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