The head of an Oba was created by artists within the city and only through the permission of their current Oba (king). No one artist is given credit for its creation , so we only know that this piece comes from the Benin culture , made through lost wax bronzing, and is from the 16th century. The head is made in the honor of an Oba who has passed by his successor.
The head of an Oba is a commemorative head somewhat the metal cousin to busts of roman culture. This head is made of brass and iron, brass being the basis for most of the head and iron only being used to form the eyes giving them a piercing almost intimidating stare. The cross hatching design at the top of the head is fashioned to resemble the coral headdress that royalty wore during
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The head was created at the commission of the current Oba of the Benin to honor his father who has passed away. Kings were the only ones allowed to ask for their creation and the only ones wealthy enough to pay for it. The head was a piece required for the shrine each king made for his predecessor and through this they would communicate with the deceased king (Metropolitan Museum of Art “Head of an Oba”). The Benin people believed that the head acted as a conduit in which the past king gave his power to his son and through this the new king is accepting the responsibilities of being the ruler (Metropolitan Museum of Art “Head of an Oba”). The people of Benin( the Edo people) saw the head as the focus of a man’s overall character, all that he knows, his authority, his success and leadership(Metropolitan Museum of Art “Head of an Oba”).. These heads were created with that belief in mind and are seen as a constant reminder of family and power to each ruler by reminding them of their fathers and the kings before them and how they ruled. The use of brass started during the 15th century during the oranmiyan dynasty as a way for that line to separate themselves from previous ruling lines and the style of the head changed as well to specifically represent the
The Orisha That I was assigned was Ogun Lagaaye. Ogun is a warrior and a powerful spirit of mental work and Rum making. The primary symbols of Ogun are iron, the dog, and the palm frond. They symbolize Ogun 's role in transformation, mediation, and function. Iron is the primary emblem of Ogun.
The medium used Marble, Naxian. http://metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/32.11.1/ 2. For the Egyptian art piece, Menkaure and a Queen, I see a smooth and flawless texture among the figures depicted. Both figures present also seem proud with their postures and has Menkaure having the dominate role with his position more
The crown gives him respect and authority; however, the crown having a bird on it signifies the illusion that he is a liminal figure or a diviner. In the journal article “The Sign of the Divine King: An Essay on Yoruba Bead-Embroidered Crowns with Veil and Bird Decorations” written by Robert Farris Thompson, he mentions that “we have seen there are probably active power concealed in the crown with fringes and it might be added that on ceremonial occasions skulls are mounted on staffs to deflect evil from the King of Benin” and adding a bird emphasized the Oba with witchcraft. The crown gives the Oba magical powers that he would typically not have, and because of this reason, he resembles a God-like figure. He has the power to hurt one if they are disobedient or acting up and can connect with the spirits demanding them to destroy one. Also, depending on the numbers of birds on the crown indicates how strong the Obas power is (Thompson 77).
In general, the thick curved lines are used to carve the figures of putti, the head of the man and Medusa. However, thin straight lines are used for details on the carvings. Most of the shapes on the Garland Sarcophagus are round and curved, besides the tomb itself is a rectangular shape. As for colour of the marble sculpture, the artist did not use any form of colour, only the natural marble colour. The Garland Sarcophagus is a coffin, the maker uses depth to create a space where the body would be placed.
The second half of “The Life of Olaudah Equiano” written by himself focuses on his life as a freeman. Equiano, a tradesman traveling the world encountered new adventures, which led to spiritual transformations. Equiano endures a cultural mainstream through multiple viewpoints. He acknowledges similarities and differences between cultures, which transforms his curiosity for adventure toward the practice of converting new cultures to his beliefs as a Christian. What would one expect the identity of a man that bought his freedom out a slavery, only to take part in the practicing of slavery himself?
It is not easy to recognize women’s face in this item hidden under the royal beard and head cloths. Only after looking carefully, I was attracted by her handsome facial lines with its petite lips and ideal nose. Massive with muscles lion’s body combined with woman’s face make you read in her eyes first “I am powerful” and only after time “ But I am a woman”. Why this item was broken into many fragments and was hidden?
The figure of the Woman of Willendorf, is carved from limestone and has remains of red ochre. It was probably made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE.The sculptor may have created it to symbolize the importance of the role women played in societies, or it could have been a symbol of fertility or possibly a doll. The sculpture is of a naked, obese woman with no feet but mostly a full body sculpture. The breasts, the stomach and overall body is enlarged. The belly button is prominent There are folds of fat under the arms and on the buttocks.
The Benin bronzes, which are a large collection of sculptures, have caused much controversy in the Art as well as Anthropology worlds and have created widely circulated discussion throughout Europe. This is because of their importance, as not only displays of unique craftsmanship, but also as pieces of anthropological significance. The bronzes were from the West African kingdom of Benin which was situated by the river Niger, and around 2,400 objects were discovered and looted during the Punitive Expedition of 1897. Upon arrival the British expedition secured the bronzes and then subsequently sold them off to private collectors and public institutions; many of which were in Europe because of the large amount of people that wished to own them due to their significance. The bronzes visual
People would wear them as necklaces or head ornaments. It was made of gold which was found in many places in Africa. Gold was also the most treasured material on earth. They are now signs of wealth and beauty. Anybody could have it if only they could afford it.
Furthermore, inscribed on the back of the mask are rows of the spell 151b from the Book of the Dead. This suggests that the Egyptians believed in the afterlife, which explains the artefact’s purpose. Used to cover the face of the mummy, the Death Mask of Tutankhamen portrays the features of the king in order for the soul to recognise the body and return to it. This also allowed the gods to recognise the body in the afterlife. The purpose of the spell on the back of the mask, as discussed in the previous paragraph, was to protect the dead body as it moves to the underworld.
The artists within the Empire of Benin were typically appointed by the king and were assigned to a guild such as the ivory workers (Igbesanmwan) guild or the brass workers (Eronmwon) guild. Many of the sculptures and artefacts developed by Benin’s artist were used to depict and glorify the king and his royal family. When the King or Oba of Benin is depicted in a sculpture he is typically show wearing his crown and tunic woven of red coral beads as was the tradition in the empire. This type of sculpture symbolised the wealth and prosperity of the empire to the citizens and more importantly to other foreigners with whom trade was conducted. Benin was known for brass casting and the smelting of copper and zinc which had been ongoing in west Africa since 600 BC by the Nok Kingdom, Yoruba, Benin Kingdom and Mande people who later formed the Mali Empire.
The Ancient Egyptian piece was created to represent the process of judgement that results in your status in the afterlife; if your heart is not lighter than the feather of Ma’at then it will devour by the beast Ammit, should you be
I am competitive; I look for the chance to run the extra mile. My competitive nature has aided in everything I commit myself to. Regardless if I am participating in a sporting event, competing for a solo in a musical production, or preparing for a final, I will indubitably devote my time and efforts to perform as well as possible. I take every opportunity that is presented to me and attempted to better not only myself but my community as well. I am confident that the Honors College at the College of Charleston will enable me to devote my attention to my studies, become actively involved within campus activities and academic assemblies, and offer my time and abilities to charitable events and organizations.
In 1897, Benin was conquered by the British due to the fatal attack on the Acting Consul-General James Phillip and his army. As a result, the Benin City was completely destroyed and the Oba was arrested. The Benin art was confiscated and sent to Britain, were they either was displayed in British museums or sold to Germany. The Benin art proved to be much more than just art created by "primitive people" as speculations about the assumptions of black people grew.
Many of these are probably statues of gods and kings. Many of the pots were made to honor the gods in the yoruba