Ancient Art from the African Continent
Portrait Head, Nok peoples, Niger River region, n.d. (market piece)
Terracotta, 11"
Gift of Robert V. Berg, CAT 2019 RB 49
Some of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa come from the Nok culture. We do not know what the people called themselves, so the culture was named after the town of Nok where the first object was found. The fired clay or terracotta sculptures range in size from small pendant to life-size figures. Archaeological artifacts have been found in Nigeria, primarily to the north of the Niger-Benue River confluence and below the Jos escarpment. According to some accounts, based on artistic similarities between early Yoruba art forms and Nok forms, there may be connections between Nok culture and contemporary Yoruba peoples.
Nok refers to the culture associated with a one hundred square kilometer area in central Nigeria where thousands of terracotta figures were found. These figures were first encountered in tin mines by Colonel J. Dent Young in 1928 and were classified as Nok by Bernard Fagg in 1943. Dates associated with Nok were recently categorized into three periods: Early Nok beginning in the middle of the second millennium B.C.E., Middle Nok (900 to 300 B.C.E.), and Late Nok (1500 B.C.E. to the turn of the Common Era) (Franke and Breunig 2014). The majority of objects found at Nok are dated to the Middle period. Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, National Museum in Jos, the National Museum in Kaduma, and National Museum in Lagos all have collections of Nok artifacts.
Nok sculptures have a distinct formal characteristics, meaning precise symmetrical repetition of the lines that make up the hair. The overall elongated tubular form is symmetrical in its overall composition. The symmetry continues in the bulbous forms that make up the hairstyles, which are repeated in the horizontal lines on the front which continue in the band of sculpted forms at the hairline.
The sculpted forms appear again as you move to the eyebrows and flesh-like forms above the eyes. The triangular shape of the eyes and circular continue the emphasis on abstract/geometric shapes. In contrast are the naturalistic forms that appear as you move down to the nose and lips of the portrait. The figure is brought to life with the full lips and open mouth as if speaking from beyond. The broken bottom portion is an indication that the original sculpture was comprised of an entire body.
Portrait Head, Ife peoples, Nigeria, n.d. (market piece)
Terracotta, 10"
Gift of Robert V. Berg, CAT 2019 RB 47
Ife terracotta works constitute a large and diverse corpus that includes sculptures and vessels depicting human, animal, and otherworldly subjects. These works vary in size from nearly lifesize, full-length figures to tiny figurines only six inches high, and range in style from extreme naturalism to abstract forms. Many of the terracotta heads were presumably once attached to complete bodies, as many body fragments have been found. The original use of these works is unclear. The art of Ife is unique in Africa for the degree of naturalism that is portrayed, and the artists were so skillful at depicting flesh over bone that the sculptures give the appearance of true portraits. It must be remembered, however, that the Ife artists also had their own set of stylistic conventions: the edge of the lips is raised; at the corners of the eyes the upper eyelid is usually depicted over the lower lid; a line is incised parallel to the upper eyelid; eyebrows are often absent; the hairline is depicted in a standardized manner.
Terracottas are usually associated with shrines, but most of these pieces have been found in secondary sites where they have been integrated into contemporary ritual, making it difficult to know their original function. Works found both near and far from the centrally located palace suggest that the art objects were used not just by royalty, but by a wide variety of people for diverse purposes. Among the many objects found are terracotta lids depicting animals that appear to have been divined to provide a lasting memory of a successful ritual.
The art-historical importance of Ife works lies in their highly developed and distinctive sculptural style, described alternately as naturalistic, portraitlike, and humanistic. These include human heads and figures depicting idealized crowned royalty and their attendants, as well as images of diseased, deformed, or captive persons (Minneapolis Institute of Art). The delicately rendered vertical facial striations that appear on many of the sculptures may represent scarification patterns.
The naturalistic style was developed first in terracotta and subsequently transferred to other media. In addition to the large body of terracotta works is a much smaller number of copper and brass heads and full-body statues, including the unique seated figure of a man found in the village of Tada. In Yoruba tradition, women are the clayworkers. They produce both sacred and secular pieces and may have been the creators of the archaeological terracottas. Men are traditionally the sculptors of stone, metal, and wood. The production of bronze cast works, involving both terracotta and metalworking, may have been collaborative efforts.
Reclining Figure, Djenne (Jenne) peoples, Mali, Inner Niger Delta region, 12-13th century
Terracotta, 20"
Gift of Robert V. Berg, CAT 2019 RB 46
Djenne figures created during the 12-13th century represent a decline in artistic production as well as Djenne occupation of the Inland Niger Delta Region of Mali with the arrival of Islam in the 13th century. The reclining figure above, wth the various forms of adornment, and emphasis on the figures elite status, may represent resistance to transforming cultural beliefs as a result of the arrival of Islam. We will return to the Djenne region and look at the development of Islam and the construction of Mosques
Nok Head and Torso, unknown peoples, central Nigeria, 1000 b.c.e.
Terracotta, 17”
Gift of Corine Thompson
CAT 2017 CT 33
Nok terracotta pieces were found in tin mine, near the present-day town of Nok, situated on the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. The people who sculpted the pieces are unknown, the pieces were given the city name when they were first unearthed beginning in 1943. The exact use of these portraits is unknown. None of these sculptures has ever been found in situ (original location) and any remains of ancient structures are practically non-existent today. However, it has been suggested the terracotta figures were ancestral effigies kept in shrine houses. The features were hand-modeled with distinct Nok facial features, i.e. circular eyes, full lips, nose and eyebrows. The piece is adorned with a wrap around its shoulders with tassels hanging in a triangular composition. The slightly open mouth is also a distinct feature of Nok sculpture. Speculation is that the piece enables the user to speak with the ancestor. It has been said these ancient figures represent the beginnings of black African art.
Seated Male Figure, Bankoni Mali, 12 – 13th century c.e.
Terracotta, 15”
Gift of Richard and Suzanne Ulevitch
CAT 2003 RU 18
The descriptive term Bankoni derives from the village where archaeologists unearthed similar objects from the 1950s onward. Located near Bamako, Mali’s capital, this region is today inhabited by the Bamana people, whose ancestors are believed to have made works in a similar style. Terracotta figures like this set might have served a ritual purpose. The adornment on the figure, including the hairstyles and possible scarification marks, suggest status and wealth.
Funerary Vessel, Bura peoples, Niger
Terracotta, 24"
Gift of Robert V. Berg, CAT 2019 RB 48
Little was known of this culture until its burial, ceremonial and habitation sites were discovered near the Niger River and excavated in 1975. The Bura culture is now provisionally dated between the 7th and 11th centuries, C.E., though it probably was not entirely extinguished until a prolonged drought in the area sometime in the 13th century, C.E. Like the Nok, Sokoto and Katsina cultures of Nigeria, Bura is an archaeological site with rich burials, some habitation areas and ceremonial sites. Layout points to a burial site being placed in a protected area at one pole of a settlement, while the opposite pole was occupied by religious altars and the living area lay between these burial and ceremonial places.
Material excavated from burial sites includes rich arrays of small stone artifacts such as tools, simple stone heads on long, cylindrical necks, various types of terracotta pottery, flat, paddle-shaped ceramic heads once used as toys by local children before the 1975 excavations, more rounded ceramic heads, half-length solid and hollow clay figures with elaborate details, full- length ceramic figures, clay horse heads and necks and complete equestrian figures. All of the half and full figures, along with the equestrian figures were probably made later in the culture's existence.
The most striking objects in a Bura cemetery, however, are tall, hollow, phalliform jars with navels and intricate punchwork and additive ridged geometric decorations. A few of these, such as the present example, are surmounted by a phallus, indicating potency in an afterlife. Within such an upright container, some of which were over three feet tall, the dead man could be interred, while around his coffin his stone tools and weapons, clay vessels and subsidiary images of people and animals could be grouped, possibly to serve him in his afterlife.
Male head. Sokoto, Nigeria, 500 b.c.e. – 200 c.e.
Terracotta, 10”
Gift of Richard and Suzanne Ulevitch
CAT: 2003 RU12
Recent discoveries in northern Nigeria—from Sokoto in the west to Lake Chad in the east—are opening new chapters in African studies. Objects found in these locations demonstrate earlier, more widespread cultural and artistic developments than previously imagined.
Powerfully modeled heads, some with their torsos still intact, characterize the works from Sokoto. The heads are often modeled with heavy eyebrows that slope downward from the nose to the ears.
The terracotta models shown here are probably commemorative portraits of deceased Sokoto leaders, a conclusion supported by the multiple necklaces and the staff or flywhisk on the shoulder of the head and torso.
Nsodie (Memorial Head), Akan, Ghana, 17th century
Terracotta 5”
Gift of Richard and Susan Ulevitch
CAT 2003 RU 15
Terracotta head is a memorial portrait (nsodie) of an Akan ruler from present-day southern Ghana. It is an idealized representation whose serene expression and well-balanced features suggest the positive qualities such rulers are expected to embody. Created posthumously, royal images like this one were placed with the portraits of previous rulers in sacred areas within the cemetery called asensie. Generally, each royal figure was accompanied by sculptures of courtiers and servants, perhaps to provide aid and comfort to the deceased in the afterlife. Together, they formed sculptural assemblages that honored and preserved the memory of these respected individuals and the chiefly lineages of which they were part. At certain times of the year, the asensie was the focus of prayers, libations, and other offerings that ensured the continuing support and protection of the ancestors. The head denotes distinct feature of nsodie, i.e. straight ridge of the nose, slightly flared nostrils, eyebrows interrupt a smooth forehead and arch over shut eyes, defined by a central slit marking each eyelid. Rows of three spiral scars adorn each temple. Semi-circular ears extend on both sides of the face. The elaborate multi-tiered coiffure (hairstyle), add to the idealization and celebration of this figure of high status.
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Human head and torso, Bura culture, Niger, 3rd – 11th c.e.
Terracotta, 17”
Gift of Richard and Suzanne Ulevitch
CAT 2007 RU 1
The ‘Bura culture’ (named after archeological sites) was first discovered in 1975 to the northwest of Niamey, the capital of the state of Niger, and in neighboring Burkina Faso. Terracotta finds from this region have been dated to the period between the third and the eleventh centuries c.e.. The sculpture is made of reddish, fully carved, baked terracotta that is characteristic of the Bura culture style, i.e. a flat, slightly oval head, with nose, mouth and a hairstyle consisting of multiple plaits on each side and at the back of the head. The head rests on a thick, round neck and shoulders which contains a strap carving with a series of horizontal rope patterns. The purpose of the sculpture remains unclear, however speculation is that they served as pieces to honor ancestors.
Maternity Figure, Igbo peoples, Nigeria n.d.
Terracotta clay 10.5” x 7.5” x 3.5”
Gift of Susan and Richard Ulevitch, CAT 2006 RU 17
The idea for this maternity figure was born out of a divinatory revelation, and it was executed as an enduring tribute to that inspiration, shaped by the talent of a female artist.
In Igbo society, some degree of self-determination guides fluid religious practices. This is reflected in the widespread assumption that the capacity to divine is an innate human ability, giving individuals the power to discern a course of action that will address their own particular needs. In northeastern Igboland, this is manifested through a distinctive divination system and shrine complex. Through revelations communicated to individuals by divination, deities may prescribe the creation of shrines in their honor. As a result of implementing these requests, family compounds usually have at least one shrine, which is placed at the entrance or outside the home or in a domestic garden. Often these shrines come into being for purposes of healing, but as they acquire reputations, their purview may broaden. Divination may further reveal a deity’s desire that the shrine feature protective ceramic vessels and figures, making it a dazzling sight.
The hand-built and coiled clay creations designed by Igbo women have been recognized as among the finest achievements in west African ceramic traditions. This genre of figurative representation is generally the province of elder female potters past menopause. Although younger women may make utilitarian vessels, it is thought that ritual representations may in some way threaten their potential to conceive.
Such figurative terracottas created for shrines may be commissioned directly from a female potter or acquired at market. Known as ntekpe, these "children of the shrine" often take the form of pairs of male and female figures or a single mother and child. Although certain images are widespread, the significance of the iconography within particular shrines reflects a great deal of individual interpretation. The work shown here, a tribute to motherhood, renders its classic subject in an especially sensitive and evocative manner. The female figure sits on a stool, which is fused with her lower back, legs extended before her. In her arms she cradles a child, who nurses at her breast. Her head is crowned by a coiffure composed of a series of five extensions that radiate outward and upward, conveying a sense of vitality.
Source: Metropolitan Museum New York https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/314559
Seated Figure, Nok, Niger River region, n.d. (market piece)
Terracotta, 20"
Gift of Robert V. Berg, CAT 2019 RB 51
Some of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa come from the Nok culture. We do not know what the people called themselves, so the culture was named after the town of Nok where the first object was found. The fired clay or terracotta sculptures range in size from small pendant to life-size figures. Archaeological artifacts have been found in Nigeria, primarily to the north of the Niger-Benue River confluence and below the Jos escarpment. According to some accounts, based on artistic similarities between early Yoruba art forms and Nok forms, there may be connections between Nok culture and contemporary Yoruba peoples.
Nok refers to the culture associated with a one hundred square kilometer area in central Nigeria where thousands of terracotta figures were found. These figures were first encountered in tin mines by Colonel J. Dent Young in 1928 and were classified as Nok by Bernard Fagg in 1943. Dates associated with Nok were recently categorized into three periods: Early Nok beginning in the middle of the second millennium B.C.E., Middle Nok (900 to 300 B.C.E.), and Late Nok (1500 B.C.E. to the turn of the Common Era) (Franke and Breunig 2014). The majority of objects found at Nok are dated to the Middle period. Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, National Museum in Jos, the National Museum in Kaduma, and National Museum in Lagos all have collections of Nok artifacts.
Nok sculptures have a distinct formal characteristics, meaning precise symmetrical repetition of the lines that make up the hair. The overall elongated tubular form is symmetrical in its overall composition. The symmetry continues in the bulbous forms that make up the hairstyles, which are repeated in the horizontal lines on the front which continue in the band of sculpted forms at the hairline.
The sculpted forms appear again as you move to the eyebrows and flesh-like forms above the eyes. The triangular shape of the eyes and circular continue the emphasis on abstract/geometric shapes. In contrast are the naturalistic forms that appear as you move down to the nose and lips of the portrait. The figure is brought to life with the full lips and open mouth as if speaking from beyond. The broken bottom portion is an indication that the original sculpture was comprised of an entire body.