African and Islamic Art- AP Art History

What were African masks traditionally used for?

• they were part of costumes used in religious and social events

• they represented the spirits of ancestors

• they were used to express man's connection and relationship with nature

• all of these are true

Some scholars have indicated that leopard designs were included on the beaded Aka elephant mask from Cameroon for which of the following reasons?

• To further advance the divine power of the Fon (king)

• To symbolize coexistence within the animal kingdom

• To increase the likelihood for a successful hunt

• To represent the creative power of the artist

This work can be attributed to

• the Lapita culture of the Solomon Islands

• the Mende from West Africa

• the Mexica (Aztec) of Mexico

• the Kwakwaka’wakw from Canada’s Northwest coast

In Mende culture, the Bundu mask, as a part of a masquerade ritual related to gender roles, is worn by the

• female elders, who serve as teachers and mentors during the girls’ initiation

• initiates’ parents, who ceremonially dedicate their sons to a trade or profession

• senior members of a secret society, who select young male candidates for initiation

• male leaders, who select young women for training as Bundu mask carvers

Art historians interpret the neck rings on the Bundu mask shown as symbolizing

• jewelry worn by young women during the masquerade

• the identity of the mask’s creator and the date of creation

• healthy body fat and the chrysalis of a moth

• the knowledge and wisdom of male ancestors

Fang byeri figures were intended to function as

• talismans

• reliquaries

• staff gods

• shrines

Which of the following is a feature of the lukasa of the Luba peoples that is derived from the Luba tradition of oral, rather than written, history?

• The history recorded on the lukasa had to be read the same way in every telling.

• The arrangement of each lukasa was determined by each of the experts who used them.

• The objects that made up the lukasa had to be periodically adjusted as events occurred.

• The lukasa had to be small enough for the person telling the history to hold comfortably.

The Ndop portrait of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul demonstrates continuity within Kuba traditional sculpting conventions through its

• multiple nails or pointed objects driven into the figure

• inclusion of a female figure towering over the seated king

• rounded contours, facial expression, body position, and regalia

• use of fabric and glass beads representing elephant ears and trunk

The power figure (Nkisi n’kondi) is inserted with pegs, nails, and other sharp objects in order to

• solidify an oath or resolution

• convey masculine ideals of strength

• enable it to serve as a mnemonic device

• indicate the status of the individual

In designing the power figure (Nkisi n’kondi), the artist drew on the Kongo traditions of carving a hollow cavity in the area of the figure’s belly in order to

• contain the sunsum, which is another name for the soul of the people

• serve as the figure’s spiritual center, where medicinal material is placed

• guard ancestral relics that could be spiritually consulted when making important decisions

• represent a particular man’s achievement and struggle for earned status