Introduction
The art of Africa is a visible expression of the invisible. It combines the natural and the abstract into transcendental forms that transmit communal history, laws, moral codes and beliefs from one generation to another. There is no "art for art's sake." It is an integral part of daily life rooted in ancestral spiritual worship, funeral rites, initiation ceremonies, celebratory dance and the sacred rituals of secret societies.

The African artist makes something for a particular purpose. The function of the work is paramount; in fact, some are discarded after one use if the function has been fulfilled.

The African art best known in the west and best represented in the Museum began to be collected in the 19th century in the Sub-Sahara just before the culture and ethno geography of Africa began to be frozen in place by colonial empires.

Indigenous African art falls into three sorts: figurative, from small and simple to elaborate carvings; masks, which are among the best known in the world; and the decoration of useful objects, such as headrests, doors and locks, furniture, textiles, implements and utensils and the human body.

Perhaps the best-known African art is figurative sculpture. Soapstone carvings may be found in areas of Sierra Leone, and iron sculpture in other isolated places. Ivory and bronze are particularly prized in Benin and in the Congo. However, the most popular medium for African sculpture is wood, sometimes adorned with other materials.

Another well-known art form is the mask. In some groups, the making of masks and ancestral figures may be entrusted to any male member. In others, the task may be allotted to one or several craftsmen, priests, or medicine men. African carvers almost exclusively work with green wood. The carver must understand the qualities of different woods so that they will not deteriorate quickly or crack when dry.

Rarely painted, many African carvings are tinted by rubbing with palm oil, powdered red wood and libations of milk, cream, beer, blood or chewed nuts. Treatment may also include a black mud bath.

Other forms of African art may be found in textiles, architectural ornamentation and in the decoration of musical instruments, weapons, and implements. The ornamentation and modification of the body is integral to all these forms of visual expression.

African artists almost always remain anonymous because of the power they assign to names, which are considered the essence of the things named. A man may have three names, two of which are secret, and different from the name that is connected to his physical body. The craftsman does not perceive himself as an "artist" worthy of connecting his name to a "creation."

Figurative
Figures representing groups present a radical restructuring of the human body involving enlarged heads, elongated torsos, prominent genitals and small limbs. These reflect spiritual proportions rather than anatomical correctness. The figures, like most African art, are extremely stylized, symmetrical, intended to be viewed frontally, and lack specific action. Figures are not worshipped; they may be used as symbols of power, ideals, historical events, and sacred myths.

An Ashanti Figure or akua'ba, is a fertility doll. Young girls and pregnant women carry the figure to assure the birth of sound and beautiful offspring. The flattened, circular head of the doll represents a beauty ideal of this culture. The heads of newborns are often manipulated to create a large, flattened forehead. A Bakota Guardian Figure or mbulu-ngulu, from the Fang people, is an example of an ancestral or reliquary figure. Ancestor images are an important part of African art because the image is considered to be the essence of the ancestor.

Masks
African masks are one of the most common art forms. Not "separate" objects, they are worn as part of a complete set of regalia. The various shapes of masks include those worn on top of the head and "helmet" types that fit down over the head. For Africans, masks have no value until they are empowered by offerings. Some masks are worn only once and then destroyed. Others are used again and again, sometimes becoming toxic from the accumulation of the libations that are poured over them. Masks are used for protection, in initiation rites, and when connected with a cult of the dead, in funerary rites.

A Kifwebe Mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a product of the Baluba people. The masks in this society often combine human and animal form.

Designs of the mask may consist of fluid, form defining, parallel lines. Many dance masks such as a Goli/Gule Mask are from the Ivory Coast. The characteristic deep, rich color of these masks is a result of the treatment of the wood. Members of the Chi-Wara society use the Bambara (Bamana) Headdress of a stylized antelope form in elaborate dances in the planting and cultivation seasons.

Textiles
African textiles such as Kuba Cloths are rich in colors, and endlessly creative in geometrical design. Made from the hands of weavers, spinners, and dyers, they are related to ancient pre-colonial traditions with particular colors, shapes and decorations given political and ritual significance. Textiles are used as gifts, for clothing, for decoration and to dress a house or a shrine during important events.

The meaning of color varies from place to place. In most of West Africa, Ethiopia, East Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaïre) all weaving is done by men. In North Africa and Madagascar, weaving is done by women. In other areas, men and women weave. The most common materials used are wool, silk, cotton, and raffia.

Basketry
A great variety of decorative interlacing techniques are used in African basketry. Nearly all materials used are vegetable. Stems such as grasses, reeds and sedges are used as are the split leaves from palm trees. Bark is used as a twining material or for over-sewing. In the 20th century, plastic fibers from grain sacks and telephone wire were added to the materials used. Animal skin, leather, cowries, beads and brass buttons provide decorative accents.

Musical Instruments
African music is driven by the sounds of percussion. Instruments are used in rituals such as calls for rain, speaking to ancestors, in religious ceremonies, to assist storytelling or simply for entertainment. Instruments include Thumb Pianos, Rattles, and Drums. In African dance each part of the body interprets a sound from the musicians. Multiple body movements correspond with the sounds of polyrhythmic music. Music thus becomes an important part of the wearing of dance masks at celebrations.

Furniture
Most African furniture is carved from wood. Stools are the most basic piece of furniture and may represent power, the succession of chiefs or kings and communion with ancestors. The headrest is a personal piece of furniture generally used by a single owner. It helps preserve the elaborate coiffures worn by females when at rest and it may be a tool for connection with ancestors since in some traditions, ancestors communicate with the living through dreams. Headrests given to a husband from the family of the bride, connect the groom with the bride's ancestors.

Body Art
Different forms of body modification appear throughout Africa. Tattooing, piercing, scarification and painting are common as is the elaborate arrangement of hair, which is often treated as sculpture. Some designs on carved figures reflect body scarification decorations. Patterns on the neck and face are often given to girls when they reach puberty to enhance their desirability as brides. The designs are considered beautiful to look at and to touch. The process of scarification may also be regarded as evidence that the woman will be able to endure the pains of childbirth.

The influences of African art may be seen in the work of 20th century artists such as Picasso, Brancusi, Modigliani and Matisse who borrowed formal design elements from African art. The anatomical proportions, stylized figures and strong symmetry of African art provided new artistic stimulants that countered the accepted canons of the Renaissance tradition.

Please note, paintings, objects and artists represented on the website may not be on view at all times.

Ronald C. Roth Director & CEO