Major Characteristics
MajorCharacteristics CHAPTER 2
Major Characteristics
MajorCharacteristics CHAPTER 2
1
A utilitarian, ritualistic form of art

The creations that we will discover in this chapter have one thing in common: they were not just made to “look pretty”.  The masks or statues had a precise ritual use, often sacred. 

 

Let’s take a look!

“Ejumba” zoomorphic mask
19th century, Diola culture, Senegal, wickerwork, 48 x 12 x 9 inches, Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum, Paris. Photo: © musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrick Gries
Anthropomorphic Mask
20th century, Yoruba culture, West Africa, wood, 9 x 12 x 8 inches, Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum, Paris. Photo: © musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Sandrine Expilly
Chief’s Chair
19th century, Tshokwe culture, hardwood chair with patina, bronze nails, 25 inches high, Brooklyn Museum, New York. Photo: Brooklyn Museum CC BY 3.0
“Kibango” chief’s sceptre,
19th century, Luba culture, wood, 51.5 x 49 x 49 inches Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum, Paris. Photo: © musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrick Gries
In a nutshell

Some African artworks had a very precise function and were used in religious rituals.

2
African masks

This is the sort of cliché we hear of when talking about African culture: masks. But, these masks are not just carvings of wood!

 

On the contrary, in Africa, a mask is part of a “whole”. There are the wooden parts, but there is also the costume concealing the body, the accessories, and the dancing. At this point, the mask becomes a medium through which spirits appear in the community.

African Mask Exhibition Hall, Seattle Art Museum, USA.
Photo: Wonderlane, CC BY 2.0
Extract from Dogo Mask Parades, 2014, Mali

In a nutshell

African masks, which are made up of costumes, accessories and dancing, are used for manifestations of spirits.

3
Animism
Just what spirits are we talking about?

Historically speaking, in most African religions, there’s the existence of a supreme God  who created the world, but who became so detached from humanity that they were completely unreachable! 

 

To resolve their problems, humans have to call on secondary deities as intermediaries: the spirits.  This is known as animism (the Latin word for “spirit” is anima). 

 

Watch out, these secondary deities are far from charming creatures. They must be revered regularly or else they can cause serious trouble!

Extract from the Yenendi documentary: Les hommes qui font la pluie,(The Rainmakers), 1951, directed by Jean Rouch
In a nutshell

Historically speaking, most African societies are animist and revere spirits, which are secondary deities.

4
Ancestors and guardians

Ancestors are also found amongst secondary deities. When important people die, they can continue to influence the life of their descendants. 

 

In Gabon, down to the 20th century the Fang and Kota populations put important dead people in little boxes. Their bones were put into a reliquary, which was a basket topped with a guardian figure, and kept in the chief’s home or on the village square.

 

What was the role of these figures? They were a symbol of the ancestor’s presence, closely guarding his or her bones.

Comparer
Statue of “Kota”, guardian of the relics, 19th century, Kota population, copper alloy and wood, 17 inches, Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum, Paris. Photo: © musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Claude Germain

Amongst the Kota people, the figure of the guardian is in bright metal with geometrical shapes.

Male Relic Guardian Figure, 19th century, Fang population, wood, 20 x 6 x 5 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia. Photo: © The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image Philadelphia Museum of Art

Amongst the Fang people, it is in dark wood with more natural shapes.

In a nutshell

Their ancestors’ bodies were carefully preserved by some parts of the Gabonese population, under surveillance from guardian figures.

5
Unknown artists?

When a visitor discovers an African object in a museum, an important indicator is often missing: the name of the artist. This formed the basis of the idea that African art was anonymous.

 

However, this omission is often due to the carelessness of collectors, who often did not bother to record the artist’s name.

 

Now, in some regions, artists are very prestigious people! In Nigeria, for example, amongst the Yoruba people, songs have even been composed in honour of the sculptor Olowe d’Ise …

Olowe d’Ise, Figurative Pole,
20th century, carved wood, pigment, 60 x 12 inches, The Art Institute of Chicago. Photo: © Art Institute of Chicago, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image The Art Institute of Chicago
In a nutshell

Contrary to common beliefs, African artists were recognized, but their names were often not recorded by western collectors.

In summary, you have discovered:

  • A utilitarian, ritualistic form of art
  • African masks
  • Animism
  • Ancestors and guardians
  • Unknown artists?
To train

African works of art in museums often do not show the name of the artist because …

You have to choose an answer

Historically speaking, most African societies are …

You have to choose an answer

The figures over ancestral bones are for …

You have to choose an answer

You have unlocked the next chapter in your course African Art.

CHAPTER 3

The Great States

continue