KNOW MORE ABOUT AFRICAN ART

1. AFRICAN ART
ASHANTI

2. Traditional African art
African art is a term typically used for the art of sub-Saharan African as the art of the
north African areas along the Mediterranean coast. It can be defined as the various
communities across the African continent.
The traditional African play particular function in daily life of the indigenous African.
Activities such as land cultivation, performance of household chores and celebration of
festive occasion were not done in isolation without art. The African art has the following
art forms thus pottery, basketry, jewelry, body art, bead making, textiles, sculpture,
blacksmithing and performing art such as drumming, dancing and singing.
African in general, especially in sub Saharan have beliefs in the Supreme Being, lesser
gods, ancestors, animism and reincarnation (life after death).
HISTORY
The origin of African lies long before recorded history. African art in the Saharan in Niger
preserves two years old carving along with the sub Saharan Africa. The cultural art of
western tribes, ancient Egyptian painting and artifact and indigenous southern crafts also
contributed greatly of African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature,
the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life or natural design and
shapes. The Nubian kingdom of Kush in modern Sudan was in close and often hostile
contact with Egypt derivation of style to the north. In West Africa, the earliest known
sculptures are from the Nok Culture which thrived between 500 BC and 500 AD in
modern Nigeria, with clay figures typically with elongated bodies and angular shapes.

3. THEMATIC ELEMENT
Emphasis on the human figure
Visual abstraction: Their artworks tend to favor visual
abstraction over naturalistic representation.
Emphasis on sculpture: their artists tend to favor three-
dimensional works. Even many of their painting or cloth works
were meant to be experienced three dimensional.
Emphasis of performing art: their traditional African mask and
costumes very often used in communal, ceremonial contexts,
which they used to dance. Most societies in Africa have name
for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the
mask but the dance associated with it and the spirit that
reside within.
MATERIALS
Their jewelry are made from such diverse materials as tigers
eye stone, sisal, coconut shell, beads and ebony wood.
Their textiles were made including mud cloth and kente cloth.
Their mosaics made of butterfly wing or coloured sand that
are popular in West Africa.

4. HISTORY OF ASHANTI
• “Ashanti” the Anglicized version of Asante or Asantefuo is sometimes used to
refer to the land or people who originally migrated from the northwestern part of the
Niger River in West Africa after the fall of the old Ghana Empire in 14 A. D. the
immigrants settled in the central part of modern day Ghana and built between the 16th
and 18th centuries, and built a powerful Kingdom .
• The emergence of the Asante kingdom was a tribute to two men, Opemsuo Osei
Tutu 1 (1695-1731) and his mystic friend and sags, Okomfo Anokye, whose vision,
remarkable prowess and geniuses founded a kingdom that rivaled the territorial
borders of old Ghana emptive. The legend has it that in order to win their
independence fro Denkyira, then another powerful Akan state, Osei Tutu (then
Kumasihene) and his friend, Oomfo Anokye called a meeting of all the Dan heads of
each of the Asante settlements to Kumasi. These settlements included Juaber, Nsuta,
Mampong, Bekwai, Kokofu, Kumamu and Esumeja.
• During meeting Okomfo Ankye commanded a Golden stool (Asikadwa) Kofi from
the heavens, which landed on the laps of Osei tutu.
• The legend of Golden stool (Sika ‘dwa) actually tells of the birth of the Ashanti kingdom
itself Okomfo Anokye declared the stool to be symbol of the new Asante union
preceded to inflict a terrible defeat on denkyira, the enemy state. According to
etymologist, Asante is a derivation of (“Osa-nti) or warlike. The primary purpose of the
Asante union was to fight against the rule and domination of the king of
Denkyira.(Nana Ntim Gyakari).

5. Asante kingdom ranks among the few monarchical states in the whold, with a long and
sustain system of governance. There have been 16king since its formation, from
Opemsuo Nana Osei Tutu I (1695-1731) tour present king Oumfuo Osei Tutu II (2000).
Even though history gives all the credits for the founding of Asante Nation or kingdom to
Osei Tutu I, the real empire builder was Katakyie Opoku Ware I (1731-1742). He
presented the break up of the union after the debacle of the Asante army at River Pra in
Akyem. As the successor or Nana Osei Tutu, Otumfuo Opoku Ware I, among his many
accomplishments, was his institution of the Great Oath (Ntamkesie Mionsa Kromantse
near Pra River during the was against
The Golden stool is sacred to the Ashanti, as it is believed that it contains the ‘Sunsum’
spiritor soul of the Ashanti people. Just as man cannot live without a soul, so the Ashanti
would ease to exist if the Golden Stool were to be taken from them, the Golden stool is
not just sacred; it is a symbol of nationhood, a symbol that binds or unifies all Ashanti,
the stool was believed to be so sacred not even the king was allowed to sit on it. The
Golden Stool is curved seat 46cm high with a platform 61cm wide and 30cm deep. Its
surface is inlaid with gold, and hung with bells to warn the king of impending danger. It is
an Ashanti legend and has only been seen by the tribe’s royalty Akyem. At the time of
Opoku Ware I’s death in 1742 the Asante empive extended to the kingdoms of Fante,
Akyem, Aousin, Denkyira, Sefwi, Wassa, Assin Gonja, Ga-Adangbe, Kwawu, Bono, Ahafo
and parts of Togo.

6. In 1895 the Asantes were overwhelmed, most of them brought all the way from west
indies and Housaland (Northern Nigeria), and equipped with better and superior fire
power such as cannons and rockets. Asantehene Nana Agyeman Prempeh I (1822-1932)
seeing the imminent defeat of the Asante army with the resulting possibility of the
capture of the Golden stool, surrendered himself and was exiled to the Seychelles lsand
with a retinue of other chiefs, and later the legendary woman Yaa Asantewaa Queen
mother of Ejisu. Notwithstanding, the British Governor Sir Fredrick Hodgson, on a visit to
Kumasi in 1900 demanded to sit on the Golden Stool as an honor to Queen Victoria.
Incensed that such gesture would be sacrilegious to the stool, Asantefuo, led by Yaa
Asntewaa, Queen mother of Ejisu led an insurrection against the British in consequence
of which Kumasi was burnt to the ground. Asante lost its military power and political
sovereignty and became a British protectorate.
Although they lost on the battle field, they claimed rectory because they fought only to
preserve the sanctity of the Golden stool, and they had.

7. Art forms of Ashanti
sculpture
 Ashanti wood-carving legend and mythology records the
royal stool of Ashanti as having come into being during
the region of Osei Tutu (1700 -1730).
 Members participate in ritual ceremonies among their
own stool.
 As stool contains the soul of the individual, so it contains
the soul of the clan, tribe, villages, family and the state
and serves as symbols of unity.
Tools used by Ashanti caver are often themselves
elaborately decorated. . Before the tool are used, the
craftsman makes a libation of propitiation and grace, asking
that the tools not harm the carver

8. Characteristics Ashanti wood carving
• This is a female stool is believed to be the first stool design
in Akan tradition. The arc of the stool symbolizes the loving
embrace of a mother and also warmth of female influence
in society. The four rectangular shaped pillars at the corners
of the stool represent the influence of male power in the
society. Which signify strength, power, and good fortune
and how the depends on them for protection and growth.
On the outer side of each of these pillars are a number of
small triangular projections, which represent the children in
the society. Those that have pointed ends represent male
and those with round ends represent females. The strong
circular pillar in the centre of the stool symbolizes the
power and presence of God in the society. The small square
or rectangular holes in central pillar signify the justice and
fairness for which God stand in society

9. Female stool

10. These are some of Ashanti wood
carving
ceremonial drums Akuaba or fertility doll

11. Metal casting
The metal smiths cast object from brass,
iron and gold through use of the cire-predue
(lost wax) process . . Materials used as a
foundation upon which the wax is laid, a
forge made of clay for heating the metals,
both double and single bellow, small scales
for weighing, tongs for holding the hot
metal, block of wood with a hole in the
middle upon which the wax is rolled, a
wooden knife or spatula iron anvil, and a
thin iron skewer. All these tools are
consecrated before the craftsmen.

12. Textile
Printing
Another technique used in designing of Ashanti cloth is stamping
of the design upon the fabric using motif stamps locally known as
ntiamu. Fabric done in this manner is referred to as “Adinkra”
cloth. Legend recorded that Adinkra was the king of fabric in
ancient Ivory Coast; . The fabric used is called woven plain fabric
and dye used is call badea dye or Adinkra aduro which is a
vegetable dye that is obtained from a tree bark and the tree is
called badea

13. Wooden motif

14. weaving
Besides carving, Ashanti artistic activity includes weaving of
cloth. Besides carving, Ashanti artistic activity includes
weaving of cloth.
The patterns of the cloth follow that of the social position the
individual, his clan, tribe, and trade. Man only weaver and
woman are to pick the cotton and spin into thread by woman
who have reached their menopause. Silk used by the Ashanti
weaver is either collected growing wild in the forest or
imported. These cloths are woven into long slender bolts of
geometric design and pattern; after wards they are sewn
together in order to obtain the desired width. Tools used in
weaving consist of spools, bobbin carries, an iron skewer with
wooden hammer shaped head, a weaving reed, pulleys, loom,
and bowl used for dying threads

15. A man working
in a loom

16. Architecture
• Architecture from Ghana is perhaps best
known from the reconstructions at Kumasi. Its
key features are courtyard-based buildings
and walls with shrinking reliefs in mud plaster
brightly painted. Animal designs and adinkra
symbols mark the walls, and palm leaves cut
to tiered shape provide the roof

18. Pottery
Pottery as a medium of Ashanti art is unique in all aspect. The craft is
almost entirely in the hands of women, because there are no engravings
or modeled figurines. There was a girl born in old tafo in the Ashanti
region. She was born with clay in her palm. From then pottery became
one of the art forms of the Ashanti. Since pottery has no such ritualistic
symbolism, it can be carried on by a woman and there is on attempt to
adhere to prescribed pattern or designs. This art is practiced with skilled
craftsmanship. The art is passed on hereditary from mother to daughter.
Certain pottery object used in ritual ceremonies and in burial rites are
modeled by men and have ritual design engraved on them. Clayed used in
pottery making are of white, red, yellow, grey and brown colours. The
implements or tools used in making pottery consist of corn cobs, rags,
small blocks of wood, a ring made from a strip of palm stem and used as a
scapper and a small smooth pebble used for polishing. Old tafo became
the traditional Centre for pottery works.

20. JEWELLERY
• Ashanti used jewelry in many ways and for that reason
Ashanti used jewelry as a symbol of wealth, class, rank,
beaut and sometimes authority. Also the Ashanti use
jewelry as a form of protection and served as modes of
identification. Ashanti used precious metals like gold, silver
and beads. The Ashanti uses symbols in making their
jewelry and they have their meanings example gyenyame,
adinkrahene. When a female child is born, the Ashanti used
beads to bring the curves in her body which symbolize
beauty to the Ashanti. When nana Osei Tutu is at festival,
he will wear gold nickels, ring which symbolizes how
wealthy the Ashanti are. Obuasi, ashanti new town, asafo
are known as the traditional Centre for jewelry.