Introduction to African Arts
Senior 3 · Fine Arts
Introduction to African Arts
Lesson 3 of 4
25 min
The metal cross below is about 25 cm tall. It was made in Ethiopia some seven hundred years ago and was carried on a long staff at the front of church processions. Look at how it is built: a frame of curving bands, with small crosses sprouting from every edge, so that it seems to be made of crosses inside crosses. Light passes through the openings, and when it is raised high the whole design can be read against the sky. East Africa's art was shaped by its long history of trade and faith, from the Christian highlands of Ethiopia to the Muslim towns of the Swahili coast and the kingdoms around the Great Lakes.
Definition
Processional cross: a cross mounted on a staff and carried at the head of a religious procession.
Openwork: decoration made by cutting holes right through a material, so the design is formed by solid parts and spaces.
Illuminated manuscript: a hand-written book decorated with painted pictures and patterns.
Rock-hewn: carved out of solid rock rather than built from separate blocks.
Adornment: decoration of the body with jewellery, beadwork, hairstyles or clothing.
| Tradition | Where | Notable art | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian Christian art | Ethiopian highlands (Aksum, Lalibela) | processional and hand crosses; illuminated manuscripts; icons and church wall paintings; churches carved from rock at Lalibela | strong outlines, flat bright colours, large almond-shaped eyes, interlace patterns |
| Swahili coast | coastal towns such as Lamu, Mombasa and Zanzibar | carved wooden doors, carved plaster, furniture | dense plant and geometric patterns, mixing African, Arab, Persian and Indian influences |
| Makonde | plateau on the Tanzania–Mozambique border | masks for dances; wood sculpture, including new styles in the 20th century | expressive, often exaggerated figures |
| Maasai | southern Kenya and northern Tanzania | beadwork collars, earrings and belts | bright colours and patterns that show age, status and identity |
| Baganda | Uganda | barkcloth made by beating the inner bark of a fig tree | soft, earth-brown cloth for clothing and ceremonies |
Christianity became the faith of the Aksumite kingdom in northern Ethiopia in the fourth century, and Ethiopian Christian art has continued ever since. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, churches were carved downwards into solid rock at Lalibela; they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the coast, Islamic tradition encouraged plant and geometric decoration rather than images of people in religious settings, and carved doors became a sign of a family's wealth. Barkcloth making in Uganda is recognised by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.
Worked example 1: analysing the processional cross
Describe: a flat, openwork copper-alloy cross about 25 cm tall on a hollow shaft, its frame made of curving bands edged with small crosses.
Analyse: the design is symmetrical about a vertical axis; solid bands and empty spaces are balanced; the small crosses repeat the main form at a smaller scale.
Interpret: carried high, it would be seen against the sky, with light shining through; the many crosses make the Christian symbol visible from every side.
Judge: a strong design, readable from far away and rich in detail close up, suited to its purpose in processions.
Worked example 2: why patterns instead of people?
Why are Swahili coast doors decorated mostly with plants and geometric patterns?
Religion: the coastal towns were largely Muslim, and Islamic tradition encourages non-figurative decoration in religious and many public settings.
Trade: merchants and craftsmen from Arabia, Persia and India brought pattern traditions that mixed with African carving.
Status: a finely carved door showed the wealth and standing of the family inside.
<em>African Art: Ethiopian Art: Introduction, The Annunciation</em>, from Seeing Art History. Look for the strong outlines, flat colours and large eyes described in this lesson.
Warning
Don't confuse modern borders with old cultures. Swahili culture spreads along the coast of several countries, and the Maasai and Makonde live on both sides of national borders.
Tip
Faith, trade, adornment. Three forces that explain much of East African art.
Practice
What is a processional cross, and what is openwork?
In which century did Christianity become the faith of the Aksumite kingdom?
What is special about the churches at Lalibela?
Give two reasons why Swahili carved doors use plant and geometric patterns.
Explain what barkcloth is and where it is made.
Compare East African art with the West and Central African art of Lessons 1 and 2: give one similarity and two differences.
Design task. Design an openwork cross, door panel or bead collar inspired by one East African tradition. Draw it, label the source of your inspiration and explain one design choice.
1. A cross on a staff carried at the front of a religious procession. Openwork is decoration made by cutting holes right through a material.
2. The fourth century.
3. They were carved downwards out of solid rock, in the 12th and 13th centuries; they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. Islamic tradition encourages non-figurative decoration; trade brought Arab, Persian and Indian pattern traditions; carved doors showed a family's wealth (any two).
5. Cloth made by beating the inner bark of a fig tree, made by the Baganda in Uganda.
6. Similar: art is closely tied to belief and social life in all three regions. Different: East Africa has more art linked to Christianity and Islam, and more focus on architecture, adornment and containers; West and Central Africa have more masks and figure sculpture, court art and ancestor figures.
7. Check: a clear drawing, a named source, and a reasoned design choice.
Rwanda is part of East Africa. Which characteristics from this lesson do you expect to find in Rwandan art, and which might be different?
Sources and credits
