The Reflection Of Social Status In African Art

The reliefs of Ankh-neb-ef are limestone panels with paint that originated from the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2150 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Pepy II. The delicate carving of the panels in the sunken relief presents a magnificent image. They portray Ankh-neb-ef, an ancient Egyptian priest whose name translates to “may his lord live.” In the reliefs, Ankh-neb-ef holds a Kherep-sceptor and a walking stick, which were symbols of authority in ancient Egypt. Egyptian civilization was extremely religious and most ancient Egyptian artworks involved the portrayal of gods, goddesses, and Pharaoh, as well. Moreover, the Egyptian reverence for order and conservative ideals led to the institution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24).

Drums have always had a significant role in culture. The drum serves as the pulse of many nations and peoples and has historically had a dominant role in many of the rituals and ceremonies of the African, Latin American, and American Indian cultures.

While I was unable to attend the museums in New York I was able to go to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and The Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington D.C. While I was at both museums I saw that both African art collections had a number of bronze heads of leaders and kings. I noticed that both museums had almost the identical bronze head of the king, so I decided to dedicate this paper on the bronze heads of the Benin kingdom, and the Edo peoples.

Initially there was a great deal of debate about Benin art and its display, as it did not equate with the perceptions then held about Africa. Until the British conquest of Benin in 1897, little was known about Benin and its culture apart from brief interaction with other Europeans in the sixteenth century. The perception of Africa was of a primitive, savage and uncivilised land, full of ‘abuses and fetishes and idolatries’, (Hodgkin, 1975,

This essay aims to investigate two different time periods in the history of art. It will scrutinize the influence that the respective societal contexts had on the different artists, which in turn, caused them to arrange the formal elements in a specific way. I will be examining an Egyptian sculpture of the god Isis nursing Horus, her son, as well as the Vladimir Virgin icon, which dates from the Byzantine era. Experts vary on the precise ‘lifetime’ of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, but according to Mason (2007:10) it existed from 3100 BCE up to 30 BCE. The Byzantine era, which

Behind every original piece of artwork, there is a creation story that weaves together the purpose of the art piece, the symbolism demonstrated, and the supporting culture that cultivates it. The intricately carved artwork of the Senufo figure is of no exception; each statue evokes not only a sense of appreciation for the statue’s aesthetic appeal but also reveals the veiled nuances of the Senufo culture. Although much of the Senufo Poro culture remains undisclosed to outsiders of the community, this paper will aim to utilize the analysis of the “Figure of Ancient Mother” to provide an original contribution regarding the Poro

  The size of the statue’s head is larger in proportion than the rest of his body and gives attention to his face. He wears a well detailed headpiece that adds to his regal bearing and

“The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of form” written by Suzanne Bier, speaks about the different types of art used to dress royal individuals in Yoruba and Dahomey. When the kings must go to important ceremonies they are dressed in royal beaded regalia to appear powerful, wealthy, and beautiful. The height and the cone shape of the crowns brings attention to the king's head, the head representing ideas of destiny, spiritual power, character and beauty in Yoruba. Nowadays the royal beaded regalia is no longer just the crown, and scepters it is also the gowns, leggings boots and the foot rest for the king.

In this week’s reading I especially favored “How to Portray a God-King”, because growing up my mother had devoted our entire living room to the Egyptian culture and it was filled with so many amazing miniature sculptures and paintings. I always let my imagination take over when observing these said works of art, however, learning that these figures were meant to be portrayed as immortal and timeless made it that much more interesting to learn about. For example, in the “Tomb of Ti”, one wall painting depicts him as a giant and towering over the others who are hunting. This is especially symbolic for the great impact Ti had during that time, his size to show his rank, passive stance, to show leadership rather than the act of the actual hunt,

The two sculptures presented for this assignment are the Statue of Gudea, which dates back to 2090 B.C. (“Statue of Gudea,” 2000) and The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu, which dates back to 2575–2465 B.C. (“The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu,” 2000). Both statues represent people; however, they depict different types of people from completely different time periods and cultural backgrounds. The Statue of Gudea shows the ruler of southern Mesopotamian, Gudea, whose reign was from 2144-2124 B.C. (“The votive statue of Gudea: A formal analysis,” 2011) sitting in a praying position with his hands locked and his eyes forward. He is dressed in what appears to be a lavish robe with an inscription that clearly depicts what Gudea thought of himself and his successes during his time as ruler. The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu represent what is thought to be a married ancient Egyptian couple who are lovingly embracing each other. Aside from looking at

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee power is a key concept. Power is classified by class, gender, and race. In one trial in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, Tom Robinson a African American male is accused of raping a young white woman Mayella Ewell. In a town of racism and prejudice the white women gets more power. Keep in mind the time period is the 1930’s, meaning that Jim Crow Laws are applied.

One notable aspect of the Ancient African civilization was its magnificent art; reflecting the importance Africans placed on storytelling, the natural world, and spirits/ancestors. The Africans used art as a way to express life and culture within their generations. They believed there was "more than a mere representation of something concrete," and that "an artistic depiction of something made it an actual fact" (Bogucki). So unlike most cultures who passed on history by word of mouth, the Africans also used forms of art to create a better picture of history.

Hieroglyphic drawings of the Ankh, the Eye of Horus, the Ntr which mean eternal life, monarch power and divinity respectively all confirm that (Silverman, 2003). The drawings, three-dimensional sculpture, expressions and register were created using a variety of materials such as wood, metals and stones sources from different regions and a study now shows as far as Afghanistan in the case of blue stones (Navran, 2008). The ornament can be said to stop from where the depiction of the royals and deities begins. A close analysis of the royals and the deities show them in different positions such as a kneeling position, standing on a throne, two royals embracing or a deity seated as in the case of hieroglyphic symbol of ‘god seated. These depictions are used for rituals and the royals and deities in the form of sculptures and expressions are created in such a way that allows those rituals or messages/texts being communicated to be done effectively. Hence, even though the colors used in the decorations are symbolic they are a creative element in the same way that the use of wood, metals and stones are when used to create the art. Hence, there is a creative aspect as well as religious aspect in ancient Egyptian decorative

The African American Aesthetic and the Caucasian American Aesthetic contrast starkly, revealing profound insights on the character and progression on American society.

African Art does not have a particular date to which it evolved due to most early African Art was carved in wood, which perished rapidly (Gascoigne, 2009). This is one of the main reason most art dates starts from the nineteenth and mid twentieth century. Numerous twentieth century artists respected and gathered pieces of African Art because they appreciated the bold color, expression, and structure that created a fresh start in arts history. African Art was generally committed to life, confirming activities, such as, recovering, joy, assurance, and change.