Altar to the Hand (Ikegobo) of Ezomo Ehenua

This Altar to the Hand (Ikegobo) of Ezomo Ehenua is the key work for our discussion on Monday. Please note that there are additional views of the object (at the bottom of the page).

Please also read about these other ikegobos:

• Altar to the Hand (Ikegobo) -- also Metropolitan Museum
• another Ikegobo at the British Museum
  

Benin Royal Ancestor Shrine

Ok, so Friday's going to be busy -- the Benin Royal Ancestor Shrine is not one art object, but a display involving a lot of specific art objects as well as ritual. We can use everything we've learned so far, but there will be a lot to talk about.

There is tons of stuff on Benin and its art to supplement what's in the book on page 202.

This page at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology is exceptionally good -- make sure to read this one!

The Pitt Rivers Museum (Oxford) also has a useful article about the Court Art of Benin

And of course the Metropolitan Museum of Art has good stuff too:

• an overview of Benin & other nations in the region.
• an article on lost-wax casting (the casting technique used for Benin metalwork)
• an article on the history of Benin
• an article on Idia, the first Queen-Mother of Benin

(These are all quite short, so please give them a look! I think they'll be helpful!)

Ife (Metropolitan Museum)

Another example at the British Museum

Another one at the Brooklyn Museum

ALSO: even though there isn't much on p. 191 about this guy, now would be a great time to read the three boxes on "Dating African Art and Identifying African Artists" (p. 187); the one on p. 189 about "Art and Leadership in Africa" and (very important) the one on "Idealized Naturalism at Ife-Ife" on page 190.

Nok Terracotta Heads: additional materials

Nok Terracottas (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Also -- a lot of Nok artifacts have ended up in Western museums and personal collections, but the business of selling Nok artifacts to collectors is really controversial. Here are a couple links that show what I mean.

The Rape of Nok and Kwatakwashi: the crisis in Nigerian Antiquities (University of Cambridge)

UNESCO, Nok terracotta and the Met (Elginism blog)

Nok Heads for Sale (Hamill Gallery)

Nok Terracotta for sale on Ebay

AFRICA assignments

Week 2:
M: Nok Heads (10-2)
W: Ife-Ife Oni figures (10-6)
F: Benin Altarpiece (11-8)

Week 3:
M: Benin ikegobo
W: Kongo nkisi nkondi (11-6)
F: Dogon ancestor couple (11-6)

Week 4:
M: Ghana akuaba (11-10)

Additional information will be posted for each specific day.

Key Questions

• What is it?
• What is it for?
• Who made it? When and where?
• What's it made of? How?
• Why is it made like that?
  

Welcome to the blog

I'll be using this blog to post information regarding FA 210: Art of the World for the Spring 2009 Semester. Assignments, links, resources, and pictures will all be here.