Waist pendants were an essential part of the Benin African culture. Benin was located in modern day Nigeria, and they had a very advanced culture with various resources. The Benin Kingdom mainly existed between the years 1440-1897 before the invasion from British soldiers, and is the capitol of the former Edo Kingdom. The city of Benin still exists today. The head of the Benin kingdom was called an oba, which translates to King, and was highly revered.1 Many brass and ivory carvings of the oba were made. Along with the oba, another highly revered figure in Benin culture was Iy’oba, or the queen mother. She was the oba’s mother and was almost as revered as the king oba himself. Benin also enjoyed great wealth from its trading of coral beads. The Benin traded greatly with the Portuguese, who in turn would protect the Benin. The relationship with the Portuguese is reflected in many pieces of art, including the pendant I choose to analyze. In the pendant the oba is wearing pendants around his waist, some of which portray Portuguese soldiers. Now that we know a little bit of background about the Benin kingdom, we can now talk more specifically about the pendant picture above. These pendants were often made to commemorate an important event or person. It was a way for the obas, or kings, of Benin to wear a piece of their cultures history and to remember important figures in their life. The pendant I have chosen tells the event of the oba Ovonramwen and his priests when they
This artifact is in Libon. This statue is dedicated to Henry the Navigator. He sent a lot of people to go discover parts of the new world. Because of Henry the Navigator, Portugal conquered Brazil. He was very important to Portugal and the exploration era.
In the beginning of Legend, Marie Lu uses Day’s pendant to symbolize the hope and freedom that he lost after “failing” his Trials and yearns for. An example from the text that supports this argument is on page 6, “I didn’t even get to take anything except the pendant I wore around my neck. I didn’t even get to say good-bye. … If you’re lucky Congress lets you die without first sending you
“however both these things are meaningless than jade peony, because the jade peony has been a symbol of grandmama herself. As is said, "but Grandmama kept the jade pendant in a tiny red silk envelope, and kept it always in her pocket, until her death"(Choy, 164),
This Goblet Inscribed with the names King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, is made of travertine, (Egyptian alabaster) height 5 ½ in diameter 4 1/8 in. (MET). When I look at this piece I feel it may commemorate a wedding, anniversary, or King Akhenaten’s deep love and affections for his principal Queen Nefertiti. This Piece encompasses the changes King Amenhotep is making in the Egyptian culture, as the previous artworks and vessels have a much different look and style. King Akhenaten has as of yet changed his name as the cup shows the name Amenhotep IV and his principal Queen Nefertiti. This places the goblet at about 5 years into King Akhenaten’s rule over Egypt. The Goblet is not a typical show of craft for that time in Egypt.
Brass plaque named the “Oba of Benin with attendants” of the 16th century show some process where attendants provide shade for the king. Their fine clothing shows worked in patterns and colors. Figures of the smaller size were less important. They carried a ceremonial sword and the gift box.
Style number 1016 is a cameo pendant in Jet colour and includes a black background with an image of a Victorian-era lady in white on it. It hangs from an antique
Spiritual jewelry became very popula. Pendants can represent the wish for a long life for the wearer, in some cultures.
The image to your left is one of the brooches made in the 1920s as apart of their Egyptian-inspired jewellery. On the Jewellers website a statement of the jewellery reads “… influenced by the art of Ancient Egypt … in the 1920s. The discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1922 inspired Van Cleef & Arpels to create Egyptian-inspired jewels between 1922 and 1925. … decorated with scenes of offerings and hieroglyphic motifs depicting scarabs, sphinxes, amphorae, bulls, ostrich feathers, lotus flowers, and bees, all of which reference Ancient Egyptian iconography. They are set with precious buff-top emeralds, sapphires, rubies, pavé diamonds, and calibrated onyx stones.” This demonstrates how the Egyptian society and the discovery of king Tutankhamen influence and infiltrated the fashion industry and in this case jewellery.
According to Joseph Eboreime, a Nigerian historian, the bronze heads are a visual history of the Benin Royal Family from before 1440 until 1897 (Woods, K. 2008, p. 12). It appears that the bronzes were seen only by the Oba and Royal Court with access to the royal compounds and rooms, during ceremonies commemorating their ancestors (Ben-Amos in Woods, K. 2008, p. 12) . It is also unlikely they were seen in situ by the Portuguese traders either (Pereira, D. P. also Pina, R. both in Woods, K. and MacKenzie, R. 2008, p. 33).
In the story of June and her mother Suyuan, in the kitchen. June stands out strongly, because of her mother’s intention in giving her the pendant is unclear, it spurs her to the question. That the gift was given in the context of their discussion of quality, and may show in specific way her mother was valuing her, not just for being her daughter, but because she was finally, best at something. This was the night that Suyuan recognized her daughter is different, but Best Quality. Suyuan wanted the best for her daughter. Suyuan knew that her daughter was the best but never really said it to her. June always thought that she wasn’t enough for her mother that she never measured up to her expectations. And everything that her mother hoped for that she couldn’t meet, she was a disappointment. Her mother noticed that she had all the qualities that she hoped for in a daughter, she told this to her daughter when she noticed that she always took the worst crab so that the best crab was served to the guest. June had the Best Heart. This was something that Suyuan wanted to give to her daughter. June now realizes this, and she realizes that she has met her mother’s hopes. The pendant is her mother’s recognition that, if nothing else, June is true to her own nature, is the best. June finds herself performing the same kitchen-rituals that her mother did, June truly begins to understand and honor her. June takes on her mother’s spirit as she sits down at the
renewal. Another symbolic feature is the bracelet that is around her arm, which was said to have
What is light weight to the touch of a hand, but those who bear it around their neck feel the ultimate mass and value carried behind it? It is made up of a ball bearing chain that connects to another smaller chain holding a pair of two-inch by 1 and 1/8 inch engraved metal plates. They make a very distinctive metal sound over the heart when the human body is in motion. Engraved upon these metal plates is someones name, followed by their blood type, social security number and religion. This is no ordinary necklace, this combination of chain and nickel copper alloy, is a pair of dog tags.
This sculpture is of a women breast feeding her child. The face of the two people is elongated, as well as the breasts of the mother. This is common to all African Art because they wanted representation of what is being expressed. In this particular sculpture, a supernatural power is being called upon. The power has been asked to protect the mother and child, and to
Another product that stood out was a necklace. It is a bronze colored chain with a round, white pendant, that is maybe an inch in diameter. The pendant has the quote “well-behaved women seldom make history” on it, with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich credited beneath it. Similarly to the shirt, “women” and “history” are in a bigger font (see Fig. 2). It is being sold by a seller called DSD, whose main products seem to be similar jewelry, many of which are small, literature related products, with quotes from various books on them.
From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern for the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as remembered traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art