For the African monarch, royal regalia emphasized authority and legitimacy when it came to ruling. The Yoruba-style crown from the Fowler Museum illustrates the finest replication of the royal regalia. Titled the Crown of Initiation, 1990s, it upholds royal authority and legitimacy to rule by being a beaded crown, the craftsmanship necessary, and the formal aspects of colors and figures that represent abstract concepts. To begin, royal regalia have been depicted in many art forms, but the idea of royalty is upheld through the simplest means of a crown. On top of that, the fact that the crown is made up of beads further enhances royal authority and legitimacy based on the Yoruba people in Africa. After some time learning about the Yoruba culture, …show more content…
At the top of the Yoruba style crown, there is a bird on top of an elephant, which are covered with beads. Once again the beads are significant, but the fact that the animals are covered in them shows an association of royal power. In the Yoruba culture, animals are conveyed on crowns because they symbolize important ideas and beliefs. The elephant might perhaps symbolize power because of the actual size of a real elephant and long life due to a typical elephant’s life span. The crown also consists of the bird on top of the elephant and a feather, but the fact that the bird is on top of the larger animal signifies superiority. According to Blier’s analysis of the significance of a bird on a crown shows that “The symbolic power of the crown is reinforced by figures of birds surmounting the crown, which refer to the great “mothers” or witches whose potent supernatural force the ruler was held to share…” (Blier 2012:11). Also, when analyzing the bird itself, “is said to represent the royal okin (paradise flycatcher…” and its positioning on the crown “…appears to strengthen the king’s difference in power and status from other people” (Blier 2012:11). Thus, the feature of the bird in beads does more than decorate the
A sense of royal dignity, composure, and stability are created by the facial expression, the fixed pose, and the rectangular throne and high base from which the proportioned and frontal figure emerges. Cracks in the face, neck, and torso indicate ancient damage sustained by the sculpture.
The Lion symbolises royalty, the books symbolise wisdom and the golden fur and mane of the lion symbolises power (because gold is usually worn by rich people).
The Egyptians often included lions to symbolize strength, leadership, loyalty, and war. The top of the palette also includes a human face with bull horns. This was done in attempt to represent the gods the ancient Egyptians believed in. These gods are associated with power, masculinity, and fertility.
Like the Lamassu, this statue is very large in size. Its proportions, however, are much more realistic and provide a different viewing experience as it is three-dimensional all the way around. It does, however, reveal sunken relief inscriptions around the base of the statue of what appear to be hieroglyphics. Again like the Lamassu, Tuthankhamun wears a headdress as well as a beard. He also wears a collar, kilt, and holds a dagger with representational meaning within the waistband of his kilt. The dagger he wears has the head of a falcon, symbolic for the god Horus, protector of kings. Tuthankhamun’s headdress and double crown point to his royal status and the beard shows his wisdom and ability to lead and rule. The statue’s massive size magnifies King Tuthankhamun’s power and status as a king in ancient Egypt even after death as he is thought to have been one of the most popular kings of ancient Egypt. The statue is seventeen feet tall and the largest statue of ancient Egypt. King Tutankhamun, unlike the Lamassu, was a king and did not stand alone in his sculpture. HIs power is represented in his rulership and size instead of in the symbolism of an object or animal. There are small feet that can be seen behind him on the base of his sculpture which are said to be that of his wife. The statue does not seem to be threatening, although powerful, it merely points to a great ruler of high status to be remembered always and forever worshipped rather than evoke fear of the Egyptian
I would describe the Mesopotamians ideal of kingship as courageous and a shepherd of the people. The basis of the monarch’s legacy is his arrogance, courage, beauty, and god like self.
The Portuguese arrived in Benin, in modern Nigeria, between 1472 and 1486 to find an established and ancient kingdom with remarkable social and ritual complexity, with art that was comparatively naturalistic, and with a political system that was, on the surface, recognizable to the Europeans: monarchy. Even more importantly, they found a land rich in pepper, cloth, ivory, and slaves, and immediately set out to establish trade (Ben-Amos 35-6). Though we often imagine "first contacts" between Europeans and Africans as clashes of epochal proportions, leaving Europeans free to manipulate and coerce the flabbergasted and paralyzed Africans, this misjudges the resilience and indeed, preparedness, of the Benin people. The Benin were able to draw on their cultural, political, and religious traditions to fit the European arrival in an understandable context. Indeed, as the great brass plaques of the Benin palace demonstrate, the arrival was in fact manipulated by the Benin to strengthen, not diminish, indigenous royal power.
and art which is often referred to as ‘Contemporary African art’, produced by many artists’ designers not Just in Africa but also around the world. Africa art, can now be seen throughout objects ancient and modern sculptures, in the many contexts which invite pertinent questions of history, culture and contemporary politics.
Another symbol is the Pallas. . It seemed that the bird had a purpose for
For many centuries clothing was used namely as a form of symbolising one’s ascribed class and social honour. A good example of this was evident in Feudal European times when sumptuary laws were created in order to regulate and specify the clothing that could be worn by certain classes. In 1463 Edward IV went so far as to ‘[declare] that purple silk was to be the prerogative of the aristocracy’ (Finkelstein 1991, pg. 137). As purple dye and silk were both very expensive and sought after this declaration demonstrated quite simply that those who were in possession of such materials should command respect and were of high social standing. Eventually these laws were abolished as, instead of ‘confining people to their designated rank, the laws provoked an intense interest in fashion and a desire to transgress the codes, both in the process of prestigious emulation and as an act of rebellion’ (Craik, 1994, pg. 205). This abolition allowed groups and individuals to establish their own chosen style or ‘marker’ in order to indicate their place within society. By allowing such freedom, ascribed social status gave way to that which was achieved. This not only meant that many more people were able to engage in the ever-expanding culture of ‘Haute couture’ but also that honour was no longer perceived as a birth right but rather as something that could to be obtained. Such a shift in symbolism provided a way for those of not so noble a birth to portray themselves as the latter through a variety of means such as renting or stealing clothes and buying counterfeit copies (a common occurrence in today’s society also).
It is essential in representing the strong african heritage and it 's importance can be seen in many aspects of culture (Gaines 1).
?Any work of art owes its existence to the people and culture from which it has emerged. It has a functional and historical relationship with that culture.? Michael W. Conner, PhD#
Many cultures have made use of symbols to portray ideas through art. Used by many cultures the eagle, represents three specific concepts. The eagle originated as a representation of the gods or things of divine power, which, many cultures would adopt. However, it would, become a symbol of power and victory that many cultures incorporated into their art. Many cultures would use the eagle to represent omen and prophecy.
Yoruba is one of many tribes located in Africa and is one of the largest ethno- linguistic groups. Majority of the native people of Yoruba are a part of Southwestern Nigeria and Benin. However, a great percentage of Yoruba is populated by modern day Nigeria. Moreover, the Yoruba culture was an oral tradition, and majority of the people were native speakers of the Yoruba language. The native name of the Yoruba language is ‘Ede Yoruba’. The language originated through the Yoruba people because they were believed to be descendants of Oduduwa. Oduduwa, was the son of a powerful God named Oludumare. And the Yoruba people referred to themselves as ‘Omo Oduduwa’ meaning Oduduwa’s children. The Yoruba language is the pride of the Yoruba people and over 22 million people speak it. The Yoruba language had been spoken within other languages in neighboring countries such as Benin and Togo. Other traces of the Yoruba language has been spoken in Sierra Leone, where it’s referred to as “Oku” and Cuba known as “Nago”.
Compared to the the shell which represents art and poetry. As the arab leaves to bury the two items the realization that the two objects represent human knowledge in a tangible form and nature, who is in the form of an Arab and a Knight on a camel are there to help guide the human race to have our knowlege from decay and destruction by burying the objects.
Most art has some sort of reason or purpose behind it. It might be religious, symbolic, literal, traditional, customary, or just a preference by the artist. Most African art has a symbolic reason. Masks, pottery, figures, portraits, jewelry, baskets and clothing reflect the religious belief of the different tribes. Africans believed that everything in nature is alive. For example: rocks, grass, plants, trees, rivers and mountains. African art was not popular and was looked down upon until recently. In Nigeria, people were tattooed as a test of courage. The figure- “Portrait Head of a King (Oni)” reflects this. The King has this tattooing on his entire face. The King has big slanted eyes, a prominent nose, and big full lips. All these things represented something to the Nigerian people; the King...