Lesson 14: West African Visual Arts

Lesson 14: West African Visual Arts

By Jennifer Trice

​Visual Arts

​The traditional art of West Africa served a number of functions. Some art objects, like fabrics and baskets, had practical use for everyday chores. Others, like masks and sculptures, were used in rituals and ceremonies, or to honor ancestors, spirits, or royalty.

​West Africans made terra-cotta sculptures of humans. Terra-cotta is a baked clay often used to make pottery and sculptures.

The sculptures tended to have long, narrow heads, unusual hair styles, or dramatic expressions.

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​Wooden masks were worn during ceremonies, in performances, and in sacred rites. Like sculptures, they were used to bring the spirits of gods and ancestors into the present.

Sculptures

-Made of wood, ivory, or stone

-Usually created to resemble ancestors

Multiple Choice

Which West African art form was made from wood, ivory, or stone and resembled ancestors?

• Kente Cloth

• Sculptures

• Both

Multiple Choice

Sculptures were used to

• Look really cool

• call upon the spirits to help them in every phase of life

• nice decorations, it really brightens up the place

Multiple Choice

Wooden masks have been apart of the African Culture for centuries

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

were used during ceremonies, in performances, and in sacred rites

• wooden masks

• sculptures

• acting

• backflips

​Textiles are cloth fabrics. West Africans created story fabrics that depicted events. A story fabric may depict kings performing great feats like hunting lions.

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​Skilled artists turned practical objects into things of beauty. Some examples are ceramic storage containers, utensils, furniture, and baskets.

Kente Cloth

- Brightly colored

- Worn for special events like weddings, funerals, etc.

Multiple Choice

What type of art is Kente cloth?

• Sculpture

• Textile

• Painting

Multiple Choice

Which West African art form used bright colors?

• Kente Cloth

• Sculptures

• Both

Multiple Choice

is made up by sewing narrow strips of silk together to tell a symbolic story

• kente cloth

• the sewing machine

• silk

• fabric

Multiple Choice

What are the traditional Kente cloth colors?

• purple, blue, and green

• brown, red, and blue

• red, yellow, and green

• orange, purple, and pink

Multiple Choice

What was the original use of the Kente cloth?

• It was used for special social and sacred functions

• It was used to clean the house

• It was used as decorations

• It was used as a mat to wipe your feet before entering a home