African Art - 3 West Africa

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 09:27:10 +0000

Third video about the African Art serie. Any doubt? Send me a message.

Asura Gallery: http://asuragallery.blogspot.com/
Historia del Arte: http://anamurahistoriadelarte.blogspot.com/

African art is a collection of artistic expressions produced by the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa throughout history. The African continent hosts a wide variety of cultures, each characterized by its own language, traditions and characteristic artistic forms. Although the vast expanse of the Sahara desert acts as a natural dividing barrier between North Africa and the rest of the continent, there is considerable evidence confirming a whole series of influences between both areas through trade routes that crossed Africa since ancient times.

West Africa: this area is divided in three great zones
West Sudan: dogon, bambara, djenné-mopti, senufo, bwa, mossi
Guinea Coast: bidyogo, baga, mende, sherbro, kissi, dan-we, akan, asante, fante, baule, fon
Nigeria: nok, yoruba, edo, ijo, igbo, ibibio, ekoi, fulani, hausa, nupe

West Sudan
Dogon: in Mali, the sculptures are related with mythical spirits as Nommo and Amma. The figures are placed in family sanctuaries and masks are used to scare the spirits of the dead. There are many kinds of masks. In images, Great Mask, sirige, kanaga, satimbe. Last image are dancers
Bambara: in Mali, there are six male societies with their own kind of mask, as ntomo, tyiwara, komo, kono and kore. Chiwara is a ritual object that represents an antelope. There are also iron figures
Djenne-mopti: in Mali, ceramic and terracotta sculptures
Senufo: north of Ivory Coast, sculptures associated to Poro about the Ancient Mother. Masks, kponyugu (2) and kpelie (3). Women from the Sandogo ritual have small sculptures (2). Some shrines have carved doors (3)
Bwa: northwest of Burkina Faso. Many kinds of masks
Mossi: in Burkina Faso, sculptures and masks

Guinea Coast
Bidyogo: also called Bijago, known by their costumes. Sculptures. Masks of animals as bull and shawfish
Baga: objects called tshol, for prosperity. A-tshol (2), kumbaduba (2), nimba (2)
Mende: in Sierra Leone, sowei or bundu masks, black helmets, that represent the spirit of water
Sherbro: in Sierra Leone, small sculptures
Kissi: sculpture, piomdo, basketry, kissi penny (2)
Dan-we: various kinds of masks
Akan: these are a group of people, among them, Asante, Fante and Baule
Asante: or Ashanti, from the Ashanti Empire, where a Golden Stool descended from the sky to the first king Osei Tutu. Trade of gold. In images, costume, gold jewels, golden stool (2), sculptures. Among the sculptures, there are funerary heads and akuaba, for pregnant women
Fante: figures for fertility
Baule: masks goli glin (2) and bonu amwin (2)
Fon: of the kingdom of Dahomey, objects bo (plural bocio) (2) used for protection of the king. Gu sculpture, god of iron and war. Thrones (2)

Nigeria
Nok: they were the first in to make big sculptures in Sudan, and the first ones in working iron. Sculptures
Yoruba: southwest Nigeria. Sculptures
Edo: of the Kingdom of Benin. Oba is the ancient king of Benin. Commemorative heads (2), Benin bronzes (7), not all are made of bronze, but also brass, ivory, wood, ceramic...
Ijo: fishermen of the Niger delta. Masks, specially of animals as hippopotamus and crocodile. Eiji figures, four heads, spirit guardian
Igbo: they live at the Niger, in small settlements in the forest. Ikenga sculptures, representing personal archievements. Masks of women, and also the elephant spirit
Ibibio: ekpu figures of Oron
Ekoi: skin masks, very scary, with metal teeth and embedded eyes, sometimes representing two or three faces
Fulani: a nomad tribe from Senegal and Cameroon, known by body decoration
Hausa: muslims of the north of Nigeria. Buildings decorated with reliefs, decorations, pottery
Nupe: they are muslims, and they have carved doors and masks for the elo, an entertainment performance

Music: Cicle of Life, The Lion King by Hans Zimmer & Elton John

Photos taken in Google images.

No copyright infringement intended.