Unit 6 Required Works

AP Art History Study Guide: Unit 6 African Art (1100-1980 CE)

Welcome, art aficionados! Prepare to embark on a creative odyssey through African art from 1100 to 1980 CE. From royal fortresses to soul-stirring masks, we've got art pieces that dazzle with their historical significance and sheer beauty. So fasten your seatbelts and sharpen your pencils, because this is going to be both an educational and imaginative ride! 🎨🌍

Let’s kick things off with the architectural marvel that is the Conical Tower and Circular Wall of Great Zimbabwe. Imagine you’re unveiling the ultimate Lego set, but instead of plastic bricks, you’re using coursed granite blocks.

• Form: Made from granite blocks stacked in courses.
• Function: This structure functioned as a royal complex and bustling trading center.
• Content: Standing 32 feet tall, this fortress sported sloped sides.
• Context: The sheer size of this structure signified wealth and power. The conical tower resembles a granary, symbolizing prosperity and successful harvests. Zimbabwe literally means "houses of stones."

Great Zimbabwe was the Stone Age equivalent of an architecture student scoring an A+. 🏰✨

Journey to West Africa, and you’ll stumble upon the Great Mosque of Djenné, an epic adobe monument that’s essentially the world’s largest mud pie. 🏺

• Form: Constructed from adobe (sun-dried mud bricks).
• Function: This is a mosque for Muslim worship.
• Content: The mosque follows Islamic tradition with a mihrab pointing to Mecca. It also features torons—wooden beams that double as ladders for maintenance.
• Context: Built from natural materials, this mosque undergoes yearly replastering during the festival known as Crépissage de La Grand Mosque. It’s community teamwork at its finest, like a giant mud fight but with more reverence and spirituality.

If you think maintaining your college dorm is a chore, try keeping a whole mosque in perfect shape! 🕌💪

Hold onto your crowns, we’re heading to Benin, where kings got plaques as epic as their tales.

• Form: Made from cast brass.
• Function: Decorated the palace of the oba (king) to highlight his power and wealth.
• Content: Features the king, the largest figure due to the hierarchy of scale, surrounded by attendants.
• Context: These brass plaques were symbols of the Edo people’s wealth and their extensive trade, especially with the Portuguese. It’s as if the king was flaunting a blinged-out LinkedIn profile. 👑✨

The Ashanti people of Ghana bring the concept of "thrones" to a whole new level with the Sika Dwa Kofi. Forget IKEA stools; this one is fit for a king and then some.

• Form: Gold over wood.
• Function: A sacred symbol said to embody the soul of the Ashanti nation.
• Content: Bells hang from the side to warn the king of danger.
• Context: So sacred, it was never supposed to touch the ground. Think of this stool as the holy grail of the furniture world.

No one but the king could touch it—quite literally the ultimate royal seat! 👑🪑

From the Kuba peoples of the Congo, we encounter the Ndop. Imagine having an action figure of yourself, capturing not just your looks but your legacy.

• Form: Carved from wood.
• Function: Commemorated the king and his accomplishments.
• Content: Depicts the king wearing royal regalia, seated cross-legged with a calm and detached expression, signalling wisdom and patience.
• Context: Stored in a shrine and regularly oiled to protect it from insects.

It’s the Renaissance sculpture of African art, ensuring the king’s grand legacy outlives him in style. 👑🪵

Next, we have the action-packed Nkisi n’kondi, the OG superhero figure, no tights required.

• Form: Made from wood and metal.
• Function: Served as a vessel for spirits.
• Content: Human figure standing in an alert pose, adorned with nails.
• Context: Nails were driven in to awaken the spirit contained within, especially for serious business.

Imagine having a figure that doubled as a lawyer, doctor, and therapist. Talk about multifunctional! 🧿🔨

Beauty meets symbolism with the Female (Pwo) mask from the Chokwe people.

• Form: Crafted from wood, fiber, pigment, and metal.
• Function: Worn by men during dances depicting women.
• Content: Closed eyes, slender nose, braided fiber hair.
• Context: Honors female ancestors in a matrilineal society.

A mask celebrating women’s wisdom and grace, like the ultimate tribute to ancestral Instagram influencers. 👩‍🦳✨

The Baule people’s Portrait Masks are the Oscars of Côte d'Ivoire, celebrating individuals with idealized features.

• Form: Made of wood and pigment.
• Function: Worn during ceremonial dances honoring an individual.
• Content: Arched eyebrows, downcast eyes, elongated nose, and elaborate coiffures.
• Context: Represents Baule ideals of beauty, wisdom, and morality.

If there were ever a mask that combined fashion and philosophy, this would be it! 👤🏆

The Bundu mask from the Mende people is all about girl power, celebrating the transition to womanhood.

• Form: Made of wood, cloth, and fiber.
• Function: Worn by elders during initiation ceremonies for young girls.
• Content: Features like small eyes, ears, mouth, elaborate hairstyle, and neck rings.
• Context: Symbolizes the ideal Mende woman—wise, discreet, and prosperous.

The equivalent of a rite-of-passage tiara but with way more cultural weight. 👩‍🎤🌸

Time to flex some muscles with Ikenga of the Igbo people—a shrine figure as beefy as it is meaningful.

• Form: Carved from wood.
• Function: Symbolized personal achievement in men’s private shrines.
• Content: "Strong right arm" holding tools, ram’s horns indicating strength.
• Context: Honored masculine attributes and personal success.

It’s like having a spiritual bodybuilder in the corner of your room! 💪🏿🏆

The Luba people’s Lukasa is your go-to for historical storytelling—a memory board full of drama and history.

• Form: Wood, beads, and metal.
• Function: Helps the user remember key story elements.
• Content: Decorated with beads and shells.
• Context: Used by historians to record and transmit knowledge.

Think of it as Google Drive for oral traditions. 🖼️📖

The Bamileke people’s Aka Elephant Mask is a dazzling composite that combines human and elephant features to symbolize power.

• Form: Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads.
• Function: Worn during high society ceremonies.
• Content: Human face with elephant features like a long trunk and large ears.
• Context: Beads signify wealth and elephant indicates prestige.

Imagine strutting into a fancy gala, but as an apex predator! 🐘👑

Next, we’ve got the Fang people’s Byeri, a reliquary figure guarding sacred relics and symbolic of eternal life.

• Form: Wood.
• Function: Placed on reliquaries to guard against evil spirits.
• Content: Folded hands, prominent belly button, elongated body.
• Context: Rubbed with oil for protection and portability for the nomadic Fang.

A guardian that’s part Holy Grail, part Swiss Army knife. 🙏🏿✨

Finally, we visit the Yoruba people for Olowe of Ise’s Veranda Post, a wooden masterpiece of regal decorum.

• Form: Wood and pigment.
• Function: Decorated the king’s palace and supported the veranda.
• Content: Senior Wife crowning the king, with hierarchy of scale showing her larger size. Smaller figures include the Junior Wife and Eshu, the Trickster god.
• Context: Reflects Yoruba societal roles and balance.

It’s the ultimate power couple sculpture, timeless and authoritative. 👫👑

• Adobe: Earthy building material made from clay, sand, water, and organic ingredients like straw.
• Aka Elephant Mask: Ceremonial mask with powerful elephant features.
• Ashanti People: Ghanaian ethnic group known for their artistic heritage.
• Baule Peoples: West African group from Ivory Coast, experts in wooden masks and sculptures.
• Bundu Mask: Mende ceremonial mask for female initiation into adulthood.
• Chokwe Peoples: Central African group renowned for their artistic traditions.
• Conical Tower and Circular Wall of Great Zimbabwe: Ancient stone architecture in southern Africa.
• Crépissage de La Grand Mosque: Annual re-plastering of the Djenné mosque using mud and straw.
• Edo Peoples: Indigenous people of Nigeria, famous for their artistic bronze works.
• Hypostyle Hall: Space with a roof supported by columns.
• Ikenga: Nigerian sculpture symbolizing personal accomplishment.
• Lukasa (Memory Board): Storyboard used by Luba people.
• Mihrab: Mosque niche indicating the direction of Mecca.
• Minarets: Mosque towers used for calling to prayer.
• Olowe of Ise: Prominent Yoruba carver.
• Portrait Mask (Mblo): Baule mask representing ideal beauty.
• Power Figure (Nkisi n’kondi): Spiritual African sculpture adorned with nails.
• Reliquary Figure (Byeri): Fang wooden sculpture guarding sacred relics.
• Torons: Wooden beams in Malian architecture.
• Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife: Yoruba decorative post symbolizing power.
• Wall Plaque, from Oba’s Palace: Brass plaque commemorating Benin royalty.

So there you have it, art lovers. African art from 1100 to 1980 CE offers a mesmerizing glimpse into a vibrant, dynamic past. Now whip out those flashcards and start memorizing, because you’re on the path to acing your AP Art History exam! 🎓🌟