Module 14 Inquisitive

Which of these descriptions relate to the sites of Conical Tower, Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe?

- Southern African - Stone masonry - ornamented with birds as symbols of ancestors - political center and cattle farm

Which of these descriptions relate to the site of Great Mosque, Djenné, Mali, Africa?

- West African - mud-brick construction - ornamented with ostrich eggs as symbols of fertility - center of Islamic learning and pilgrimage

identifying the characteristics and symbolismthe Abelom yam cult house

- ceremonial house - gains power from the numerous cowrie shells included - activated by the ritual activities that take place there

identifying the characteristics and symbolism in the Abelom yam cult house

- ceremonial sculpture - gains power from the prominent cowrie shell included - activated by driving metal into the surface

Why were sculptures like this one made?

- to bring prosperity to a family - to harness the power of a twin that died in infancy

What role do the numerous wooden beams, for example the ones seen here, serve in the design of the Great Mosque, Djenné, Mali?

- to give it a distinctive look - to support the ceiling structurally and provide access to the walls for annual maintenance

Why were sculptures like this one made?

- to protect or heal a person or community - to exact punishment for improper behavior as reminders of social obligations

To the nearest 500 years, roughly how long ago do the earliest surviving tattoos date from?

5500

How was this type of sculpture activated?

By driving nails into its surface

If the Abelam culture of Papua New Guinea regard not only individual ritual objects but entire ceremonial houses as temporary, how are we able to experience spaces like the one illustrated here?

Collectors or museums sometimes buy them and take them away.

These remains at Great Zimbabwe comprise the only structures ever built at this site.

False

What was the purpose of the conical tower built inside the walls of the royal enclosure at Great Zimbabwe?

It remains a mystery

How would this object have been used by members of the Abelam culture of Papua New Guinea?

It would have been worn by a yam during a festival

The designs of Maori facial tattoos are so elaborate, distinctive, and specific to an individual that at times they have been used as a form of legal signature. T or F

T

How do the walls of this structure interact with the environment?

They help to regulate the temperature inside. They disintegrate over time.

The hollow, life sized figures created by the ancient Nok culture of Nigeria were made using what technique(s)?

coiling carving

Which of these aspects of the arts of Africa and the Pacific Islands are common to both regions?

importance of tradition as an informing influence use of organic materials

What does the appearance of this artwork tell us about the culture that made it?

that they knew how to work with clay

This sculpture's ability to connect with the supernatural spirit world is symbolized by what aspect(s) of it?

the bits of shell the white clay details. The hands of this figure are subordinated in this way precisely because they do not possess symbolic spiritual power. The white kaolin clay used to emphasize the figure's large staring eyes, the fragments of cowrie shell in its abdomen and elsewhere, as well as other reflective objects on it all symbolize its power as a conduit between the human and ancestral spirit worlds.

What influenced the wall decoration seen at the South African Embassy in Berlin, Germany, designed by architect Mphethi Morojele?

traditional African designs