African Sculpture

Sculpture is the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions according to dictionary.com.  African sculptures are usually representations of human form and are mainly produce from wood but are also artificial and carved from stone. African sculpture in the 1800 – 1900 was composed of wood because it was the most malleable. The sculptors did use other materials some examples are clay, metal, ivory, stone and terracotta, but wood was the accessible one.  There are many different forms of African sculpture the good thing about them is we are able to find out where they came from and what type of culture they had. The sculptures give us perceptive on what the tribal communities where doing during that time. Below is an example of an African sculpture during the 1900s.

   

                                                                                                                                                 
http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ao/web-large/DP107692.jpg

Central Africa

 Standing Male and Female Figures

Democratic Republic of Congo; Tabwa wood, beads

The sculpture below is of an aristocratic couple from the region of Democratic Republic of Congo who represent the ancestors of a Tabwa ruler. The story of the ancestors is a group of selected Tabwa families who flourished over the regional trade; they also tested the customary forms of authority and expected to take power over the leadership.  The rulers of Tabwa wanted the ancestries to make them seem reasonable so they can lead, rule and start a new heredity through sculptural images of the noble ancestors.  A new type of figure sculpture was established to portray the main ancestors. The art work showed visible representation of lasting sovereign.

These sculptures were planned to strengthen the authority within the society. The Metropolitan Museum of Art said, “Decoration of the skin with raised geometric designs was one way of indicating exceptional character: to transform one's body into an ordered, ornate, and visually pleasurable object was to attain the highest ideals of enlightenment and civilization.” The sculpture had carving and features that were design on purpose to show where they stood at in their nation.  According to the website both of them had facial marks that brought your attention to their head which meant they were linked to being intelligent and had opinions on how to rule. On their cheeks and temples you can see lines that signify the rulers had exceptional wisdom and forethought. The forehead of the sculpture has two long bands which meant they were talented people who had a unique form of concept.

 The Tabwa figures in this century were mostly nude, apart from the beads that were placed on their necks, wrists, ankles and waist.  The website said that Tabwa people usually wore limited pieces of clothing, but did have beads which men and women both wore to show their affiliation.  The belts of beads were essential in showing where they came from in terms of generations of leaders. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1978.412.591,2.jpg

Central Africa

 Altar and Finial, 19th centuryDemocratic Republic of Congo, Loango Region, Kongo peoples   Ivory

This ivory sculpture below was produce by a leader of Loango which made it as a reminder for a merchant from the west. The art work of the Kongo sculptor shows flawless detail and clarity of the individuals which reveals the theatrical motions of hostility towards each other.  This sculpture depicts the factors of the Atlantic Trade in a reduced area and exposes how the Loango sculptors where always watching the outsiders who were among them.  In the sculpture you are able to see Western traders on the top level who are shaking their hands because of a deal, or are trading an animal of some sort.  The sculpture is created of two levels, the top level you see the Western merchants who if you think about it were high-class and better than the Africans. The Lower level shows Africans in a violent and hostile environment. The website stated that the sculpture might have attracted “popular misconceptions among late- nineteenth century Westerners that opposed "civilized" Europe against a supposedly "savage" Africa.” In simple words the sculpture may have given the idea that Africans were known as savages and barbarians, but the traders were the civilized, educated people that came from Europe. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1993.382a,b.jpg

Central Africa

Stool, 19th centuryThe Buli MasterLuba peoples; Democratic Republic of Congo
 Wood, metal studs

In the region of the Democratic Republic of Congo it showed several beliefs about rulers that came from Africa. The seat of the rulers were a crucial sign of control and command.  This example from The Metropolitan Museum of Art shows that the Luba monarchs are meant to have a high-status practice of seating.  It began with woven mats then moved on to animal pelts, thrones that were made from clay, and finally wooden thrones.  The image below shows a great example of a wooden throne. The purpose of the stool was not to act as a seat, but as a holder for the superiors’ soul. The stools were symbols that showed the power and authority of a chief, they were put in a secret place to reduce the danger of someone stealing it.

The image below of the seat of the royal Luba stool is maintained by a female who has it on her head keeping it steady with her lengthened fingers.  The body of the female is pearl-shaped and the detailing has decorative markings on her stomach, during the era it meant to improve a woman’s appearance.  The society was male-controlled but in spite of it the  Luba people followed heritage through a female blood line. That is why the image is of a woman balancing a stool, they are normally female lineages. The sculpture was intended to worship the royals, chiefs and dictators who founded the hierarchy of headship among the empire.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_1979.290.jpg

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_1979.290_av1.jpg

Central Africa

 Figure: Mother and Child, 19th century

Democratic Republic of Congo or Angola, Kongo peoples, 

Yombe group Wood, glass, metal, pigment

The sculpture here shows a maternity female who was part of the ideal Kongo model of ancient “beauty”.   The details on her chest, back, teeth, beads and hairstyle indicate her being part of the elite status.  If you look closely you notice that the mother and child have the same hairstyle. It was stated in the website that the, “This sculpture was likely placed in a shrine to honor the ancestral mothers of a lineage”.  Looking at this sculptor I notice something different from the ones I have seen, she has glass pieces in the front of her eyes which imply the sculptures memorial task.  The Kongo people believe that water is a representation of the family’s kingdom, which is what the glass is, suppose to reflect.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1979.206.29.jpg

Eastern Africa

Figure, late 19th century

Sudan; Bongo peoples Wood

The sculpture is a tall polelike figure represented in human form, the Bongo people of Sudan use these wooden sculptures to put around in a cemetery to show who the main people were in their society. This example is of a male who has tensed knees and normally have the arms close to their body. If you look closely the modeling of the body and the face have been put through a delicate handling which was done on purpose to give the art work an ordinary appeal.  The eyes of the sculpture was said to have beads in them but fallen off over time, leaving empty spaces. The arms are no longer there, but they also have holes which show us that something was there before. The sculpture was once a tree trunk of mahogany that was carved into a human form.  The toughness of mahogany is so strong that it shields it from tearing apart. In Sudan the sculpture has endure smoothed and grazed by the hefty rains that come down in the grassland.

Bongo people had a mutual custom which was to admire the huntsmen and fighters by creating these wooden statues and putting them on their burial place. In the Bongo community a male was able to achieve respect and status by hunting down animals or killing in the time of battle. The figurine was put up by the living family members after they had some sort of ritual. The wooden shrine indorses the class and entitlement that was reached from when they are alive, which is supposed to guarantee he would stay at that position in the afterlife as well.  

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1973.264.jpg

Southern Africa

Standing Female Figure, 19^th

Madagascar; Malagasy

Wood, patina stain

In Madagascar the worthy Sakalava families would put the dead people in a wooden container which had been decorated with figures of women, men and birds.  This example below is of a woman who has knees that were bent, elegant hairstyle, and a plump chest to stress that it was a female and to imply she could carry a baby.  

The people of Madagascar believed in an astrologically nature of where the sculptures would be placed, it was a system they called “Vintana”. The Sakalava people were certain on accepting ones destiny came from the time and date a persons was born.  The system they followed had to do with the main directions which were east, west, north and south, they did it this way so a person’s vintana would be positioned correctly.  In the tombs the men and women figures were placed facing each other, and were in opposite sides of the building.  It was done this way to promote wealth and fertility among them.

 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1978.412.577.jpg