure. Shrine Head Ife people, Yoruba Terracotta
Head of an Oba, from Ile-Ife. 11 th to 12 th centuries. Zinc and brass.
Oba Airowayoye I of Orangun-Ila, wearing a crown, holding scepter.
Head of an Oba, Benin, 16 th century. Above: Reconstruction of an altar at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.
Omo Noba Nedo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba (King) of Benin, Ruled 1933-1978. Akenzua I, Oba of Benin, 18 th century. Shown with attendants.
Iboya (Queen Mother). See also Figure 7.17. Below: Rare photo of two of the Queens in modern Benin.
Hip Mask Representing the Iyoba (Queen Mother) named Idia, Benin, ca. 1550. Ivory
Olowe of Ise, Door from the King s Palace. Figure 7.20.
Commemorates visit of Brit diplomat Captain Ambrose to Yorbua city of Ikere. Oba and his wife receive Ambrose in the second tow. Surrounded by military men representing power. Bittersweet; the expedition overturned the rule of the Oba after a period of civil war.
FINAL NOTE Much Yoruba/Benin history and context destroyed/plundered during the British Punitive expedition of 1897 in Benin. A descendant of the expedition tried to sell plundered objects in 2010 for over $5 million dollars. Mass protests through social media networks stopped the auction http://carmenmccain.wordpress.com/tag/benin-mask/
THE DOGON: FUNERARY DAMA Funeral rite called dama in which different masks are worn by dancers who perform to the sound of gunfire. Kanaga: mask with rectangular face that supports planks with depictions. Used to tell spirits that they no longer need to concern themselves with worldly activities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =PqiryEy1w9Q
Seated Couple, 16th 19th century Mali; Dogon peoples Wood, metal
THE BAMANA: CHI WARA Chi Wara: mythical animal with human, antelope, and anteater features that brought farming to the Bamana people. Headresses worn in a dance to ensure the fields produce food for all. Different styles in different regions; also male and female versions.
Artist rendering of the different styles of Chi Wara. http://www.yo utube.com/wa tch?v=hailqw ha_7u
AFTER THIS LECTURE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO Discuss the importance of the head in Nok and Yourba art. Compare and contrast the art of the Nok and Ile-Ife, and the art of Ile-Ife and Benin. Identify the art of Olowe of Ise in terms of form, subject, and original context. Compare and contrast the headresses of the Dogon and the Bamana.