Fowler’s Museum curator of African arts, Gemma Rodriguez, examines a selection of African divination objects in Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives (2010b). The exhibit includes a 19th century Opon Ifá, or Ifá divination tray; a pair of Madebele Senufo divination figurines; and a 19th century Kashekesheke divining instrument from the Congo. The museum considers the exhibition of these objects as a “close study of works that reveals the diversity of African cosmological systems and differing concepts of fate, destiny, and causality” (Rodriguez, 2010a). Although every item might be subject of an individual study, this paper will focus on the Ifá divination tray on the premise that objects perform meaning “ by virtue of being defined, segmented, detached, and carried away by ethnographers”(Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, 1998).
Drawing from Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett’s Objects of Ethnography (1998), Michel Foucault’s Discipline & Punish (1977), and Wande Abimbola’s Ifá: an exposition of Ifá Literary Corpus (1996), I will argue that the mode the museum displays the Ifá divination tray performs in the object an act of appropriation that constraints its cultural meaning and perpetuates the power of the Western dominant culture. The paper will examine the performativity of the Ifá divination tray outside its original context and what it does to the exhibit. It will also examine the questions of how the meaning of the object as well as its relationship with viewers has been disciplined.
The word Ifá referrers to both the Yoruba god of wisdom, also known as Orunmila, and his divinatory and philosophical system through which the Yoruba people of West Africa may discern their past, present, and future (Abimbola, 1976). It is a traditional bod...
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...7). Discipline and punish : the birth of the prison. New York: Pantheon Books.
III, J. P. (1982). Babalawa. In Y. B. Red (Ed.), (Vol. 3x8, pp. An Ifá diviner or “father of the secret”). Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History.
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B. (1998). Objects of Ethnography. Destination Culture : Tourism, Museums, and Heritage. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Museum, F. (2010a). Divination Tray (Opan Ifa). In E. T. crp2 (Ed.), (Vol. 2x2). Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History.
Museum, F. (2010b). Intersections: World Arts Local Lives. In UCLA (Ed.), (pp. 1-12). Los Angeles: Regents of the University of California.
Rodriguez, G. (2010a). Culture Fix: African Divination Objects. Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives Retrieved November 13, 2011
Rodriguez, G. (2010b). Divination Tray (Opon Ifa). Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum.
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. N.p., 2014. Print.
Renee Stout’s “Tales of the Conjure Woman,” currently on exhibition at Spelman College’s Cosby Hall, puts on display the culturally mysterious nature of African folklore. In the exhibition, Stout presents with utter brilliance the depth of the culture through her artistic manifestation of ceremonial traditions, magical hoodoo, and spell-related practices. In her works, Stout uses a unique personification, an alter ego of sorts, named Fatima Mayfield, to explore the African folkloric world of which her exhibition represents. Ranging from simple recipes to intricate descriptions of the aforementioned magical practices, Stout takes on her work with her alter ego in an attempt to demonstrate both the past and contemporaneous dimensions of her work. Additionally, it would seem as if Fatima exists as a sort of special source of understanding and clarity for Stout given her vast knowledge and countless abilities. The exhibition is home to various pieces that allow one to “jump inside the pages” and interact with Stout’s rendition of the African folkloric community.
Hood, Bruce, PhD. "The Natural Origins of Voodoo." The Self Illusion. Sussex Directories Inc., 6 July 213. Web. 4 Sept. 2013.
Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,
Professor LaFleur in lecture on November 11 mentioned, “Museums were extremely powerful in shaping the way people saw the world” (Lecture 007). This same reasoning is why Fusco and Pena embark on this ethnographic journey. By displaying “A Savage Performance”, we see that they are subverting the past notions of ethnography. Ethnographic museums as the ones Sara Baartman was displayed in served a purpose and created a certain kind of discourse. “Discourse do not simply reflect reality, or innocently designate objects; rather they constitute them in specific contexts according to particular relations of power” (Lidchi, p. 185). Lidchi goes on to say that ethnography was created by the dominant culture in the imperial c...
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
Issues of cultural and spiritual backgrounds invoked by symbolist objects are commonly seen in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Goblin Market.
Storytelling has a special importance in culture throughout the African continent; Anansi the spider in Ghana, is one great example of an African fable that teaches children important lessons including respect for elders, the importance of wisdom, and the importance of culture. These stories have been retained and perpetuated by oral tradition, despite the western emphasis on written records; African tribes have preserved history and culture well thorough oral historians. The translator, D.T. Niane, explains the validity of oral history well by stating that written text can contain inaccuracies as well (xv). The importance of the oral aspect of djelis method relays the information in a personal manner, as Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate states, “writing lacks the warmth of the human voice,” therefore by creating a written text of an oral story it “does violence” to it (xvi). I was raised in an African community, here in DC and was lucky enough to attend Djeli performances by family friend, Djimo Kouyate, and later his son Amadou. Although I do not speak Manding, Djeli Djimo Koyate, performed the music in such a way that I was able to relate and...
Stein, Rebecca L, and Stein L. Philip. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. 3rd ed. *Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, (2011), p. 136. Print
Boxed inside thick glass in the African exhibit at the Cantor Museum stands an object that is about 20 inches long and approximately 15 inches high. The overly round head is connected to protruding shoulders that dip down into a deep curve of the back. The legs, short and stub-like. The plump bulbous figure, resembles that of a cow. The relic is visually stimulating and perplexing. The title reads: “Artist Unknown. Bamana peoples, Mali. Shrine Figure (Boli) 19th century”, yet the viewer may wonder; What is it? What purpose does it serve? Did it belong to one person or as a community as a whole? Why is it the shape that it is? What is it made of? How exactly was it made?
Things like astrology and fortune telling have been looked upon as fun diversions to pass the time. Amongst these pseudoscience’s, the art of Tarot card reading has the most diverse and mysterious history. There is much confusion that surrounds the origin of these cards, as well as the original purpose of their creation. Perhaps they were perceived and used differently in different parts of the world. Perhaps they were used the exact same way. The art of Tarot card reading should be considered an art as well as an artifact with relevant historical significance rather than just a leisure activity. While Tarot card reading is not as popular as it once was, many people all over the world still carry on the tradition of fortune telling.
"The Yoruba Language." The Translation Agency For A Complete Professional Translation Service. Kwintessential, 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .
ABSTRACT: With the recent death of Prof. H. Odera Oruka, founder of the ‘sage philosophy’ school of research based at the University of Nairobi, there is a need to look at some now-problematic issues. I suggest that the original impetus for starting the sage philosophy project-the defense against Euro-American skeptics who thought Africans incapable of philosophizing-has been outgrown. The present need for studies of African sages is to benefit from their wisdom, both in Africa and around the world. I also suggest that the title ‘sage’ has to be problematized. While there were good reasons to focus earlier on rural elders as overlooked wise philosophers, the emphasis now should be on admiring philosophical thought wherever it may be found—in women, youth, and urban Africans as well. In such a way, philosophy will be further relevant to people’s lives, and further light will be shed and shared regarding the lived experience in Africa.
This chapter is about Yoruba religion. Originating in West Africa, it was transported to the Americas by the slave trade. Yoruba religion teaches that before a person is reincarnated, one of his or her souls goes to Olodumare, the High God, to “receive new breath.” There, the soul chooses its destiny, which includes occupation, personality, measures of good and bad luck, and when the person will die. However, when that person is born the destiny is forgotten. Forgetfulness and disconnection from destiny make up the problem, and the solution is to remember and reconnect. One technique to reach the solution is Ifa divination. Orishas (superhuman beings) help people to live in harmony with their destinies.
If one takes the African situation as a case study, one finds that serious efforts are made for the sake of scientific progress and exploration. However, the results attained are not comparable to the energy expended. Lack of progress is often attributed to faulty policy formation and execution on the part of African leaders and governments. This essay attempts to shed light on the source of this problem. The heuristic principle I follow holds that the metaphysical preconditioning of consciousness leads us to approach sensory data in particular ways and, furthermore, influences both our formulation of problems and possible solutions. I note the lapses in African metaphysics and sketch an alternate metaphysics which I hope will inaugurate a new African system of thought.