APAH Unit 6 Flashcards

Front

Back

Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe

Shona peoples (Southeastern Zimbabwe). c. 1000–1400 ce. Coursed granite blocks

-culture: Shona people
-Zimbabwe: "House of Stone", architectural style
-function: a royal palace/ fortress
-large walls constructed by cutting granite blacks perfectly for every spot
-function of walls: protection
-large tower: stored grain
-tower represented power (controlled food distribution)
-Great Zimbabwe was abandoned because exhausted soil

Front

Back

Great Mosque of Djenné

Mali. Founded c. 1200 ce; rebuilt 1906–1907 ce. Adobe

-function: Mosque, house of worship, community/culture center
-Mosque components: hypostyle hall, minarets, open courtyard
-material: mud
-why? Durable & good insulator
-needs upkeep, annual ceremony to reinforce mud
-ostrich eggs on top of the minarets (symbolize fertility and good fortune)

Front

Back

Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace

Edo peoples, Kingdom of Benin (Nigeria). 16th century ce. Cast brass

-origin: Nigeria
-culture: Edo people
-material: brass
-Oba: King of Benin Empire (Oba is center of society, hierarchy of scale)
-beads gained through trade with Portugal
-original function: part of a visual timeline
-British Punitive Expedition of 1897 ruins original function

Front

Back

Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)

Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana). c. 1700 ce. Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments

-culture: Ashanti people
-material: wood covered in Gold
-important part of culture, holds ancestors souls
-function: embodiment of New Ashanti people
-British attacks & threatens stool
-original function remained because it stayed with the culture

Front

Back

Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul

Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 1760–1780 ce. Wood.

-culture: Kuba people
-material: wood & palm oil
-represents the king (human with a drum)
-Ibol: symbol of the king
-head= 1/3 of the overall height
-Ndop and king have a spiritual soul connection
-function: part of timeline/ oral tradition (to show all the kings of the culture)
-in a British museum (no function there)

Front

Back

Power figure (Nkisi n’kondi )

Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. late 19th century ce. Wood and metal.

-origin: Republic of Congo
-culture: Kongo people
-material: wood
-cavity in stomach: holds sacred substances (power)
-people would lick a nail and drive it into the figure as a form of binding contract
-if the person broke the contract the agreement, the power of the spirit would hunt them down and bring evil/ bad luck

Front

Back

Female (Pwo) mask

Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Late 19th to early 20th century ce. Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal

-culture: Chokwe people
-material: wood, white clay, raffia
-eyes/mouth are small bc introspective (spiritual/ not vocal)
-white clay around eyes: connection to spiritual world
-figure depicts Pwo (diety of fertility, mother of Chokwe)
-a person represents Pwo when they wear the mask
-only men can wear the mask
-worn during ceremonies

Front

Back

Portrait mask (Mblo)

Baule peoples (Côte d’Ivoire). Early 20th century ce. Wood and pigment.

-material: wood & brass
-function different than other masks: Portrait, depicts an actual figure of society
-ornaments & head comb represent physical beauty
-ceremonial use: honor a person
-outside of ceremony, mask was kept in secret to prevent bad luck/ inappropriate

Front

Back

Bundu mask

Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19th to 20th century ce. Wood, cloth, and fiber

-figure's eyes, mouth, and ears are deemphasized bc represents how women should be quiet, unaware, & inactive
-hair: beauty
-fat rolls represent fertility & butterfly chrysalis (transformation)
-Bundu society: secret society for women
-worn during ceremony of becoming a woman, worn by woman (different)

Front

Back

Ikenga (shrine figure)

Igbo peoples (Nigeria). c. 19th to 20th century ce. Wood.

-hands: sword & object to represent job or societal position (sword = effectiveness/ability, object = show job ability)
-Horns: ram leads with horns, don't jump into something without thought/purpose
-owned by men
-kept in a shrine in the house
-function: represents man's abilities & continuing them