2. Art of Africa Africa is a very diverse continent
54 different countries
More than 955 million inhabitants
At least 1,000 different languages
Oral history has been more important than written documentation
African art
Important form of communication and cultural expression
Earliest examples date back 75,000 years ago

3. 3.101 Map of Africa

4. Portraits and Power Figures
Objects are invested with power
Connect with supernatural realm
Indicate authority to rule
Channel supernatural forces that bestow good or ill fortune
Objects communicate ideas
Directly represent rules and customs
Symbols of a particular role or position
Tell stories

5. 3. 102 Head from Rafin Kura, c. 500 BCE–200 CE. Terracotta, 14¼” high
3.102 Head from Rafin Kura, c. 500 BCE–200 CE. Terracotta, 14¼” high. National Museum, Lagos, Nigeria

6. 3.103 Twin figure, probably from Ado Odo in Yorubaland, pre-1877 (probably 19th century). Wood, 10” high. Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany

7. 3. 104 Standing male figure (nkisi Mangaaka), late 19th century
3.104 Standing male figure (nkisi Mangaaka), late 19th century. Wood, iron, raffia, ceramic, kaolin pigment, red camwood powder (tukula), resin, dirt, leaves, animal skin, and cowrie shell, 43¾ × 15½ × 11”. Dallas Museum of Art, Texas

8. Personal Stories and Symbolism
In Africa, information has traditionally been shared orally or visually
Abstract designs and patterns
Can be read and understood like representational imagery
Symbols, colors, and materials can all communicate specific information about the maker or user of the artwork

9. 3. 105 Textile wrapper (kente), 20th century. Silk, 6’10⅝” long
3.105 Textile wrapper (kente), 20th century. Silk, 6’10⅝” long. National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

10. 3. 106 Kanaga mask from Mali, Dogon culture, early 20th century
3.106 Kanaga mask from Mali, Dogon culture, early 20th century. Polychrome wood, leather cords, and hide, 45¼” high. Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva, Switzerland

11. African Architecture Many buildings made of perishable materials
Wood
Mud-brick
Some ceremonial structures have been maintained, but others have fallen into ruin
Symbolism and ornamentation of the structures communicate:
Spiritual concerns
Ties to ancestors
Connections with nature

12. 3.107 Monday market, Great Mosque, Djenné, Mali

13. 3.108 Conical Tower, c. 1350–1450, Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe

14. 3. 109 Bird on top of stone monolith, 15th century
3.109 Bird on top of stone monolith, 15th century. Soapstone, 14½” high (bird image). Great Zimbabwe Site Museum, Zimbabwe

15. The Master Sculptors of Benin and Ife
For further insights into the work of African artists, watch:
The Master Sculptors of Benin and Ife

16. Art of the Pacific Islands
Geographic area covers islands in the Pacific Ocean
Polynesia
Melanesia
Micronesia
Australia
Artworks include:
Portable objects: jewelry, furniture, weapons
Body ornamentation
Wooden sculpture
Paintings on rock
Ceremonial architecture

17. 3.110 Map of the Pacific Islands

18. New Zealand Part of Polynesia Island south of Australia
Shared beliefs, languages, and customs
Island south of Australia
Inhabited by the Maori, who have an elaborate tradition of tattooing
Earliest preserved bodies with abstract tattoos date to c BCE

19. 3.111 Sydney Parkinson, Drawing of traditional Maori tattoo, from A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas (1784), Pl. 16

20. 3. 112 X-ray kangaroo rock painting, c. 1900
3.112 X-ray kangaroo rock painting, c Ocher and kaolin paint, 6’9½” high. Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

21. Hawaii
First inhabited by Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands c. 600 CE
Tahitian settlers (c CE) introduced:
Social hierarchy based on Kapu (or taboo) system
New host of gods and demigods
King Kamehameha
Unified warring factions during the 18th century
In 1959 Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state

22. 3. 113 Feather cloak (Ahu’ula), known as Kearny Cloak, c. 1843
3.113 Feather cloak (Ahu’ula), known as Kearny Cloak, c Red, yellow, and black feathers, olona cordage, fiber netting, 55¾” long. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii

23. Easter Island Polynesian island in the southern Pacific Ocean
Small, isolated island
15 miles by 7½ miles
1,300 miles off the coast of Chile
Famous for abstract monolithic stone sculptures called moai
Meaning “seamount,” “image,” “statue,” or “bearers of the gift”

24. 3.114 Moai ancestor figures, Ahu Nau Nau, Easter Island (Chile), before the 15th century

25. Papua New Guinea Part of Melanesia Very diverse indigenous population
The Abelam people live in wetland areas
In northern Papua New Guinea
Farming is a principal activity
Crops include yams, taro, bananas, and sweet potatoes

26. 3. 115 Yam mask, Abelam, Maprik district, Papua New Guinea
3.115 Yam mask, Abelam, Maprik district, Papua New Guinea. Painted cane, 18⅞” high. Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva, Switzerland

27. 3.116 Interior of Abelam cult house, Bongiora, Maprik, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia. Museum der Kulturen, Basle, Switzerland

28. Discussion Question
Discuss three artworks that have been used in a ritual context. Consider how they were made and why they might have been made that way. You might choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for example: , 4.16, 4.39.

29. Discussion Question
Consider the ways that inanimate objects have been imbued with power. What has to be done to them for their power to be activated? What happens to that power over time? You might choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for example: 4.26, 4.43,

30. Discussion Question
Choose three artworks connected with family or ancestors. Consider how the artworks express ideas about family and ancestors and why these concepts might be important. You might choose one work from another chapter in the textbook, for example: 4.16, 4.24, 4.44.

31. Discussion Question
Mythology and legend have been very informative to the makers of art in these areas. Consider the stories that are being told according to the evidence we have about the artworks in this chapter. What kinds of information are we missing? How might we fill in the blanks?

32. Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 3.5
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

33. Picture Credits for Chapter 3.5
3.101 Drazen Tomic National Museum, Lagos Linden Museum, Stuttgart Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Gift of the McDermott Foundation, FA National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva © JTB Photo Communications, Inc./Alamy © Chris Howes/Wild Places Photography/Alamy Photo Barney Wayne Drazen Tomic pl. XVI from Parkinson, S., A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, Photo Paul S. C. Tacon Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii iStockphoto.com Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva Collected by G.F.N. Gerrits, Vb (1972). Photo Peter Horner 1981 © Museum der Kulturen, Basel, Switzerland