Conical Tower of Great Zimbabwe
Conical Tower of Great Zimbabwe
Location: Southeaster Zimbabwe- Shona people Date: 1000-1400 CE Medium: Coursed Granite Blocks prosperous trading center and royal complex stone enclosure probably royal complex walls 30 feet high modeled on traditional shapes of grain silos
Great Mosque of Djenne
Great Mosque of Djenne
Location: Mali Date: Founded 1200CE Rebuilt 1906-1907 CE Medium: Adobe yearly festival where whole community reapplies adobe to structure still in use today
Wall Plaque from the Oba's Palace
Wall Plaque from the Oba's Palace
Location: Benin (Nigeria)- Edo Peoples Date: 16th Century Medium: Cast Brass range in size due to their specific ranking. hierarchy of scale
Golden Stool (Sika dwa kofi)
Golden Stool (Sika dwa kofi)
Location: South central Ghana- Ashanti peoples Date: 1700 CE Medium: Gold over wood pain and cast gold attachments similar to idea of elijahs chair- meant for the spirits said to house the spirit of the Ashanti nation. came down from the sky because of some people of high status, and it landed on the first Asante king's lap.
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo- Kuba ppl Date: 1760-1780 CE Medium: Wood These figures were said to represent the spirit of the nyim(Kuba king) and be used as a point of reference towards it. These figures were rubbed with oil if the king wasn't present in the capital.The head is bigger because it is a seat of intelligence.
Power Figure (Niksi n'kondi)
Power Figure (Niksi n'kondi)
Location: DR of Congo- Kongo peoples Date: late 19th century Medium: wood and metal loosely translated to a 'spirit' yet it is represented as a container of sacred substances which are activated by supernatural forces that can be summoned into the physical world
Female (pwo) mask
Female (pwo) mask
Location: DR of Congo- Chokwe peoples Date: late 19th- early 20th century Medium:wood, fiber, pigment, and metal Honors founding female ancestors often performed at the celebrations that mark the completion of initiation into adulthood.
Portrait mask (mblo)
Portrait mask (mblo)
Location: Cote d'Ivoire- Baule peoples Date: early 20th century Medium: wood and pigment Balanced symmetry ● Stability ● Calm ● Beauty ● Downward eyes suggest a sense of introspective High foreheads suggest intellectual enlightenment
Bundu mask
Bundu mask
Location: Sierra Leone and Liberia- Sande society, Mende poeples Date: 19th-20th century Medium: wood, cloth, and fiber Fertility ● Along with the accompanying long body costume that they have to wear, it disguises the body completely ● Serenity (half closed eyes, soft contours) Used to exercise justice for Sande female society. Also worn when being initiated into the society.
Ikenga (shrine figure)
Ikenga (shrine figure)
Location: Nigeria- Igbo peoples Date: 19th-20th century Medium: wood expressed personal spirit aka chi visualizes leadership horns refer to powerful and aggressive nature of a ram
Lukasa (memory board)
Lukasa (memory board)
Location: DR of Congo- Mbudye society Luba peoples Date: 19th-20th century Medium: wood, beads, and metal The purpose was to illustrate the Luba political system, history of the state, and territorial diagrams of local chiefdoms. Therefore, its overall function was to give a visual map of the fundamental aspects of the Luba culture.
Aka Elephant Mask
Aka Elephant Mask
Location: Cameroon- Bamileke Date: 19th-20th century Medium: wood, woven raffia, cloth and beads It was worn by the royalty, wealthy title holders, and important warriors. These masks are used for funeral ceremonies or for public celebrations of kingship that would display the wealth and power of that kingdom. They would dance in a costume with the mask on during the different ceremonies. These costumes were very elaborate like the mask; they contained a red feather headdress, leopard skin cape, and a full body costume.
Reliquary figure (byeri)
Reliquary figure (byeri)
Location: Southern Cameroon- Fang peoples Date: 19th-20th century Medium: wood It was intended to ward off those that might harm the contexts of that box or as a warning.
Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife (Opo Ogaga)
Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife (Opo Ogaga)
Location:Nigeria- Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples) Date: 1910-1914 CE Medium: wood and pigment It faced visitors in the outer palace courtyard of Ise. It was the center of attension at the palace. The size and strength of the senior wife suggests the importance of women in Yoruba society.