African Art Questions Part II
What is the name for the ceremonies the Dogon hold every several years in order to honor the lives of those who have died since the last celebration? *
Dama
The most naturalistic heads with only a few strands of beads around the neck were created during the so-called ______________ Period.
Early
Africans make figures emphasizing health and well-being to encourage the birth and growth of __________________.
children
Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of the hundreds of small sculptures found at the site of Old Jenne?
composite figures combining human and animal forms
A clear symbol of the oba's power and authority seen on memorial heads are the headdress and necklaces made of ____________ beads.
coral
In Benin, _____________________ is the ultimate symbol of the oba's power and authority.
coral
Which object is NOT used as a divination tool in Africa?
coral beeds
Eshu's image always appears at the top of the _____________ board for the Yoruba.
divination
Among the Chokwe peoples, the nganga, or __________________ , interprets the results of multiple tosses of the ngombo.
diviner
Performed as part of ____________________ for men in the Kuba region, the Ngady mwaash masquerade reflects the culture's gender roles.
funeral rites
Nankani women decorate their adobe architecture with horizontal molded ridges, called yidoor, expressing _______________.
good wishes for the family
Evidence of the geological changes in the Saharan region of Africa is found in vivid images of ___________seen in rock art from around 8000 BCE.
hippopotamus, elephant, and other wildlife
When Koi Konboro, the 26th king of Jenne converted to Islam, he transformed ___________________ into a mosque.
his palace
Some of the most significant goods exchanged through urban center included _______________________ from the north and ________________________ from West Africa.
salt; gold
The large central "X" on Bwa masks represents the _______________ that every initiated Bwa wears as a mark of devotion.
scar
The extraordinary artistans of the Yoruba peoples modeled flesh with what thin, parallel patterns?
scarification
Terra cotta figures created by Nok artists are the earliest known _______________ from sub-Saharan Africa.
sculptures
The Kuba mask known as Bwoom represents what of the legendary royal ancestors?
the pygmy or dwarf who signifies the indigenous peoples of the king
What African tradition (s) are evoked in the work of contemporary artist El Anatsui?
the surface design in textiles
What is a reason for art history's biased belief that African art was "primitive"?
the tendency to view Africa as a single country
What aspect of Bwa initiation rites developed in response to the threat of slave raiders in the 19th century?
the use of wooden masks with geometric designs
How were colonialist administrators in the Congo and Angola depicted in the art of the Nkanu peoples?
they were shown as youth initiates in individualized "portraits"
The performance of children in Yoruba masquerades in viewed as __________________ .
training for the future
Heads from the __________________ Period were very large and heavy, with angular, stylized features and an elaborate beaded crown.
Late
Old Jenne excavations have led to the discovery of hundreds of polished, low-fire terra-cotta figures. In what country can Old Jenne be found?
Mali
Mamy Wata shrines feature at least one image of the snake-entwined woman and a mirror. What is the reason for the mirror?
Mamy Wata is vain.
In what society can women control and dance certain masks?
Mende
What has hindered our knowledge of ancient African artistic traditions?
Most wooden art objects no longer exist
Why is the art of Benin considered "royal art"?
Only the oba could commission works in brass.
The elaborate pavement mosaics covering much of Ife's open spaces gave us the name for the artistic time known as the ______________ period.
Pavement
Which of the following is an example of how African art has changed in recent history?
Photographs and plastic dolls are used in the place of traditional ritual objects.
What feature is NOT characteristic of West African mosques?
battered walls that slope inward toward the top
Why might a Baule man have an image made of the spirit-spouse?
because he has not married
The __________________ sacked and burned the Benin Royal Palace in 1897.
British
The ______________ care for a spirit spouse in hopes that life unfolds more smoothly.
Baule
The numerous rock-cut sanctuaries at Lalibela in Ethiopia is evidence of the popularity of ____________________in the thirteenth century.
Christianity
In what city did artisans act as servants of the court and were also organized into guilds, living in a separate part of the city?
Benin
The earliest images of Saharan rock art are thought to date from at least __________________ BCE.
8000
Numerous tradition-based societies persist in __________________ .
Africa
Swahili developed from the longtime mingling of Arabic with local _________________ languages
African
Throughout the colonial period and after World War II, many African artists trained in ___________________ .
Europe
The practice in Benin to make memorial sculptures for the shrines of royal ancestors derives from similar traditions in _________________.
Ife
The earliest known evidence for copper alloy or bronze casting in sub-Saharan Africa is found at _________________.
Igbo Ukwu
Before the 19th century, the most important influence on African cultures was _______________.
Islam
Which statement does NOT apply to the kente cloth produced by the Ashanti culture?
It is an ancient tradition in the culture.
Which of the following does NOT apply to the black nowo masks worn in Sande initiation rites?
It is worn by the person responsible for preparing girls for adulthood.
What was NOT a key function of art in sub-Saharan Africa?
It provided a physical form for spirits in the afterlife.
The Mamy Wata cult was a product of the early 20th century. The "mother of water" was a light-skinned, straight-haired woman who controlled snakes. What described this cult?
It was an assimilation and expression of contemporary and traditional values.
Which culture produced artwork recording the daily lives of ordinary people?
Saharan rock artists
Why do memorial sculptures of the oba represent only the ruler's head?
The head is the symbolic center of a person's wisdom and ability to communicate with spiritual forces.
How did the burial chamber at Igbo-Ukwu reflect the power and authority of the deceased?
The individual was dressed elaborately, placed in a seated position, and surrounded by symbolic objects.
Many symbols in the art of Benin reflect the belief that the oba______________________.
can mediate between the human and spirit worlds.
How did the city planning of Ife reflect the oni's importance to the culture?
The oni's palace was at the center of a circular plan, ringed by stone walls and moats
Why is the display of African masks in museums problematic?
Their full meaning can only be understood in the context of ritual performance.
Why do many African cultures emphasize the importance of maintaining relationships with ancestral spirits?
They could cause harm if they are displeased.
Which statement does NOT apply to the masks associated with swami, a voluntary association that is the basis for the Lega people's political system?
They cover the initiate's face until the end of the ceremony.
What was the original function of almost 900 brass plaques, depicting a variety of subjects, which were made in Benin during the 16th and 17th centuries?
They decorated the royal palace in Benin.
What is characteristic of the unique style of Igbo-Ukwu?
cast bronze gourds whole outer surface is covered with raised and banded decoration
What was the function of the monolithic stelae erected at the Ethiopian site of Aksum?
They served as commemorative markers among tombs and burial sites of the elite.
Considered among the great masterpieces of African art, bieri sculptures served what function in Fang society?
They were guardians of ancestral relics They provided a focal point for mediation and veneration of ancestors They reflected the Fang's desire for balance among opposing forces in the universe All of these answers are correct
What was the function of textiles in Kongo culture?
They were signs of wealth and status. They were used in funerary rituals. They were exchanged as currency. All of these are correct.
Olowe of Ise was a highly regarded _____________ woodcarver.
Yoruba
In African cultures, the political use of art is closely associated with ____________________ .
a leader's connection to the spirit world
What traditional practice in Yoruba culture is used to determine the source of a client's problem?
a session where opposing forces of order and disorder are mediated through a diviner
Progression to higher grades of the Lega people's bwami association depends on the candidate's character and __________________ .
ability to pay
The first mosque of Jenne is made out of ________________________ , a sun-dried mixture of clay and straw.
adobe brick
The Conical Tower built at the palace complex of Imba Huru in Great Zimbabwe resembled a granary, probably a reference to the good harvest and prosperity believed to result from _________________________ .
allegiance to the ruler
What kind of veneration is quite common among African cultures?
ancestor
The Kuba create a variety of embroidered textiles that are used in celebratory festivals as well as in __________________ .
armed funeral rituals
What describes how Mamy Wata appears in the dreams of her devotees?
as an exotic temptress
What does the term "Erie Ibeji" mean?
image of a twin
Similar to masks and sculptures made in the twentieth century, the Zoomorphic Head discovered in Angola is significant because_______________________
it is the oldest woodcarving from central Africa
Which objects were created specifically for trade with the Portuguese?
ivory horns for Sierra Leone
The Kuba people produce elaborate and sophisticated arts tied to __________________________.
leadership
Kuba funerary rites involve the performance of masquerade figures assuming roles associated with ___________________.
male and female
Weavers of kente cloth are traditionally _________________________ .
men
What is the special province of Mamy Wata?
modern life
Prior to the 20th century, African art collections in the West were typically housed in ________________________ .
museums of natural history and ethnography
Following World War I, several _____________________ movements arouse across Africa.
nationalist
One aspect of the Bwa initiation ceremony includes instructing the initiates about the world of _________________.
nature spirits
When first carved, nkisi nkonde are______________, but then gain power through use.
neutral
What is the term for horns exported to Europe and created by carvers from Sierra Leone (Sapi in Portuguese)?
oliphants
Most Baule figural sculptures appear in what?
personal shrines
African art was frequently regarded as the work of __________________ cultures and was placed in natural history or ethnographic museums.
primitive
The Fang people use what type of wooden sculpture as a point of mediation between ancestors and the living?
reliquary guardian
Found often at Igbo-Ukwu, what is the term for the objects which were created in a different material from the original but made to resemble the original in form, shape, and texture?
skeuomorph
The earliest evidence for our human existence comes from ________________________ .
southern Africa
To communicate with _____________________ many African societies rely on a diviner.
spirits
In Kongo society "white chalk" figures refer to which of the following?
spiritual strength
Whenever the okyeame or ________________________, from an Ashanti ruler spoke on behalf of the ruler, he held a staff.
spokesperson
Most figures and masks are visualizations of which of the following?
supernatural forces
The technical skills of the Nok culture in western Sudan are demonstrated by their use of ___________to make the earliest known sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa.
terra-cotta
What elements of Congolese Crucifix are more in keeping with an African aesthetic than European traditions?
the features of Christ, including his hands and feet the clasped hands of the surrounding smaller figures the placement of supporting figures above and beside Christ all of these answers are correct
How is the authority of the Kuba nyim displayed publically?
the geometric woven decoration on the walls of royal buildings
A Dogon men's house or "Togu na" is important to the community because of the deliberations, which take place under the sheltering roof, are vital to the community. What accurately translates into English the meaning of Togu na?
the house of words
In the view of many African cultures, a person's death is comparable to ____________________________.
the initiation ritual for young men and women
The Yoruba Palace Door by Olowe of Ise depicts _______________________ .
the king receiving a colonial administrator
What characteristic feature appears in Nok sculptures of human figures and animals?
triangular D-shaped eyes
In Yoruba tradition, honoring a deceased __________________ by creating a beautiful dwelling place for its spirit represents hope for the future, for survival, and for prosperity.
twin
Yoruba palaces had elaborately decorated _____________________ .
woodcarving