View source for African art

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| caption = Top: Seated [[Nok culture|Nok]] figure (5th century&nbsp;BCE-5th century&nbsp;CE); Center: [[Benin art|Benin]] plaque with warriors and attendants (16th-17th century); Bottom: [[Kuba art|Kuba]] [[Ndop (Kuba)|n'dop]], king Mishe miShyaang maMbul (18th century)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fortenberry|first1=Diane|title=The Art Museum |date=2017|publisher=Phaidon|isbn=978-0-7148-7502-6|pages=309, 314|language=en}}</ref>
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{{History of art sidebar}}

'''African art''' refers to works of [[Visual arts|visual art]], including works of [[sculpture]], [[painting]], [[Metalworking|metalwork]], and [[pottery]], originating from the [[List of ethnic groups of Africa|various peoples]] of the [[Africa|African continent]] and influenced by distinct, indigenous [[Tradition|traditions]] of [[Aesthetics|aesthetic expression]]. 

While the various artistic traditions of such a large and diverse continent display considerable regional and cultural variety, there are consistent artistic themes, reoccurring [[Motif (visual arts)|motifs]], and unifying elements across the broad spectrum of African visual expression.<ref>[[Suzanne Blier]]: "Africa, Art, and History: An Introduction", ''A History of Art in Africa'', pp. 15–19</ref> As is the case for every [[Art history|artistic tradition in human history]], African art was created within specific social, political, and religious contexts. Likewise, African art was often created not purely [[Art for art's sake|for art's sake]], but rather with some practical, spiritual, and/or [[Didactic art|didactic]] purpose in mind. In general, African art prioritizes conceptual and symbolic representation over [[Realism (arts)|realism]], aiming to visualize the subject's spiritual essence.<ref name=":8">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Art and architecture, History of African |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of African History |publisher=[[Fitzroy Dearborn]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=umyHqvAErOAC&pg=PA636 |last=Lawal |first=Babatunde |date=2005 |editor-last1=Shillington |editor-first1=Kevin |pages= |isbn=1-57958-245-1 }}</ref>

[[Ethiopian art]], heavily influenced by [[Ethiopia|Ethiopia's]] longstanding [[Christianity in Ethiopia|Christian tradition]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Emma George |title=African Christianity in Ethiopia |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acet/hd_acet.htm |work=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |date=October 2002 }}</ref> is also different from that of most African art, where [[Traditional African religion]] (with [[Islam]] prevalent in the north) was dominant until the 20th century.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/arts/artsspecial/how-african-artifacts-became-art-inspiring-modernists.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|last=Kino|first=Carol|title=When Artifact 'Became' Art |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2014-12-12|date=2012-10-26}}</ref> African art includes [[Prehistory|prehistoric]] and [[Ancient history|ancient]] art, the Islamic art of [[West Africa]], the [[Christian art]] of [[East Africa]], and the traditional [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] of these and other regions. Many [[African sculpture]]s were historically made of wood and other natural materials that have not survived from earlier than a few centuries ago, although rare older pottery and metal figures can be found in some areas.<ref>Breunig, Peter (2014), [https://books.google.com/books?id=BBn1BQAAQBAJ ''Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context''], Frankfurt: Africa Magna Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-937248-46-2}}.</ref> Some of the earliest decorative objects, such as [[Shell jewelry|shell beads]] and evidence of paint, have been discovered in [[Africa]], dating to the [[Middle Stone Age]].<ref name="Mitchell 2013 p. 375">Mitchell, Peter and Lane, Paul (2013) ''The Oxford Handbook of African Archaeology''. Oxford University Press. p. 375. {{ISBN|0191626147}}</ref><ref name="Henshilwood et al. 2011">{{cite journal | last1 = Henshilwood | first1 = Christopher S. | display-authors = etal | year = 2011 | title = A 100,000-Year-Old Ochre-Processing Workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa | journal = Science | volume = 334 | issue = 6053| pages = 219–222 | doi = 10.1126/science.1211535 | pmid = 21998386 | bibcode = 2011Sci...334..219H | s2cid = 40455940 }}</ref><ref name="McBrearty Brooks 2000">
{{cite journal |last1= McBrearty |first1= Sally |last2= Brooks |first2= Allison |date= 2000 |title= The revolution that wasn't: a new interpretation of the origin of modern human behavior |journal= Journal of Human Evolution |volume= 39 |issue= 5 |pages= 453–563 |doi= 10.1006/jhev.2000.0435 |pmid= 11102266 |bibcode= 2000JHumE..39..453M }}</ref> 

[[Traditional African masks|Masks]] are important elements in the art of many people, along with human figures, and are often highly stylized. There exist diverse styles, which can often be observed within a single [[Country of origin|context of origin]] and may be influenced by the intended use of the object. Nevertheless, broad regional trends are discernible. Sculpture is most common among "groups of settled cultivators in the areas drained by the [[Niger]] and [[Congo River|Congo]] rivers" in [[West Africa]].<ref name="Honour & Fleming, 557">Honour & Fleming, 557</ref> Direct images of deities are relatively infrequent, but masks in particular are or were often made for ritual ceremonies. Since the late 19th century, there has been an increasing amount of [[African art in Western collections]], the finest pieces of which are displayed as part of the history of [[colonization]].

African art had an important influence on European [[Modernism|Modernist]] art,<ref name="African Influences in Modern Art">Murrell, Denise. [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aima/hd_aima.htm "African Influences in Modern Art"], ''[[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'', April 2008. Retrieved on 31 January 2013.</ref> which was inspired by their interest in abstract depiction.<ref name=":8" /> It was this appreciation of African sculpture that has been attributed to the very concept of "African art", as seen by European and American artists and art historians.<ref>{{Cite journal|jstor = 3774788|title = Is There Such a Thing as African Art?|last1 = Mark|first1 = Peter|journal = Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University|year = 1999|volume = 58|issue = 1/2|pages = 7–15|doi = 10.2307/3774788}}</ref>

West African cultures developed [[bronze casting]] for [[reliefs]], like the famous [[Benin Bronzes]], to decorate palaces and for highly [[Realism (arts)|naturalistic]] royal heads from around the [[Edo people|Bini]] town of [[Benin Empire|Benin City, Edo State]], as well as in terracotta or metal, from the 12th–14th centuries. [[Akan goldweights|Akan gold weights]] are a form of small metal sculptures produced from 1400–1900; some represent [[proverb]]s, contributing a narrative element rare in African sculpture; and royal regalia included gold sculptured elements.<ref>Honour & Fleming, 556–561</ref> Many [[West Africa|West African]] figures are used in religious rituals and are often coated with materials placed on them for ceremonial offerings. The [[Mandé peoples|Mande]]-speaking peoples of the same region make pieces from wood with broad, flat surfaces and arms and legs shaped like cylinders. In [[Central Africa]], however, the main distinguishing characteristics include heart-shaped faces that are curved inward and display patterns of circles and dots.

== Definitions ==
Some definitions of African art include the artistic production of [[African diaspora]]s, such as [[African-American art]], [[Caribbean art|Afro-Caribbean Art]], and [[Latin American art]] inspired by African traditions. However, African art does not usually encompass the artistic traditions of [[North Africa]], which have been predominantly influenced by distinct artistic traditions, such as [[Phoenician art|Punic Art]], [[Greek art|Greco-Roman Art]], [[Islamic art|Islamic Art]], and other styles originating beyond Africa. As a result of [[Human geography|geographic]] factors, namely North Africa's proximity with the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and the natural boundaries, such as the [[Sahara]], separating North Africa with the rest of continent, the influence of indigenous African forms of art would have been lower by comparison.

== Thematic elements ==
In Western African art there is a particular focus on expressiveness and individuality. The art of the [[Dan people]] is an example of this, and it has also extended its influence beyond the continent.<ref name="google2">{{cite book|title=The Artist Himself in African Art Studies: Jan Vandenhoute's Investigation of the Dan Sculptor in Côte D'Ivoire|author1=Vangheluwe, S.|author2=Vandenhoute, J.|date=2001|publisher=Academia Press|isbn=9789038202860|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TnzNF43P9ZYC|page=19|access-date=2014-12-12}}</ref>

The human figure has long been the central subject of most African art, and this emphasis has influenced certain European artistic traditions.<ref name="African Influences in Modern Art" /> For instance, during the fifteenth century, Portugal engaged in trade with the Sapi culture near the [[Ivory Coast]] in West Africa. The Sapi artists produced intricate ivory [[salt cellar]]s that merged African and European design elements—most notably through the inclusion of the human figure, which was typically absent in Portuguese saltcellars. In African art, the human figure can symbolize the living or the dead, represent chiefs, dancers, or various trades, serve as an anthropomorphic image of a deity, or fulfill other votive and spiritual functions. Another recurring theme is the ''intermorphosis'' of humans and animals, blurring the boundaries between species to convey symbolic meaning.

''Visual abstraction'': African artworks often prioritize visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This stylistic tendency stems from the widespread use of generalized and codified forms, which reflect cultural values, spiritual beliefs, and artistic conventions rather than realistic depictions.<ref>[[Suzanne Blier]], "Africa, Art, and History: An Introduction", ''A History of Art in Africa'', p. 16</ref>

== Scope ==
The study of African art until recently{{when|date=April 2025}} focused on the traditional art of certain well-known groups on the continent, with a particular emphasis on traditional sculpture, masks and other visual culture from non-Islamic West Africa, Central Africa,<ref>[https://high.org/highlights/art-of-central-africa/  Art of central africa] Retrieved 28 April 2022</ref> and Southern Africa with a particular emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently, however, there has been a movement among African art historians and other scholars to include the visual culture of other regions and time periods. The notion is that by including all African cultures and their visual culture over time in ''African art'', there will be a greater understanding of the continent's visual aesthetics across time. Finally, the arts of the African diaspora, in [[Brazil]], the [[Caribbean]] and the south-eastern [[United States]], have also begun to be included in the study of African art.

== Materials ==
[[File:African Sudan Art Basket-Tray.jpg|thumb|Sudanese basket-tray, tabar of weaved natural plant fibre, coloured in different colours]]
African art is produced using a wide range of materials and takes many distinct shapes. Because wood is a prevalent material, wood sculptures make up the majority of African art. Other materials used in creating African art include clay soil. Jewelry is a popular art form used to indicate rank, affiliation with a group, or purely aesthetics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://squinti.com/?page_id=648 |title=The Use of Haematite, Tiger's Eye Stone and Ebony Wood for African Jewelry |publisher=Squinti African Art |access-date=2012-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119161224/http://squinti.com/?page_id=648 |archive-date=2012-01-19 }}</ref> African jewelry is made from such diverse materials as [[Tiger's eye]] stone, [[Hematite]], [[Sisal]], [[Coconut|coconut shell]], [[Bead|beads]] and [[Ebony]] wood. Sculptures can be wooden, ceramic or carved out of stone like the famous Shona sculptures,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://squinti.com/?page_id=728 |title=What is African Art |publisher=Squinti African Art |access-date=2012-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119141134/http://squinti.com/?page_id=728 |archive-date=2012-01-19 }}</ref> and decorated or sculpted pottery comes from many regions. Various forms of textiles are made including [[Kitenge]], mud cloth and [[Kente]] cloth. Mosaics made of butterfly wings or colored sand are popular in [[West Africa]]. Early African sculptures can be identified as being made of terracotta and bronze.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |chapter-url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=af033900&site=ehost-live |chapter=African Art and Architecture |date=30 September 2021 |title=Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia |access-date=11 December 2023 |publisher=World Book, Inc. |publication-place=Chicago |via=EBSCOhost}}</ref>

== Traditional African religions ==
{{Main|Traditional African religions}}
[[Traditional African religions]] have significantly shaped the art forms and cultural expressions across the African continent. These religions often emphasize the connection between the spiritual and material worlds, resulting in art that serves a functional and symbolic role. Artworks created within these traditions frequently embody religious symbolism, [[utilitarianism]], and functionality. For instance, masks, sculptures, and figurines are often integral to rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual practices, symbolizing ancestral spirits, deities, or cosmic forces.<ref>{{Citation |last=Olupọna |first=Jacob J. |title=Sacred arts and ritual performances |date=2014-01-09 |work=African Religions |pages=72–88 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/465/chapter-abstract/135244076?redirectedFrom=fulltext |access-date=2024-10-06 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/actrade/9780199790586.003.0005|isbn=978-0-19-979058-6 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

One central theme is the veneration of ancestors, who are viewed as intermediaries between the living and the divine. [[Ancestor worship]] inspires the creation of ritualistic objects, such as carved statues, ceremonial masks, and sacred relics, used to honor and communicate with these spiritual entities. For example, the [[Baule people|Baule]] and [[Dogon people|Dogon]] peoples produce highly detailed figurines and masks for rituals aimed at ensuring communal well-being.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vogel|first=Susan Mullin|title=Baule: African Art, Western Eyes|date=1997|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-07317-1}}</ref>

Traditional African art also serves as a means of depicting deities and natural forces. Gods such as [[Ogun]], the deity of iron, war, and craftsmanship in [[Yoruba religion]], are often represented through sculptures or tools imbued with symbolic power.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Deities and Their Artistic Representations|url=https://africafacts.org/african-religion-ogun/|access-date=2024-10-06}}</ref>

The influence of external religions, particularly [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]], has also left a lasting imprint on African art. Over centuries, elements of these faiths have been integrated into traditional religious practices, resulting in syncretic artworks that blend indigenous and foreign iconography. For example, Islamic geometric patterns have influenced West African textiles, while Christian symbolism appears in the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Exile|Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s]] illuminated manuscripts and murals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bourdillon|first=Michael F. C.|date=1975-03-10|title=Themes in the Understanding of Traditional African Religion|url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=reh&AN=ATLA0000915181&site=ehost-live|journal=Journal of Theology for Southern Africa|publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal|pages=37–50|issn=0047-2867|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gill|first=Michael|title=Sacred Textiles of West Africa|date=1992|publisher=British Museum Press|isbn=978-0714116195}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Further|Prehistoric art#Africa|History of art#Africa}}
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| caption1          = Nok male figure; 500 BC-500 AD; terracotta; {{convert|49.5|×|22.2|×|16.8|cm|in|abbr=on}}; from northern [[Nigeria]]; [[Kimbell Art Museum]] ([[Fort Worth]], [[Texas]], USA)
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| caption2          = Benin [[Benin Bronzes|plaque]]; 16th-17th century; bronze; from the [[Kingdom of Benin]]; [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]] (Germany)
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The origins of African art lie long before the recorded history. The region's oldest known [[bead]]s were made from ''[[Nassarius]]'' shells and worn as personal ornaments 72,000 years ago.<ref name="Mitchell 2013 p. 375" /> In Africa, evidence for the making of paints by a complex process exists from about 100,000 years ago<ref name="Henshilwood et al. 2011" /> and of the use of pigments from around 320,000 years ago.<ref name="McBrearty Brooks 2000" /><ref name="The Atlantic-555674">{{cite news |last=Yong |first=Ed |author-link=Ed Yong |title=A Cultural Leap at the Dawn of Humanity - New finds from Kenya suggest that humans used long-distance trade networks, sophisticated tools, and symbolic pigments right from the dawn of our species. |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/a-deeper-origin-of-complex-human-cultures/555674/ |date=15 March 2018 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=15 March 2018 }}</ref> African rock art in the [[Sahara]] in [[Niger]] preserves 6000-year-old carvings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the153club.org/giraffe.html|title="New" Giraffe Engravings Found|publisher=The 153 Club|access-date=2007-05-31| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070612211620/http://www.the153club.org/giraffe.html| archive-date= 12 June 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the Western cultural arts, [[ancient Egypt]]ian paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. The abundance of surrounding nature was often depicted through abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes. The [[Nubia]]n [[Kingdom of Kush]] in modern [[Sudan]] was in close and often hostile contact with Egypt and produced monumental sculptures mostly derivative of styles that did not lead to the north. In West Africa, the earliest known sculptures are from the [[Nok culture]], which thrived between 1,500&nbsp;BC and 500&nbsp;AD in modern [[Nigeria]]. Its clay figures typically feature elongated bodies and angular shapes.<ref name="Breunig p. 21">{{Cite book |last=Breunig |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBn1BQAAQBAJ&q=Nok:+African+Sculpture+in+Archaeological+Context: |title=Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context |date= 2014 |publisher= Africa Magna Verlag|isbn= 9783937248462|page=21 |language=en}}</ref>

More complex methods of producing art were developed in [[sub-Saharan Africa]] around the 10th century, some of the most notable advancements include the bronze work of [[Igbo Ukwu]] and the terracotta and metalworks of [[Ile Ife]] [[Bronze]] and [[brass]] castings, often ornamented with [[ivory]] and [[precious stone]]s, became highly prestigious in much of [[West Africa]], sometimes being limited to the work of court artisans and identified with [[Royal family|royalty]], as with the [[Benin Bronzes]].

As Europeans explored the coasts of West Africa, they discovered a wide range of functional objects that Africans used for cultural, social, and economic purposes. Oath devices, for instance, were essential to securing business relationships during the era of the Atlantic slave trade. Though these works of craftsmanship followed their own aesthetic principles, they were regarded as tools of sorcery by European travel writers and reduced to a category of "fetish," which was understood to be outside the realm of art.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pietz |first=William |date=March 1985 |title=The Problem of the Fetish, I |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/resv9n1ms20166719 |journal=Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics |volume=9 |pages=5–17 |doi=10.1086/resv9n1ms20166719 |issn=0277-1322|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Influence on Western art ==
{{Further|Proto-Cubism#African, Egyptian, Greek, Iberian and Oceanic art}}
[[File:Pablo Picasso, 1907, Nu à la serviette, oil on canvas, 116 x 89 cm.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Pablo Picasso]]; 1907; ''Nu à la serviette'', oil on canvas, 116 x 89 cm]]
During and after the [[19th century|19th]] and [[20th century|20th-century]] colonial period, Westerners long characterized African art as "primitive." The term carries with it negative connotations of underdevelopment and [[poverty]]. Colonization during the nineteenth century set up a Western understanding hinged on the belief that African art lacked technical ability due to its low socioeconomic status.

At the start of the twentieth century, art historians like [[Carl Einstein]], Michał Sobeski and [[Leo Frobenius]] published important works about the theme, giving African art the status of an [[Work of art|aesthetic object]], not only of an [[Cultural artifact|ethnographic object]].<ref>Strother, Z. S. (2011). À la recherche de l’Afrique dans ''Negerplastik'' de Carl Einstein. ''Gradhiva'', 14: 30–55. [http://journals.openedition.org/gradhiva/2130 link].</ref> At the same time, artists like [[Paul Gauguin]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Georges Braque]], [[André Derain]], [[Henri Matisse]], [[Joseph Csaky]], and [[Amedeo Modigliani]] became aware of and inspired by, African art, amongst other art forms.<ref name="African Influences in Modern Art" /> In a situation where the established [[avant-garde]] was straining against the constraints imposed by serving the world of appearances, African art demonstrated the power of supremely well-organized forms; produced not only by responding to the faculty of sight but also and often primarily, the faculty of imagination, emotion and mystical and religious experience. These artists saw in African art a formal perfection and sophistication unified with phenomenal expressive power. The study of and response to African art, by artists at the beginning of the twentieth century facilitated an explosion of interest in the abstraction, organization, and reorganization of forms, and the exploration of emotional and psychological areas hitherto unseen in Western art. By these means, the status of visual art was changed. Art ceased to be merely and primarily [[aesthetic]], but became also a true medium for philosophic and intellectual discourse, and hence more truly and profoundly aesthetic than ever before.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mashabane |first1=Phill |title=Africanism in art and architecture: The keynote address delivered at the twelfth annual conference of the South African Journal of Art History |journal=South African Journal of Art History |date=2018 |volume=33 |issue=3 |page=iv-vii}}</ref>

* '''Abstraction and Form:''' African sculptures and masks showcased a departure from literal representation, emphasizing geometric forms and symbolic proportions, which inspired movements like Cubism and Fauvism.
* '''Emotional and Psychological Depth:''' The expressive power of African art encouraged modernist artists to explore raw emotion, spirituality, and the subconscious.
* '''Philosophical and Intellectual Discourse:''' The integration of African aesthetics transformed art from mere representation to a medium for exploring profound ideas, redefining the role of visual art in intellectual and cultural contexts.

== Traditional art ==
{{Further|African textiles|Painting#African|History of painting#Africa}}
Traditional art describes the most popular and studied forms of African art typically found in museum collections.

Wooden [[mask]]s, which might either be of [[human]], [[animal]] or [[legendary creature]]s, are one of the most commonly found forms of art in Western Africa. In their original contexts, ceremonial masks are used for celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, and war preparation. The masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into a deep trance, and during this state of mind he "communicates" with his ancestors. The masks can be worn in three different ways: vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as a crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise. African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer. Most African masks are made with wood, and can be decorated with: Ivory, animal hair, plant fibers (such as raffia), pigments (like [[kaolin]]), stones, and semi-precious [[Gemstone|gem]]s also are included in the masks.

Statues, usually of wood or ivory, are often inlaid with [[cowrie]] shells, metal studs and nails. Decorative clothing is also commonplace and comprises another large part of African art. Among the most complex of [[African textiles]] is the colorful, strip-woven [[Kente cloth]] of [[Ghana]]. Boldly patterned [[mudcloth]] is another well-known technique.

== Contemporary African art ==
{{Main|Contemporary African art}}
[[File:Bonn Deutsche Welle Fest für Neptun.jpg|left|thumb|upright|''Fest für Neptun'', sculpture on the outside areas of the building of the [[Deutsche Welle]] ([[Schürmann-Bau]]) in [[Bonn]]]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Chidongo.JPG|thumb|Wood sculpture attributed to [[Zimbabwe]]an artist [[Gideon Chidongo]], 4th quarter of 20th century.]] -->
Africa is home to a thriving [[contemporary art]] and fine art culture. This has been under-studied until recently, due to scholars' and art collectors' emphasis on traditional art. Notable modern artists include [[El Anatsui]], [[Marlene Dumas]], [[William Kentridge]], [[Karel Nel]], [[Kendell Geers]], [[Yinka Shonibare]], [[Zerihun Yetmgeta]], Odhiambo Siangla, [[George Lilanga]], [[Elias Jengo]], [[Olu Oguibe]], [[Lubaina Himid]], [[Bili Bidjocka]] and [[Henry Tayali]]. Art [[wikt:biennale|bienniale]]s are held in [[Dakar]], [[Senegal]], and [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]. Many contemporary African artists are represented in museum collections, and their art may sell for high prices at art [[auction]]s. Despite this, many contemporary African artists tend to have a difficult time finding a market for their work. Many contemporary African arts borrow heavily from traditional predecessors. Ironically, this emphasis on abstraction is seen by Westerners as an imitation of European and American [[Cubism|Cubist]] and totemic artists, such as [[Pablo Picasso]], Amedeo Modigliani and [[Henri Matisse]], who, in the early twentieth century, were heavily influenced by traditional African art. This period was critical to the evolution of Western [[modernism]] in visual arts, symbolized by Picasso's breakthrough painting ''[[Les Demoiselles d'Avignon]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Richardson|first=John|title=A Life of Picasso: The Cubist Rebel, 1907–1916|year=2007|publisher=Knopf|location=New York|isbn=978-0-375-71150-3}}</ref>

Since the late 20th century, artists such as '''Ibrahim El-Salahi''' and '''Fathi Hassan''' have emerged as significant early figures in the development of contemporary Black African art. However, the foundations of contemporary African artistic expression were laid earlier, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s in '''South Africa''', where artists like '''Irma Stern''', '''Cyril Fradan''', and '''Walter Battiss''' played pioneering roles. Institutions such as the '''Goodman Gallery''' in Johannesburg also contributed to the promotion and visibility of African modernism during this period.

In more recent decades, the global art scene has shown growing interest in African contemporary art, largely thanks to the support of European galleries like the '''October Gallery''' in London and the involvement of prominent collectors such as '''Jean Pigozzi''', '''Artur Walther''', and '''Gianni Baiocchi'''. This international interest has led to an increase in major exhibitions featuring African artists, including events held at the '''Africa Center in New York''' and the '''African Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale'''.

A pivotal moment for the international recognition of African art came with the appointment of '''Nigerian curator Okwui Enwezor''' as the artistic director of '''Documenta 11''' in 2002. His African-centered curatorial approach provided a global platform for many African artists, significantly advancing their visibility and careers within the broader contemporary art world.[[File:Ataa Oko and Kudjo Affutu with Oko's red coq coffin 2009. Foto Regula Tschumi.JPG|thumb|right|A modern [[fantasy coffin]] in the shape of a red rooster, Ghana]]
A wide range of more-or-less traditional forms of art or adaptations of traditional style to contemporary taste is made for sale to tourists and others, including so-called "airport art". Several popular traditions assimilate Western influences into African styles such as the elaborate fantasy coffins of Southern Ghana, made in a variety of different shapes which represent the occupations or interests of the deceased or elevate their status. The [[Ga-Adangbe|Ga people]] are said to believe that an elaborate funeral will benefit the status of their loved ones in the [[afterlife]], so families often spare no expense when deciding which coffin they want for their relatives.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Art beyond the West: the arts of the Islamic world, India and Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Korea, the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas.|last=Kampen-O'Riley |first=Michael |isbn=9780205887897 |edition=3rd |location=Upper Saddle River|oclc=798221651|year=2013 }}</ref> These coffins can take the forms of cars, cocoa pods, chickens, or any other shape a family may choose to represent the deceased.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ross |first=Doran H. |date=April 1994 |title=Coffins With Style |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=9406240823&site=ehost-live |journal=Faces |publisher=Cricket Media |volume=10 |issue=8 |page=33 |pages= |issn=0749-1387 |via=EBSCOhost MAS Ultra: School Edition}}</ref>

=== Pop art and advertising art ===
Art used to advertise for local businesses, including barbershops, movie houses, and appliance stores has become internationally celebrated in galleries and has launched the careers of many contemporary African artists, from [[Joseph Bertiers]] of Kenya to several movie poster painters in Ghana.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-04|title=Joseph Bertiers, Kenya|url=https://africanah.org/joseph-bertiers-kenya/|access-date=2020-10-18|website=AFRICANAH.ORG|language=en-US}}</ref> Ghanaian hand-painted movie posters on canvas and flour sacks from the 1980s and 1990s have been exhibited at museums around the world and sparked viral social media attention due to their highly imaginative and stylized depictions of Western films.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/855806853|title=Extreme Canvas 2 : The Golden Age of Hand-Painted Movie Posters from Ghana|date=2012|publisher=Kesho & Malaika Press|others=Wolfe III, Ernie|isbn=978-0-615-54525-7|edition=1st|location=[Los Angeles, CA]|oclc=855806853}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Ryan Lenora|date=2016-02-04|title=How Ghana's Gory, Gaudy Movie Posters Became High Art|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/ghanas-wild-golden-age-of-movie-posters/458949/|access-date=2020-10-18|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US}}</ref> This creative interpretation of Western culture through African art styles is also on display with the tradition of praise portraits depicting international celebrities, which often served as storefront advertising art, and have since become widely valued and collected in the global art market.

=== Minimalist African art ===
Another notable contemporary African artist is [[Amir Nour]], a Sudanese artist who lived in Chicago. In the 1960s he created a metal sculpture called ''Grazing at Shendi (1969)'' which consists of geometric shapes that connect with his memory of his homeland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sharjahart.org/sharjah-art-foundation/people/nour-amir|title=people - Sharjah Art Foundation|website=sharjahart.org|access-date=2018-11-26}}</ref> The sculpture resembles grazing sheep in the distance. He valued discovering art within the society of the artist, including culture, tradition, and background.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/dialogue/nourI.htm|title=Transatlantic Dialogue|website=africa.si.edu|access-date=2018-11-26}}</ref>

== By country, civilizations or people ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2012}}

=== West Africa ===
{{Further|Vodun art}}

==== Ghana ====
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{Peacock|section|date=April 2022}}
{{Original research|section|date=April 2022}}
}}
In the 17th century, the area in present-day Ghana was an important center of trade and cultural exchange. The states that belonged to Ghana were connected through trading networks and shared cultural beliefs. However, each of them decided to remain politically independent. This was until the early 18th century, when leader [[Osei Kofi Tutu I|Osei Tutu]] began a vast land expansion that unified these smaller states.

The kingdom participated in trade involving gold, cloth, and enslaved people, which contributed to its economic growth. This economic power upheld a flourishing artistic culture, making the kingdom a hub of cultural and economic activity. Ghanan works range from wood carvings to brass works, figures, and gems.[[File:Kente.jpg|thumb|Kente fabric from Ghana]]

A [[Kente cloth|Kente]] is a traditional, multi-colored, hand-woven, quilted cloth. It is also a sort of silk and cotton texture made of interlaced cloth strips. The cloth is central to Ghanaian culture, traditionally worn as a wrap-around for both men and women with slightly different variations for both of them. This fabric is traditionally worn by members of various Ghanaian ethnic groups.

;Colors And Meaning

There are different color variations for the Kente, each with different meanings:

Black: maturation

White: purification

Yellow: preciousness

Blue: peacefulness

Red: bloodshed<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-25 |title=Kente Cloth: History, Meaning, Symbolism, and Applications |url=https://www.stoles.com/blogs/posts/kente-cloth-meaning |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Stoles.com |language=en}}</ref>

{{Main|Akan art|Adinkra symbols}}
{{See also|Akrafena}}
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[[Akan art]] originated among the [[Akan people]]. Akan art is known for its vibrant artistic traditions, including textiles, sculptures, Akan gold weights, as well as gold and silver [[jewelry]]. The Akan people are known for their strong connection between visual and verbal expressions and a distinctive blending of art and philosophy. Akan culture values [[gold]] above all other metals and believes that it can portray the supernatural elements behind many things, including royal authority and cultural values. According to Asante oral tradition, their origins are linked to the arrival of a golden stool, which is believed to hold the soul of the Asante nation. In some Akan cultural beliefs, gold symbolized the sun and was associated with royal authority and was often utilized in art to display the importance of the king, making it an essential representation of their cultural and social values.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kowalski |first=Jeff Karl |date=July–August 2018 |title=Symbols of the Asante Kingdom |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=130198613&site=ehost-live |journal=Dig into History |publisher=Cricket Media |volume=20 |issue=6 |pages=18–21 |issn=1539-7130 |via=EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier}}</ref> Kente cloth is another extremely important art tradition of Akan culture. According to oral tradition, Kente cloth originated from attempts to replicate spider webs through weaving. Kente cloth is recognized for its vibrant colors and intricate patterns. Its original purpose was to portray royal power and authority, but has now become a symbol of tradition and has been adopted by several other cultures.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hernandez |first=Sandra |date=18 February 1999 |title=Exhibiting a Pattern of Pride |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=1589775&site=ehost-live |journal=Black Issues in Higher Education |publisher=Cox Matthews & Associates Inc |volume=15 |issue=26 |page=46 |issn=0742-0277 |via=EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier}}</ref>

<br /><gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Máscara de oro - tesoro del rey Kofi Kolkalli.jpg|[[Ashanti people|Ashanti]] trophy head; circa 1870; pure [[gold]]; [[Wallace Collection]] (London). This artwork represents an enemy chief killed in battle. Weighing {{convert|1.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, it was attached to the [[asantehene|Asante king's]] state sword
Brooklyn Museum 1997.101.1 Doll Akuaba.jpg|Doll (Akuaba); 20th century; 27.3 x 11.4 x 3.8&nbsp;cm (10{{fraction|3|4}} x 4{{1/2}} x 1{{1/2}} in.); [[Brooklyn Museum]] (New York City)
Ashanti soulwasher by Claire H.jpg|Soul washer badge (Akrafokonmu); 18th-19th century; gold; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
AdinkraCalabashStamps.jpg|Calabash [[adinkra symbols|adinkra]] stamps carved in [[Ntonso]] (Ghana)
</gallery>

[[File:Queen Mother Pendant Mask- Iyoba MET DP231460.jpg|thumb|Queen Mother Pendant Mask- Iyoba MET DP231460]]
 [[File:Hand-Built pot by Ladi Kwali (YORYM-2004.1.919).JPG|thumb|Hand-Built pot by Ladi Kwali (YORYM-2004.1.919)]]

==== Nigeria ====
Nigerian culture is illustrated through art and folklore. Nigeria draws its inspiration for their art from the traditional folk heritage of the region. There are different types of artwork from the Nigerian culture. Some of these works of art can be stone carvings, potteries, [[glasswork]], wood carvings and bronze works. Benin and [[Awka]] are considered to be the central places for wood carving. Woodcarvers have been thriving throughout the south of Nigeria from time immemorial.
 
'''Examples of Nigerian Traditional Art'''

'''Masks'''

Masks are a piece of the animist confidence of the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] individuals. The veils are painted, and fans wear them at memorial services and different functions to mollify the spirits.

'''Pottery'''

Pottery has a long custom in Nigeria. Pottery was well known from 100 B.C. These days Suleja, Abuja and Ilorin are viewed as significant figures of customary ceramics. Potters in Nigeria are frequently female and usually practice for the methods to be passed on through families.

'''Textiles'''

Yorubas utilize a bush to make indigo-shaded batik-colored fabric. Ladies generally do the withering, while in the north, the specialty is drilled only by men. Weavers everywhere throughout the nation produce a splendid texture with ribbon structures. Oyo state is known for its fine loom materials while fabric from Abia state utilizes a broadloom strategy.

{{Main|Nok culture}}
The Nok culture is an early [[Iron Age]] population whose material remains are named after the [[Ham people|Ham]] village of [[Nok]] in [[Kaduna State]] of [[Nigeria]], where their famous [[terracotta]] sculptures were first discovered in 1928. The Nok Culture appeared in [[northern Nigeria]] around 1500 BC<ref name="Breunig p. 21" /> and vanished under unknown circumstances around 500 AD, thus having lasted approximately 2,000 years.<ref name="FB 1969">Fagg, Bernard. 1969. Recent work in west Africa: New light on the Nok culture. World Archaeology 1(1): 41–50.</ref>

The function of Nok terracotta sculptures remains unknown. For the most part, the terracotta is preserved in the form of scattered fragments. That is why Nok art is best known today only for the heads, both male and female, whose hairstyles are particularly detailed and refined. The statues are in fragments because the discoveries are usually made from [[alluvium|alluvial mud]],<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Jackson |editor1-first=Julia A. |title=Glossary of geology. |date=1997 |publisher=American Geological Institute |location=Alexandria, Virginia |isbn=0922152349 |edition=Fourth |chapter=alluvium}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110501155938/http://www.geotech.org/survey/geotech/dictiona.html Glossary of Geological Terms]. Geotech.org. Retrieved on 2012-02-12.</ref><ref>[http://geology.com/dictionary/glossary-a.shtml Geology Dictionary – Alluvial, Aquiclude, Arkose]. Geology.Com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.</ref> in terrain made by the erosion of water. The [[terracotta]] statues found there are hidden, rolled, polished, and broken. Rarely are works of great size conserved intact making them highly valued in the international art market. The terracotta figures are hollow, coil-built, nearly life-sized human heads and bodies that are depicted with highly stylized features, abundant [[jewelry]], and varied postures.

Little is known of the original function of the pieces, but theories include ancestor portrayal, [[grave marker]]s, and [[amulet|charms]] to prevent crop failure, infertility, and illness. Also, based on the dome-shaped bases found on several figures, they could have been used as finials for the roofs of ancient structures. Margaret Young-Sanchez, Associate Curator of Art of the Americas, Africa, and Oceania in [[The Cleveland Museum of Art]], explains that most Nok ceramics were shaped by hand from coarse-grained clay and subtractively sculpted in a manner that suggests an influence from wood carving. After some drying, the sculptures were covered with slip and burnished to produce a smooth, glossy surface. The figures are hollow, with several openings to facilitate thorough drying and firing. The firing process most likely resembled that used today in Nigeria, in which the pieces are covered with grass, twigs, and leaves and burned for several hours.

As a result of natural erosion and deposition, Nok terracottas were scattered at various depths throughout the Sahel grasslands, causing difficulty in the dating and classification of the mysterious artifacts. Two archaeological sites, [[Samun Dukiya]] and [[Taruga]], were found containing Nok art that had remained unmoved. [[Radiocarbon dating|Radiocarbon]] and [[Thermoluminescence dating|thermo-luminescence]] tests narrowed the sculptures’ age down to between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago, making them some of the oldest in Western Africa. Many further dates were retrieved in the course of new archaeological excavations, extending the beginnings of the Nok tradition even further back in time.<ref name="BP 2014">Breunig (2014). [https://books.google.com/books?id=BBn1BQAAQBAJ&dq=african+sculpture+in+archaeological&pg=PA22 ''Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context''], p. 22.</ref>

Because of the similarities between the two sites, archaeologist [[Graham Connah]] believes that "Nok artwork represents a style that was adopted by a range of iron-using farming societies of varying cultures, rather than being the diagnostic feature of a particular human group as has often been claimed."

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Nok sculpture Louvre 70-1998-11-1.jpg|[[Nok Culture|Nok]] seated figure; 5th century BC – 5th century AD; terracotta; {{convert|38|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}; [[Musée du quai Branly]] (Paris). In this Nok work, the head is dramatically larger than the body supporting it, yet the figure possesses elegant details and a powerful focus. The neat protrusion from the chin represents a beard. Necklaces from a cone around the neck and keep the focus on the face.
Sculpture de la culture Nok (VIe av JC - VIe ap JC, Musée du Louvre).JPG|Relief fragment with heads and figures; 5th century BC – 5th century AD; length: {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}}, height: {{convert|54|cm|in|abbr=on}}, width: {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}}; terracotta; Musée du quai Branly. Like most African art styles, the Nok style focuses mainly on people, rarely on animals. All of the Nok statues are stylized and similar in that they have triangular-shaped eyes with perforated pupils, and arched eyebrows.
Male Head, Nok culture, Kaduna, Plateau, or Nassarawa state, Nigeria, 550-50 BC, terracotta - Brooklyn Museum - Brooklyn, NY - DSC08511.JPG|Male head; 550–50 BC; terracotta; [[Brooklyn Museum]] ([[New York City]], USA). The mouth of this head is slightly open. It may suggest speech, that the figure has something to say. This is a figure that seems to be in the midst of a conversation. The eyes and the eyebrows suggest an inner calm or an inner serenity.
Nigeria, cultura nok, figura maschile, 5000 ac-200 dc ca.jpg|Male figure; terracotta; [[Detroit Institute of Art]] ([[Michigan]], USA)
</gallery>

===== Benin art =====
{{Main|Benin Bronzes|Benin art}}
{{See also|Kingdom of Benin}}
Benin art is the [[art]] from the [[Kingdom of Benin]] or [[Edo Empire]] (1440&ndash;1897), a pre-colonial African state located in what is now known as the South-South region of Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the [[Kingdom of Benin]] in what is now modern-day Nigeria.{{efn|The exact number of pieces is uncertain.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dohlvik |first=Charlotta |title=Museums and Their Voices: A Contemporary Study of the Benin Bronzes |url=http://www.museion.gu.se/digitalAssets/805/805960_Dissertation_Charlotta_Dohlvik.pdf |date=May 2006 |publisher=International Museum Studies |page=7}}</ref> Most sources speak of a thousand pieces or several thousand pieces. According to Nevadomsky, there were between 3,000 and 5,000 pieces in total.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nevadomsky |first=Joseph |year=2005 |title=Casting in Contemporary Benin Art |journal=African Arts |volume=38|issue=2 |pages=66–96 |doi=10.1162/afar.2005.38.2.66 |doi-broken-date=3 December 2024 }}</ref> }} Collectively, the objects form the best-known examples of [[Benin art]], created from the thirteenth century onwards, by the [[Edo people]], which also included other sculptures in brass or bronze, including some famous portrait heads and smaller pieces.

In 1897 most of the plaques and other objects in the collection were taken by a [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] force during the [[Benin Expedition of 1897]], which took place as British control in [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Southern Nigeria]] was being consolidated.<ref name=British>{{cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/b/benin_plaque_oba__europeans.aspx |title=Benin plaque: the oba with Europeans |access-date=July 18, 2010 |publisher=The British Museum}}</ref> Two hundred of the pieces were taken to the [[British Museum]], while the rest were purchased by other museums in Europe.<ref>{{cite book|last=Greenfield|first=Janette|title=The Return of Cultural Treasures|year=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-80216-1|page=124}}</ref> Today, a large number are held by the British Museum,<ref name=British /> as well as by other notable collections in [[List of museums in Germany|German]] and [[List of museums in the United States|American museums]].<ref name=USA23>''Benin Diplomatic Handbook'', p. 23.</ref>

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Plaque- Warrior and Attendants MET DT1231.jpg|Plaque with warriors and attendants; 16th–17th century; brass; height: 47.6&nbsp;cm (18{{3/4}} in.); [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
Plaque Equestrian Oba and Attendants MET DP295360.jpg|Plaque equestrian an Oba on horseback with attendants; between 1550 and 1680; brass; height: 49.5&nbsp;cm (19{{fraction|7|16}} in.), width: 41.9 (16{{1/2}} in.), diameter: 11.4&nbsp;cm (4{{1/2}} in.); Metropolitan Museum of Art
Plaque LACMA M.74.90 (1 of 2).jpg|Plaque that probably represents a musician; 17th century; bronze; 48.26&nbsp;cm (19 in.) x 18.42 (7{{1/4}} in.) x 8.89&nbsp;cm (3{{1/2}} in.), irregular; [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] (USA)
Rooster Figure MET 50.145.47 a.jpeg|Rooster figure; 18th century; brass; overall: 45.4&nbsp;cm (17{{fraction|7|8}} in.); Metropolitan Museum of Art
Afrikaabteilung in Ethnological Museum Berlin 29.JPG|[[Bronze Head of Queen Idia]]; early 16th century; bronze; [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]] (Germany). Four cast [[bronze]] heads of the queen are known and are currently in the collections of the [[British Museum]], the [[World Museum]] ([[Liverpool]]), the [[Nigerian National Museum]] ([[Lagos]]) and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.
Leopard aquamanile, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, 17th century AD, brass - Ethnological Museum, Berlin - DSC02208.JPG|Leopard aquamanile; 17th century; brass; Ethnological Museum of Berlin. The bronze leopards were used to decorate the altar of the oba. The leopard, a symbol of power, appears in many bronze plaques, from the oba's palace.
Figure of a Horn Blower, Edo people, Benin, Edo state, Nigeria, c. 1504-1550, copper alloy - Brooklyn Museum - Brooklyn, NY - DSC08506.JPG|Figure of a horn blower; 1504–1550; copper alloy; 62.2 x 21.6 x 15.2&nbsp;cm (24{{1/2}} x 8{{1/2}} x 6 in.); [[Brooklyn Museum]] (New York City). Blowing a horn or flute with his right hand, his left arm is truncated. He also wears a netted cap with chevron design decorated with a feather.
Queen Mother Pendant Mask- Iyoba MET DP231460.jpg|[[Benin ivory mask]] of the [[queen mother]] [[Idia]]; 16th century; ivory, iron and copper; Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of four related ivory pendant masks among the prized regalia of the [[Oba of Benin]]; taken during the [[Benin Expedition of 1897]] in the [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate]]
</gallery>

===== Igbo =====
{{Main|Igbo art|Archaeology of Igbo-Ukwu}}
The [[Igbo people|Igbo]] produce a wide variety of art, including traditional figures, masks, artifacts and textiles, plus works in metals such as bronze. Artworks from the Igbo have been found from as early as the 9th century with the bronze artifacts found at [[Igbo Ukwu]]. Their masks are similar to the [[Fang people|Fang]] ones, as they share a combination of white and black colors in roughly the same areas.
<gallery widths="170" heights="170">
File:Brooklyn Museum 78.118.6 Maiden Spirit Mask.jpg|Maiden spirit mask; early 20th century; wood & pigment; [[Brooklyn Museum]] ([[New York City]], USA)
File:QueenofWomanMask-BMA.jpg|A mask known as the Queen of Women (''Eze Nwanyi''); late 19th-early 20th century; wood & pigment; [[Birmingham Museum of Art]] ([[Alabama]], USA)
File:Bronze ceremonial vessel in form of a snail shell, 9th century, Igbo-Ukwu, Nigeria.JPG|Bronze ceremonial vessel in form of a snail shell; 9th century; [[Igbo-Ukwu]]; [[Nigerian National Museum]] ([[Lagos]], Nigeria)
File:Bronze ornamental staff head, 9th century, Igbo-Ukwu.JPG|Bronze ornamental staff head; 9th century; [[Igbo-Ukwu]]; Nigerian National Museum
File:Nigeria, igbo, figura femminile per un tempietto, xx secolo.jpg|Female figure for a small temple; 20th century; Indianapolis Museum of Art
</gallery>

===== Yoruba =====
{{Main|Yoruba art}}
Yoruba art is best known for the heads from [[Ife]], made from ceramic, brass and other materials. Much of their art is associated with the royal courts. They also produced elaborate masks and doors, full of details and painted in bright colors, such as blue, yellow, red and white.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Afrikaabteilung in Ethnological Museum Berlin 02.JPG|Head of a king or dignitary; 12th–15th century AD; terracotta; [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]] (Germany); discovered at [[Ife]] (Nigeria)
Yoruba-bronze-head.jpg|Mask for [[Obalufon II]]; circa 1300 AD; copper; height: 29.2&nbsp;cm; discovered at [[Ife]]; [[Ife Museum of Antiquities]] ([[Ife]], Nigeria)<ref>{{cite book|title=32,000 Years of Art|date=2007|publisher=Phaidob|isbn=978-0-7148-7729-7|page=302|language=en}}</ref>
Arte yoruba, nigeria, testa da ife, 12-15mo secolo.JPG|[[Bronze Head from Ife|Bronze head from Ife]]; 12th–15th century; [[brass]]; [[British Museum]] (London)
Nigeria, yoruba, corpicapo della società geledè, 1900-15 ca.jpg|Gelede mask; circa 1900–1915; [[Detroit Institute of Arts]] (USA)
Pair of door panels and lintel Yoruba BM.jpg|Pair of door panels and a lintel; circa 1910–1914; by [[Olowe of Ise]]; ([[British Museum]], London)
</gallery>

===== Other ethnic groups of Nigeria =====
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Carved door, probably by Sakiwa, Nupe peoples, Nigeria, c. 1920-1940, wood, iron staples - Hood Museum of Art - DSC09183.JPG|Carved door; circa 1920–1940; wood with iron staples; by [[Nupe people]]; [[Hood Museum of Art]] ([[Hanover, New Hampshire|Hanover]], [[New Hampshire]], USA)
Headdress, early 1900s, Guinea Coast, Nigeria, Ejagham people, wood, antelope skin, basketry, cane, metal - Cleveland Museum of Art - DSC08739.JPG|Headdress; early 1900s; wood, antelope skin, basketry, cane, metal; by [[Ejagham people]]; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] (USA)
Headdress, early 1900s, Guinea Coast, Nigeria, Idoma people, wood, hair - Cleveland Museum of Art - DSC08726.JPG|Headdress; early 1900s; wood, hair; [[Idoma people]]; Cleveland Museum of Art
Kalabari masks BM.jpg|''Otobo'' (hippopotamus) mask; by [[Kalabari people]]; [[British Museum]] (London)
</gallery>

==== Mali ====
{{See also|Culture of Mali}}
The primary ethnic groups in [[Mali]] are the [[Bambara people|Bambara]] (also known as Bamana) and the Dogon. Smaller ethnic groups consist of the Marka, and the Bozo fisherman of the [[Niger River]]. Ancient civilizations flourished in areas like Djene and Timbuktu, where a great variety of ancient bronze and terracotta figures have been unearthed.

===== Djenné-Djenno =====
{{Main|Djenné-Djenno#Terra-cotta figurines from the Inner Niger Delta region}}
Djenné-Djenno is famous for its figurines which depict humans and animals including snakes and horses. They are made of terracotta, a material that has been used in [[West Africa]] for some ten thousand years.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Seated figure grom Mali, 13th century, Djenné peoples, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981.218.JPG|Terracotta seated figure; 13th century; earthenware; 29.9&nbsp;cm (11{{3/4}}&nbsp;in.) high; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] ([[New York City]], USA) The raised marks and indentations on the back of this hunched Djenné figure may represent disease or, more likely, sacrification patterns. The facial expression and pose could depict an individual in mourning or pain.
Statuette féminine-Région de Djenné-Mali.jpg|Female figure; 13th-–15th century; terracotta covered with red ochre; height: {{convert|37.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}, width: {{convert|31|cm|in|abbr=on}}, depth: {{convert|24|cm|in|abbr=on}}; [[Musée du quai Branly]] (Paris)
Djenne Terracotta Equestrian (13th-15th cent).jpg|Equestrian figure; 13th–15th century; height: 70.5&nbsp;cm; [[National Museum of African Art]] ([[Washington D.C.]], USA)
Mali, valle interna del niger, figura maschile in terracotta, xiv-xvii secolo ca. 01.jpg|Male figure; 14th-17th century; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] ([[Ohio]], USA)
</gallery>

===== Bambara =====
[[File:Chiwara Chicago sculpture.jpg|thumb|Two Bambara [[Chiwara]] c. late 19th - early 20th centuries, [[Art Institute of Chicago]]. Female (left) and male Vertical styles]]
The [[Bambara people]] ({{langx|bm|Bamanankaw}}) adapted many artistic traditions and began to create display pieces. Before money was the main drive for creation of their artworks they used their abilities solely as a sacred craft for display of spiritual pride, religious beliefs and display of customs. Example artworks include the Bamana [[n'tomo mask]]. Other statues were created for people such as hunters and farmers so others could leave offerings after long farming seasons or group hunts. The stylistic variations in Bambara art are extreme sculptures, masks and headdresses that display either stylized or realistic features, and either weathered or encrusted patinas. Until quite recently, the function of Bambara pieces was shrouded in mystery, but in the last twenty years, field studies have revealed that certain types of figures and headdresses were associated with a number of the societies that structure Bambara life. During the 1970s a group of approximately twenty figures, masks and TjiWara headdresses belonging to the so-called 'Segou style' were identified. The style is distinct and recognizable by its typical flat faces, arrow-shaped noses, all-over body triangular scarifications and, on the figures, splayed hands.

;Masks
There are three major and one minor type of [[Bambara people|Bambara]] mask. The first type, used by the N'tomo society, has a typical comb-like structure above the face, is worn during dances and may be covered with cowrie shells. The second type of mask, associated with the Komo society, has a spherical head with two antelope horns on the top and an enlarged, flattened mouth. They are used during dances, but some have a thickly encrusted patina acquired during other ceremonies in which libations are poured over them.

The third type has connections with the Nama society and is carved in the form of an articulated bird's head, while the fourth, minor type, represents a stylized animal head and is used by the Kore society. Other Bambara masks are known to exist, but unlike those described above, they cannot be linked to specific societies or ceremonies. Bambara carvers have established a reputation for the zoomorphic headdresses worn by Tji-Wara society members. Although they are all different, they all display a highly abstract body, often incorporating a zig-zag motif, which represents the sun's course from east to west, and a head with two large horns. Bambara members of the Tji-Wara society wear the headdress while dancing in their fields at sowing time, hoping to increase the crop yield.

;Statuettes
Statuettes are a cornerstone of African art, embodying the continent's deep cultural, spiritual, and social values. These small, often intricately crafted sculptures transcend mere decorative purposes, serving as powerful symbols of identity, ritual, and community. Found across diverse African regions, statuettes vary widely in style, material, and function but share a common thread of storytelling and cultural significance.

* '''Spiritual Significance:''' Many African statuettes are created to honor ancestors, deities, or spirits. They are often used in religious ceremonies or placed in shrines to serve as intermediaries between the human and spiritual worlds. For example, the '''Bakongo Nkisi figures''' from Central Africa are believed to harness spiritual energy for protection, healing, or justice.
* '''Representation of Life Stages and Roles:''' Statuettes often depict key aspects of human life, such as fertility, motherhood, initiation, and leadership. The '''Akua’ba fertility dolls''' of the Akan people in Ghana symbolize the hope for healthy children, while sculptures of chiefs or elders reflect authority and wisdom.

Other Bambara figures, called [[Dyonyeni]], are thought to be associated with either the southern Dyo society or the Kwore society. These female or hermaphrodite figures usually appear with geometric features such as large conical breasts and measure between 40 and 85&nbsp;cm in height. The blacksmith members of the Dyo society used them during dances to celebrate the end of their initiation ceremonies. They were handled, held by dancers and placed in the middle of the ceremonial circle.

Among the corpus of Bambara figures, Boh sculptures are perhaps the best known. These statues represent a highly stylized animal or human figure, and are made of wood which is repeatedly covered in thick layers of earth impregnated with sacrificial materials such as millet, chicken or goat blood, kola nuts and alcoholic drinks. They were employed by the Kono and the Komo societies and served as receptacles for spiritual forces, and could, in turn, be used for apotropaic purposes.

Each special creative trait a person obtained was seen as a different way to please higher spirits.

===== Dogon =====
[[Dogon people|Dogon]] art consists primarily of sculptures. Their art revolves around [[Dogon religion|Dogon religious]] values, ideals, and freedoms.{{sfn|Laude|1973|p=19}} Dogon sculptures are not made to be seen publicly, and are commonly hidden from the public eye within the houses of families, sanctuaries, or kept with the [[Hogon]].{{sfn|Laude|1973|p=20}} The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made.

Themes found throughout Dogon sculpture consist of figures with raised arms, superimposed bearded figures, horsemen, stools with caryatids, women with children, figures covering their faces, women grinding pearl millet, women bearing vessels on their heads, donkeys bearing cups, musicians, dogs, quadruped-shaped troughs or benches, figures bending from the waist, mirror-images, aproned figures, and standing figures.{{sfn|Laude|1973|pp=46–52}} Signs of other contacts and origins are evident in Dogon art. The Dogon people were not the first inhabitants of the cliffs of Bandiagara. Influence from [[Tellem]] art is evident in Dogon art because of its rectilinear designs.{{sfn|Laude|1973|p=24}}

Dogon art is extremely versatile, although common stylistic characteristics – such as a tendency towards stylization – are apparent on the statues. Their art deals with the myths whose complex ensemble regulates the life of the individual. The sculptures are preserved in innumerable sites of worship, personal or family altars, altars for rain, altars to protect hunters, in market. As a general characterization of Dogon statues, one could say that they render the human body in a simplified way, reducing it to its essentials. Some are extremely elongated with emphasis on geometric forms. The subjective impression is one of immobility with a mysterious sense of solemn gravity and serene majesty, although conveying at the same time a latent movement. Dogon sculpture recreates the hermaphroditic silhouettes of the Tellem, featuring raised arms and a thick patina made of blood and millet beer. The four Nommo couples, the mythical ancestors born of the god Amma, ornament stools, pillars or men's meeting houses, door locks, and granary doors. The primordial couple is represented sitting on a stool, the base of which depicts the earth while the upper surface represents the sky; the two are interconnected by the Nommo. The seated female figures, their hands on their abdomen, are linked to the fertility cult, incarnating the first ancestor who died in childbirth, and are the object of offerings of food and sacrifices by women who are expecting a child.

Kneeling statues of protective spirits are placed at the head of the dead to absorb their spiritual strength and to be their intermediaries with the world of the dead, into which they accompany the deceased before once again being placed on the shrines of the ancestors. Horsemen are reminders of the fact that, according to myth, the horse was the first animal present on earth. The Dogon style has evolved into a kind of cubism: ovoid head, squared shoulders, tapered extremities, pointed breasts, forearms, and thighs on a parallel plane, hairdos stylized by three or four incised lines. Dogon sculptures serve as a physical medium in initiations and as an explanation of the world. They serve to transmit an understanding to the initiated, who will decipher the statue according to the level of their knowledge. Carved animal figures, such as dogs and ostriches, are placed on village foundation altars to commemorate sacrificed animals, while granary doors, stools and house posts are also adorned with figures and symbols.

There are nearly eighty styles of masks, but their basic characteristic is great boldness in the use of geometric shapes, independent of the various animals they are supposed to represent. The structure of a large number of masks is based on the interplay of vertical and horizontal lines and shapes. Another large group has triangular, conic shapes. All masks have large geometric eyes and stylized features. The masks are often [[polychrome]], but on many, the color is lost; after the ceremonies, they were left on the ground and quickly deteriorated because of termites and other conditions. The Dogon continue an ancient masquerading tradition, which commemorates the origin of death. According to their myths, death came into the world as a result of primeval man's transgressions against the divine order. Dama memorial ceremonies are held to accompany the dead into the ancestral realm and restore order to the universe. The performance of masqueraders – sometimes as many as 400 – at these ceremonies is considered necessary. In the case of the dama, the timing, types of masks involved, and other ritual elements are often specific to one or two villages and may not resemble those seen in locations only several kilometres distant. The masks also appear during baga-bundo rites performed by small numbers of masqueraders before the burial of a male [[Dogon people|Dogon]]. Dogon masks evoke the form of animals associated with their mythology, yet their significance is only understood by the highest ranking cult members whose role is to explain the meaning of each mask to a captivated audience.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
DogonSatimbe1.JPG|Person who wears a Satimbe mask
Figure of a Kneeling Woman MET DP-13314-032.jpg|Figure of a kneeling woman; circa 1500; wood; height: 35.2&nbsp;cm (13{{fraction|7|8}} in.); [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
Figure- Equestrian MET 1979.206.85 a.jpeg|Equestrian figure; 16th–17th century; wood; height: 68.9&nbsp;cm (27{{fraction|1|8}} in.); Metropolitan Museum of Art
DogonStool.jpg|Stool; possibly late 19th to early 20th century; wood & pigment; [[National Museum of African Art]] ([[Washington D.C.]], U.S.)
</gallery>

===== Other ethnic groups of Mali =====
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Female Figure with Raised Arm MET vs1979 206 64.jpg|Black and white picture of a female figure with raised arm; 15th–17th century; wood (ficus, moraceae), sacrificial materials; height: 44.8&nbsp;cm (17{{fraction|5|8}} in.); by the [[Tellem|Tellem people]]; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
Figura zoomorfa. Cultura Tennenkou. Mali. Siglo XII – siglo XVI.jpg|Zoomorphic figurine; 12th-16th century; by [[Tennenkou culture]]; [[Museo de Arte Africano Arellano Alonso]] ([[Valladolid]], Spain)
Personaje enmascarado. Cultura Bankoni. Mali. Siglo V – siglo XVI.jpg|Equestrian figurine; by [[Bankoni culture]]; Museo de Arte Africano Arellano Alonso
</gallery>

==== Burkina Faso ====
{{Main|Art of Burkina Faso}}
{{See also|Nomoli figurine|Burkina Faso}}
[[File:Mask (Nyanga) Bobo Burkina Faso early 19th century.jpg|thumb|upright|Bobo Mask (Nyanga) from Burkina Faso, made in the early 19th century. [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked country north of Ghana and south of Mali and Niger. Economically, it is one of the four or five poorest countries worldwide. Culturally, it is extremely rich. In part, this is because so few people from Burkina have become Muslim or Christian.<ref>Roy, Christopher D. [http://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/topic-essays/show/37 "The Art of Burkina Faso"], Art & Life in Africa, University of Iowa.</ref> Many of the ancient artistic traditions for which Africa is so well known have been preserved in Burkina Faso because so many people continue to honor the ancestral spirits and the spirits of nature. In great part, they honor the spirits through the use of masks and carved figures. Many of the countries to the north of Burkina Faso have become predominantly Muslim, while many of the countries to the south of Burkina Faso are heavily Christian. In contrast, many of the people of Burkina Faso continue to offer prayers and sacrifices to the spirits of nature and to the spirits of their ancestors. The result is that they continue to use the sorts of art that we see in museums in Europe and America.<ref name=":0">Roy, Christopher D. ''Art of the Upper Volta Rivers'', 1987, Paris: Chaffin.</ref>

One of the principal obstacles to understanding the art of Burkina Faso, including that of the Bwa, has been confusion between the styles of the Bwa, "gurunsi", and Mossi, and confusion of the Bwa people with their neighbors to the west the Bobo people. This confusion was the result of the use by [[French Army|French]] [[Colonial troops|colonial officers]] of Jula interpreters at the turn of the century. these interpreters considered the two peoples to be the same and so referred to the Bobo as "Bobo-Fing" and to the Bwa as "Bobo-Oule." In fact, these two peoples are not related at all. Their languages and social systems are quite different, and so is their art. In terms of artistic styles, the confusion stems from the fact that the Bwa, "gurunsi'" and Mossi make masks that are covered with red white and black geometric graphic patterns. This is simply the style of the Voltaic or Gur peoples, and also includes the Dogon and other peoples who speak Voltaic languages.<ref name="uiowa">{{cite web|url=http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Bobo_Bwa/index.htm |title=Art & Life in Africa – The University of Iowa Museum of Art |publisher=uiowa.edu |access-date=2014-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630060732/http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Bobo_Bwa/index.htm |archive-date=2013-06-30 }}</ref>

==== Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) ====
{{Main|Culture of Ivory Coast}}
[[File:Child-soldier-afrika.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[military use of children|Childsoldier]] in the Ivory Coast'', [[Gilbert G. Groud]], 2007, mixed materials: tusche and wax crayon ]]
The [[Baoulé people|Baoulé]], the [[Senoufo]] and the [[Dan people|Dan]] peoples are skilled at carving wood and each culture produces wooden masks in wide variety. The Ivorian people use masks to represent animals in [[caricature]] to depict deities, or to represent the souls of the departed.

As the masks are held to be of great spiritual power, it is considered taboo for anyone other than specially trained persons or chosen ones to wear or possess certain masks. These ceremonial masks are each thought to have a soul, or life force, and wearing these masks is thought to transform the wearer into the entity the mask represents.

Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) also has modern painters and illustrators. [[Gilbert G. Groud]]<ref>[http://lambiek.net/artists/g/groud_gilbert.htm Gilbert G. Groud] Short Biography of Gilbert G. Groud. Retrieved 29 April 2022</ref> criticizes the ancient beliefs in [[black magic]], as held with the spiritual masks mentioned above, in his illustrated book ''[[Magie Noire]]''.

=== East Africa ===
{{Further|Prehistoric art#Horn of Africa|Rock art#East Africa}}
East Africa, a region encompassing countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, boasts a rich and diverse artistic heritage. From traditional crafts to contemporary expressions, East African art reflects the region’s vibrant history, cultural complexity, and evolving identity in the global arena.

==== Kenya ====
{{See also|Culture of Kenya}}
Around [[Lake Turkana]] exist ancient petroglyphs depicting human figures and animals. [[Bantus|Bantu tribes]] build funeral posts and carvings of human heads atop geometric designs are still created. Though the original posts no longer exist, these more recent creations are thought to be a continuation of the practice. The [[Kikuyu people]] also continue the designs of ancient tradition in the designs painted on their shields.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Introduction to African arts of Kenya, Zaire, and Nigeria|last=Parrott|first=Fred J.|date=1972|publisher=Arco Pub. Co|oclc=594445459}}</ref>

[[Bantus|Bantu]] contemporary Kenyan artists include Elimo Njau, founder of the Paa Ya Paa Art Centre, a Nairobi-based artists workshop.<ref>{{Cite book |title=African art and agency in the workshop|editor=Sidney Littlefield Kasfir |editor-link=Sidney Littlefield Kasfir |editor2=Till Förster |date=2013|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=9780253007490|oclc=863036303}}</ref> From the [[University of Nairobi]] School of Fine Art and Design came Bulinya Martins and Sarah Shiundu. The two, by having learned many basic techniques in design, are highly innovative both in style, use of color and execution. Unlike most contemporary Kenyan artists, they paint using oils, acrylics and watercolors and/or combinations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://amazwi.com/portfolio-items/bulinya-martins/|title=Bulinya Martins|website=Amazwi Contemporary Art|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-20|archive-date=2019-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320200230/https://amazwi.com/portfolio-items/bulinya-martins/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insideafricanart.com/sarah-shiundu/|title=Sarah Shiundu {{!}} Inside African Art|date=22 June 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-20}}</ref>

The [[Indiana University Art Museum|Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University]] has a large collection of traditional art objects from Kenya including jewelry, containers, weapons, walking sticks, headrests, stools, utensils, and other objects available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~iuam/kenya/ |title=Indiana University Art Museum Arts of Kenya Online Collection}}</ref>

==== Ethiopia ====
{{Main|Ethiopian art}}
[[File:Display of Procesional Crosses, Church of Bet Maryam, Lalibela, Ethiopia (3230772118).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bet Maryam]] church, [[Lalibela]]. Traditional Ethiopian church art]]
Ethiopian art from the 4th century until the 20th can be divided into two broad groupings. First comes a distinctive tradition of Christian art, mostly for churches, in forms including [[painting]], [[Ethiopian cross|crosses]], [[icons]], [[illuminated manuscripts]], and other metalwork such as crowns. Secondly, there are popular arts and crafts such as textiles, [[basketry]] and [[jewellery]], in which Ethiopian traditions are closer to those of other peoples in the region. [[History of Ethiopia|Its history]] goes back almost three thousand years to the kingdom of [[D'mt]]. The [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] has been the predominant religion in Ethiopia for over 1500 years, for most of this period in a very close relation, or union, with the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Christianity]] of [[Egypt]], so that [[Coptic art]] has been the main formative influence on Ethiopian church art.

[[File:Lalibela Bet Maryam 1 (28397479782).jpg|thumb|upright|The rock-hewn Church of Bet Maryam in Lalibela.]]
Prehistoric [[rock art]] comparable to that of other African sites survives in a number of places and, until the arrival of Christianity, stone [[stela]]e, often carved with simple reliefs, were erected as grave markers and for other purposes in many regions; [[Tiya]] is one important site. The "pre-Axumite" Iron Age culture of about the 5th century BCE to the 1st century CE was influenced by the [[Kingdom of Kush]] to the north, and settlers from [[Arabia]], and produced cities with simple temples in stone, such as the ruined one at [[Yeha]], dating back to the 4th or 5th century BCE.

The powerful [[Kingdom of Aksum]] emerged in the 1st century BCE and dominated Ethiopia until the 10th century, having become very largely Christian from the 4th century.<ref name="Biasio">Biasio</ref> Although some buildings and large, pre-Christian [[Stele|stelae]] exist, there appears to be no surviving Ethiopian Christian art from the Axumite period. However, the earliest works remaining show a clear continuity with Coptic art of earlier periods. There was considerable destruction of churches and their contents in the 16th century when the country was invaded by Muslim neighbours. The revival of art after this was influenced by Catholic European art in both iconography and elements of style, but retained its Ethiopian character. In the 20th century, Western artists and architects began to be commissioned by the government, and to train local students, and more fully Westernized art was produced alongside continuations of traditional church art.<ref name="Biasio"/>

Church paintings in Ethiopia were likely produced as far back as the [[Christianity in Ethiopia|introduction of Christianity]] in the 4th century AD,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://smarthistory.org/christian-ethiopian-art/|title=Christian Ethiopian art|date=2016-12-22|work=Smarthistory|access-date=2017-07-27|language=en}}</ref> although the earliest surviving examples come from the church of Debre Selam Mikael in the [[Tigray Region]], dated to the 11th century AD.<ref name="teferi 2015 242">{{citation|first=Dawit|last=Teferi|editor-first=Philip|editor-last=Briggs|title=Ethiopia|chapter=A Short History of Ethiopian Church Art|year=2015|orig-year=1995|location=Chalfont St Peter|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=978-1-84162-922-3|page=242|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gU_fCgAAQBAJ|postscript= .}}</ref> However, the [[7th century|7th-century AD]] followers of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] who fled to [[Axum]] in temporary exile mentioned that the original [[Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion]] was decorated with paintings.<ref name="teferi 2015 242"/> Other early paintings include those from the [[Rock-cut architecture|rock-hewn]] churches of [[Lalibela]], dated to the 12th century AD, and in nearby [[Genete Mariam|Genete Maryam]], dated to the 13th century AD.<ref name="teferi 2015 242"/> However, paintings in [[illuminated manuscript]]s predate the earliest surviving church paintings; for instance, the Ethiopian [[Garima Gospels]] of the 4th–6th centuries AD contain [[Christian art|illuminated scenes]] imitating the contemporary [[Byzantine art|Byzantine style]].<ref>{{citation|last=De Lorenzi|first=James|title=Guardians of the Tradition: Historians and Historical Writing in Ethiopia and Eritrea|location=Rochester|publisher=[[University of Rochester Press]]|year=2015|isbn=978-1-58046-519-9|pages=15–16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1WECgAAQBAJ| postscript = .}}</ref>

Ethiopian painting, on walls, in books, and in [[icon]]s,<ref>{{Cite book|oclc=848786240 |title=Ethiopian icons: catalogue of the collection of the Institute of Ethiopian studies, Addis Ababa university|editor=Carolyn Gossage|editor2=Stanley Chojnacki|publisher=Skira|year=2000|isbn=8881186462|location=Milano|language=en}}</ref> is highly distinctive, though the style and [[iconography]] are closely related to the simplified Coptic version of Late Antique and Byzantine [[Christian art]]. From the 16th century, [[Roman Catholic church art]] and European art in general began to exert some influence. However, Ethiopian art is highly conservative and retained much of its distinct character until modern times. The production of [[illuminated manuscripts]] for use continued up to the present day.<ref>Ross</ref>

Another important form of [[Ethiopian art]], also related to Coptic styles, is crosses made from wood and metal.<ref>{{Cite book|oclc=838853616 |title=Ethiopian crosses: a cultural history and chronology|last1=Chojnacki|first1=Stanisław|last2=Gossage|first2=Carolyn|date=2006|publisher=Skira|isbn=8876248315|location=Milan|language=en}}</ref><ref>Maria Evangelatou. 2017. ''A Contextual Reading of Ethiopian Crosses Through Form and Ritual Kaleidoscopes of Meaning''. (Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies.) St. Gorgias Press.</ref> They are usually [[copper alloy]] or [[brass]], plated (at least originally) with gold or silver. The heads are typically flat [[casting|cast]] plates with elaborate and complex [[openwork]] decoration. The cross motif emerges from the decoration, with the whole design often forming a rotated square or circular shape, though the designs are highly varied and inventive. Many incorporate curved motifs rising from the base, which are called the "arms of [[Adam]]". Except in recent Western-influenced examples, they usually have no ''corpus,'' or figure of Christ, and the design often incorporates numerous smaller crosses. Engraved figurative imagery has sometimes been added. Crosses are mostly either [[processional cross]]es, with the metal head mounted on a long wooden staff, carried in religious processions and during the [[liturgy]], or hand crosses, with a shorter metal handle in the same casting as the head. Smaller crosses worn as jewellery are also common.

Ethiopia has great ethnic and linguistic diversity, and styles in secular traditional crafts vary greatly in different parts of the country. There are a range of traditions in textiles, many with woven geometric decoration, although many types are also usually plain. Ethiopian church practices make a great deal of use of colorful textiles, and the more elaborate types are widely used as church vestments and as hangings, curtains and wrappings in churches, although they have now largely been supplanted by Western fabrics. Examples of both types can be seen in the picture at the top of the article. Icons may normally be veiled with a semi-transparent or opaque cloth; very thin [[chiffon (fabric)|chiffon]]-type cotton cloth is a speciality of Ethiopia, though usually with no pattern.

Colorful basketry with a coiled construction is common in rural Ethiopia. The products have many uses, such as storing grains, seeds and food and being used as tables and bowls. The Muslim city of [[Harar]] is well known for its high-quality basketry,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ethiopian Handicraft|url=http://www.ethiopianhandicraft-femseda.org/home3.htm|access-date=22 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701023243/http://www.ethiopianhandicraft-femseda.org/home3.htm|archive-date=1 July 2012}}</ref> and many craft products of the Muslim minority relate to wider Islamic decorative traditions.

==== Tanzania ====
{{Main|Culture of Tanzania#Arts}}
[[File:Modern Makonde carving in ebony.jpg|thumb|Modern [[Makonde people|Makonde]] carving in [[ebony]]]]
Art from [[Tanzania]] is known for paintings by modern artists like [[Tingatinga (painting)|Tinga Tinga]] or [[George Lilanga]], and for traditional as well as modern [[Makonde art|Makonde]] sculptures. Like in other regions, there is also a diversified tradition of producing [[textile arts|textile art]].<ref name="Honour & Fleming, 557" />

[[Tingatinga (painting)|Tinga Tinga art]] has roots in decorating hut walls in central and south Tanzania. It was first in 1968 when Edward Said Tingatinga started to paint on wooden sheets with enamel colours when Tinga Tinga art became known. The art of the [[Makonde people|Makonde]] must be subdivided into different areas. The Makonde are known as master carvers throughout East Africa and their statuary can be found being sold in tourist markets and museums alike. They traditionally carve household objects, figures and masks. Since the 1950s the so-called Modern Makonde Art has been developed. An essential step was the turning to abstract figures, mostly spirits ([[Shetani]]) that play a special role. Makonde are also part of the important contemporary artists of Africa today. An outstanding position is taken by George Lilanga.

=== Central Africa ===

==== Democratic Republic of Congo ====

===== Kuba Kingdom =====
{{Main|Kuba art}}
{{See also|Kuba textiles|Kuba divination|Kuba masquerade|Ndop (Kuba)|19th Century Drinking Horn#Kuba Kingdom}}
The [[Kuba Kingdom]] (also rendered as the Kingdom of the Bakuba, [[Songora]] or Bushongo) was a [[List of kingdoms in pre-colonial Africa|pre-colonial kingdom]] in [[Central Africa]]. The Kuba Kingdom [[Floruit|flourished]] between the 17th and 19th centuries in the region bordered by the [[Sankuru River|Sankuru]], [[Lulua River|Lulua]], and [[Kasai River|Kasai rivers]] in the south-east of the modern-day [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]. A great deal of the art was created for the courts of chiefs and kings and was profusely decorated, incorporating [[cowrie shells]] and animal skins (especially leopard) as symbols of wealth, prestige and power. Masks are also important to the Kuba. They are used both in the rituals of the court and in the initiation of boys into adulthood, as well as at funerals.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Afrikaabteilung in Ethnological Museum Berlin 99.JPG|Ngady-Mwash mask; 19th century; [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]] (Germany). The colors, red, brown & beige create a warm atmosphere of a savanna, in contrast with the rows of blue beads. Like many other Kuba masks, this one is decorated with [[cowrie shells]]. Like many Kuba types of masks, the ngady-mwash mask is extensively polychromed, or multicolored.
Beyond Compare – Bode-Museum 11 03 04 480000.jpeg|Mulwalwa mask; 19th or early 20th century; painted wood and raffia; Ethnological Museum of Berlin. This mask embodies a powerful nature spirit. As there are no holes through which a performer could see, it was probably mounted on a wall at an initiation camp, signaling that the initiation was almost complete.
Brooklyn Museum 22.230 Mask Pwoom Itok.jpg|Pwoom Itok mask; late 19th century; 39.1 x 28.6 x 29.8&nbsp;cm (15{{fraction|3|8}} x 11{{fraction|1|4}} x 11{{fraction|3|4}} in.); [[Brooklyn Museum]] (USA). This mask may have represented a wise older man at boys' initiations. One of the principal Kuba dance masks is called pwoom itok. The chief identifying characteristic is the shape of the eyes, whose centers are cones surrounded by holes through which the wearer sees.
Belt (Yet), possibly early 1900s, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba people, cord, leather, glass beads, shells - Cleveland Museum of Art - DSC08697.JPG|Belt (Yet); possibly early 1900s; cord, leather, glass beads, shells; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] (USA). Like some of the masks, this belt is decorated with colorful beads.
Brooklyn Museum 61.33 Ndop Portrait of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul (5).jpg|[[Ndop (Kuba)|Ndop]] of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul; 1760–1780; wood; 49.5 x 19.4 x 21.9&nbsp;cm (19{{fraction|1|2}} x 7{{fraction|5|8}} x 8{{fraction|5|8}} in.); [[Brooklyn Museum]] (New York City). [[Ndop (Kuba)|Ndop]]s are royal memorial portraits carved by the [[Kuba Kingdom|Kuba]] people of [[Central Africa]]. They are not naturalistic portrayals but are intended as representations of the king's spirit and as an encapsulation of the principle of kingship.
Brooklyn Museum 22.126 Single Head Goblet Mbwoongntey.jpg|Head goblet (Mbwoongntey); 19th century; wood; Brooklyn Museum. It has a one-inch cylindrical lip with linear decoration. The hair is made up of crosshatched lines with a raised diamond-shaped segment on the back of the head. Its cheeks have curved multilinear scarification.
Brooklyn Museum 22.812 Diviners Instrument Itoom (3).jpg|Itoon (diviner's instrument, in form of a [[hippopotamus]]); 19th century; wood; 7.5 × 26.6 × 6.4&nbsp;cm (2{{fraction|15|16}} × 10{{1/2}} × 2{{1/2}} in.); Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum 26549 Raffia Cloth.jpg|Cloth; [[raffia]]; 20.3 x 85.7&nbsp;cm (8 x 33{{fraction|3|4}} in.); Brooklyn Museum. In [[Kuba Kingdom|Kuba]] culture, men are responsible for [[raffia]] palm cultivation and the weaving of raffia [[cloth]].<ref name="Binkley 2009">{{cite book|last=Binkley|first=David A|title=Kuba|year=2009|publisher=5 Continents Edition|location=Milan|author2=Patricia Darish }}</ref> Several types of raffia cloth are produced for different purposes, the most common form of which is a plain woven cloth that is used as the foundation for decorated textile production.
</gallery>

===== Luba Kingdom =====
{{Main|Luba art}}
{{See also|Luba Kingdom|Lukasa|Ngongo ya Chintu}}
The [[Kingdom of Luba]] or Luba Empire (1585&ndash;1889) was a pre-colonial Central African state that arose in the marshy grasslands of the [[Upemba Depression]] in what is now the southern part of the [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]. Today, the [[Luba people]] or baLuba are an ethno-linguistic group indigenous to the south-central region of the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].<ref name="Gates2010p14">{{cite book|last= Heath|first= Elizabeth| editor1=Anthony Appiah|editor2=Henry Louis Gates|title=Encyclopedia of Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC |year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-533770-9|pages=88–89, 14–15}}</ref> The majority of them live in this country, residing mainly in its [[Katanga Province|Katanga]], [[Kasai region|Kasai]], and [[Maniema]] provinces.

As in the [[Kuba Kingdom]], the Luba Kingdom held the arts in high esteem. A carver held relatively high status, which was displayed by an [[adze]] (axe) that he carried over his shoulder. [[Luba art]] was not very uniform because of the vast territory which the kingdom controlled. However, some characteristics are common. The important role of women in the creation myths and political society resulted in many objects of prestige being decorated with female figures.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Appuie-tête Luba-RDC.jpg|Headrest; 19th century; wood; height: {{convert|18.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}, width: {{convert|19|cm|in|abbr=on}}, thickness: {{convert|8|cm|in|abbr=on}}; [[Musée du quai Branly]] (Paris). This headrest presents 19th century Luba hairstyles, as well as the long limbs, bent-back legs, cylindrical torso and dynamic pose typical of the artist who made it.
File:Brooklyn Museum 22.1129 Image of Standing Woman (2).jpg|Figurine of a standing woman; late 19th or early 20th century; wood; 27.9 × 8.3 × 10.2&nbsp;cm (11 × 3{{fraction|1|4}} × 4 in.); [[Brooklyn Museum]] (New York City)
Brooklyn Museum 82.213.1 Heddle Pulley with Female Head.jpg|Heddle pulley with female head; late 19th or early 20th century; wood; 20.6 × 5.4 × 4.8&nbsp;cm (8{{fraction|1|8}} × 2{{fraction|1|8}} × 1{{fraction|7|8}} in); Brooklyn Museum
Masque kifwebe luba-Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale.JPG|Kifwebe mask; wood; [[Royal Museum for Central Africa]] ([[Tervuren]], Belgium)
</gallery>

===== Other ethnic groups of Democratic Republic of Congo =====
{{Further|Mangbetu Pottery}}
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Brooklyn Museum 31.1822 Anthropomorphic Pot.jpg|Anthropomorphic pot; early 20th century; pottery; 40.0 × 24.0&nbsp;cm (15{{fraction|3|4}} × 9{{1/2}} in.); by [[Mangbetu people]]; [[Brooklyn Museum]] (New York City)
Plank Mask (Emangungu), possibly early 1900s, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bembe people, wood - Cleveland Museum of Art - DSC08684.JPG|Plank mask (emangungu); possibly early 1900s; wood; by [[Bembe people]]; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] (USA)
African Art, Yombe sculpture, Louvre.jpg|Head of a scepter; 19th century; by [[Yombe people]]
Gabon o rep. dem. del congo, lumbo, figura femminile, xx secolo.jpg|Female figure; 20th century; wood; by [[Lumbo people]]; [[Indianapolis Museum of Art]] (USA)
Yaka Maske Museum Rietberg RAC 503.jpg|Mask; early 20th century; wood, raffia & color pigments; by [[Yaka people]]; [[Rietberg Museum]] ([[Zürich]], Switzerland)
Hemba Stuhl Museum Rietberg RAC 126.jpg|Chair (throne) of a chief; 19th or early 20th century; wood; by [[Hemba people]]; Rietberg Museum
Master of the Sundi area Funerary figure.jpg|Funerary figure (tumba); 19th century; wood; by [[Sundi|Sundi people]]; Rietberg Museum
Mask (kifwebe), male - Songye - Royal Museum for Central Africa - DSC06089.JPG|Mask (kifwebe); wood; by [[Songye people]]; [[Royal Museum for Central Africa]] ([[Tervuren]], [[Belgium]])
Mbangu mask - Central Pende, Southern Bandundu, DRC - Royal Museum for Central Africa - DSC06657.JPG|Mbangu mask; wood, pigment & fibres; height: 27&nbsp;cm; by [[Pende people]]; Royal Museum for Central Africa. Representing a disturbed man, the hooded V-looking eyes and the mask's artistic elements – face surfaces, distorted features, and divided colour – evoke the experience of personal inner conflict
Tomb figure, soapstone - Mboma - Royal Museum for Central Africa - DSC06950.JPG|Tomb figure; [[soapstone]]; by [[Boma people]]; Royal Museum for Central Africa. Stone sculptures are extremely rare in African art
Africa Hemba Warrior Ancestor Figure 2 Kimbell.jpg|Warrior ancestor figure; 19th century; wood; {{convert|84.1|×|26|×|23.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}; by [[Hemba people]]; [[Kimbell Art Museum]] ([[Fort Worth]], [[Texas]], USA)
Statuette Holoholo-Musée ethnologique de Berlin.jpg|Statuette of a woman; 19th century or early 20th century; by [[Holoholo people]]; [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]] (Germany)
</gallery>

==== Chad ====

===== Sao =====
{{Main|Sao civilization}}
The Sao civilization in [[Middle Africa]] from circa the 6th century BC to as late as the 16th century AD, lived by the [[Chari River]] around [[Lake Chad]] in territory that later became part of [[Cameroon]] and [[Chad]]. Their most important artworks are the terracotta figurines. These figurines represent humans and animals. Other kinds of artifacts show that the Saos were skilled workers in [[bronze]], [[copper]], and [[iron]].<ref name="Fanso 19">Fanso 19.</ref>

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Ciad, cultura sao, statuette antropomorfe, dalla regione di ndjamena, IX-XVI sec. 01.JPG|Anthropomorphic figurine; [[terracotta]]; 9th-16th century; [[Musée du quai Branly]] (Paris)
Ciad, cultura sao, statuette antropomorfe, dalla regione di ndjamena, IX-XVI sec. 02.JPG|Anthropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai Branly
Figurines anthropomorphes Sao-Tchad (3).jpg|Anthropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai Branly
Figurines anthropomorphes Sao-Tchad (4).jpg|Anthropomorphic figurine; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai Branly
Sao culture, head. Terracotta, Woutio, Cameroon. Muséum de La Rochelle.jpg|Head; terracotta; [[Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle]] ([[La Rochelle]], France)
Figurine zoomorphe-Sao.jpg|Zoomorphic figure; 9th-16th century; terracotta; Musée du quai Branly
Fragment de pectoral Sao.jpg|Fragment of a pectoral; 9th-16th century; cuprous alloy; Musée du quai Branly
</gallery>

==== Gabon ====
[[File:Fang Ngil Berlin IIIC6000.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ngil mask]] from [[Gabon]] or [[Cameroon]]; wood colored with kaolin (china clay); by [[Fang people]]; Ethnological Museum of Berlin. Worn with a full costume in a night masquerade to settle disputes and quell misbehaviour, this calm visage was terrifying to wrong-doers.]]
{{See also|Culture of Gabon|Punu-Lumbo mask}}
The [[Fang people]] make masks and basketry, carvings, and sculptures. Fang art is characterized by organized clarity and distinct lines and shapes. Bieri, boxes to hold the remains of ancestors, are carved with protective figures. Masks are worn in ceremonies and for hunting. The faces are painted white with black features. Myene art centers around Myene rituals for death. Female ancestors are represented by white painted masks worn by male relatives. The Bekota use brass and copper to cover their carvings. They use baskets to hold ancestral remains. Tourism is rare in Gabon, and unlike in other African countries, art is not spurred on by commerce.

=== Southern Africa ===
{{Further|Prehistoric art#Southern Africa|San rock art}}

==== Botswana ====
{{Main|Botswana art}}
{{See also|Culture of Botswana}}
In the northern part of Botswana, women in the villages of [[Etsha]] and [[Gumare]]<ref>[http://www.cso.gov.bw/html/census/dist70_71_72_73.html Distribution of population by villages and their associated localities: 2001 population and housing census.][https://web.archive.org/web/20071124145529/http://www.cso.gov.bw/html/census/dist70_71_72_73.html Archive] Retrieved 29 April 2022</ref> are noted for their skill at crafting [[basket]]s from [[Hyphaene petersiana|Mokola Palm]] and local [[dye]]s. The baskets are generally woven into three types: large, lidded baskets used for storage; large, open baskets for carrying objects on the head or for winnowing threshed grain, and smaller plates for winnowing pounded grain. The artistry of these baskets is being steadily enhanced through color use and improved designs as they are increasingly produced for commercial use.

The oldest evidence is ancient paintings from both Botswana and [[South Africa]]. Depictions of hunting, both animal and human figures were made by the [[San people]] dating before civilization over 20,000 years old within the [[Kalahari]] desert.

==== Zimbabwe ====
{{Main|Zimbabwean art}}
The culture from [[Great Zimbabwe]] is known for buildings and sculptures, including the eight [[soapstone]] [[Zimbabwe Bird]]s, which appear to have had a special significance and were presumably mounted on [[monolith]]s. Modern [[Zimbabwe]]an sculptors in soapstone have achieved [[Sculpture of Zimbabwe|considerable international success]]. [[Southern Africa]]'s oldest known clay figures date from 400 to 600 AD and have cylindrical heads with a mixture of human and animal features.

==== South Africa ====
{{Main|South African art}}

===== Mapungubwe =====
{{Main|Kingdom of Mapungubwe}}
[[File:Mapungubwe, Limpopo, South Africa (20356187550).jpg|right|thumb|250px|The [[Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe|golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe]]; 1075–1220; from [[Mapungubwe National Park]] ([[Limpopo]], South Africa); [[Mapungubwe Collection]] (University of [[Pretoria]] Museums)]]
Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1075–1220) was a pre-colonial state in Southern Africa located at the confluence of the [[Shashe River|Shashe]] and [[Limpopo River|Limpopo]] rivers, south of [[Great Zimbabwe]]. The most famous Mapungubwe artwork is a tiny golden rhino, known as the [[Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe|golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe]]. In other graves from Mapengubwe were found objects made of iron, gold, copper, ceramic and glass beads.

===== Southern Ndebele =====
{{Main|Southern Ndebele people#Arts and craft|Ndebele house painting}}
The [[Southern Ndebele people]] are famous for the way they paint their houses. Distinct geometric forms against stark, contrasting colors form the basis of the Ndebele style, which encompassed everything from the architecture, clothing and tools of the people. While color has almost always had a role in drawing emotions in art, the Ndebele were one of the first Southern African tribes to utilize a wide array of colors to convey specific meanings as part of their very lives.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
20150312 Maastricht; University of Maastricht; Murals in Faculty of Business and Economics 1.jpg|Murals in the Ndebele from the [[Maastricht University]] (the [[Netherlands]])
20171017 Maastricht, collegezaal Tongersestraat 3.jpg|Murals in the Ndebele from the Maastricht University
ApronMeputo-BMA.jpg|A beaded apron or ''meputo''; late 19th-early 20th century; hide, glass beads, metal beads, straw; {{convert|46.9|×|50.8|cm|in|abbr=on}}; [[Birmingham Museum of Art]] ([[Alabama]], USA)
</gallery>

=== North Africa ===
{{Further|Prehistoric art#North Africa}}
African art is rarely created for art’s sake; it often carries symbolic meaning related to community values, ancestral reverence, or spiritual beliefs. For example, masks represent spirits or deities, and sculptures can symbolize fertility, protection, or wisdom.

'''Rock Art and Prehistoric Art:'''

North Africa's artistic heritage dates back to prehistoric times, evidenced by rock art in the Sahara Desert. Sites like Tassili n'Ajjer in Algeria feature thousands of petroglyphs and paintings, depicting animals, hunting scenes, and daily life from as far back as 10,000 BCE. These works reflect the relationship between early humans and their environment.

==== Egypt ====
{{Main|Art of Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egyptian architecture|Contemporary art in Egypt}}
{{See also|Culture of Egypt|Egyptian influence in architecture and visual arts}}
Persisting for 3,000 years and thirty dynasties, the "official" [[art of Ancient Egypt]] was centered on the state religion of the time. The art ranged from stone carvings of both massive statues and small [[Figurine|statuettes]] to wall art that depicted both history and mythology. In [[26th century BC|2600&nbsp;BC]] the maturity of Egyptian carving reached a peak it did not reach again for another 1,500 years during the reign of [[Ramesses II|Rameses II]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/was-the-great-pharaoh-ramesses-ii-a-true-redhead/|title=Was the great Pharaoh Ramesses II a true redhead?|website=The University of Manchester | access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref>

A lot of the art possesses a certain stiffness, with figures poised upright and rigid in a regal fashion. Bodily proportions also appear to be mathematically derived, giving rise to a sense of fantastic perfection in the figures depicted. This most likely was used to reinforce the godliness of the ruling caste.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Narmer Palette.jpg|Both sides of the ''[[Narmer Palette]]''; circa 3100 BC; [[greywacke]]; height: 63&nbsp;cm (24{{fraction|3|4}} in.); from [[Hierakonpolis]] (Egypt); [[Egyptian Museum]] ([[Cairo]]). The Narmer palette is the quintessential statement of the Egyptians' mythology of kingship. A clear manifesto of royal power, it is also one with multiple layers of symbolism.
Princess Nefertiabet before her meal-E 15591-IMG 9645-gradient.jpg|Stele of Princess [[Nefertiabet]] eating; 2589-2566 BC; limestone & paint; height: 37.7&nbsp;cm (14{{fraction|7|8}} in.), length: 52.5&nbsp;cm (20{{fraction|5|8}} in.), depth: 8.3&nbsp;cm (3{{fraction|1|4}} in.); from [[Giza]]; [[Louvre]] (Paris). This finely executed relief represents the most succinct assurance of perpetual offering for the deceased.
Nofretete Neues Museum.jpg|The ''[[Nefertiti Bust|Bust of Nefertiti]]''; 1352-1336 BC; limestone, plaster & paint; height: 48&nbsp;cm (19{{fraction|7|8}} in.); from [[Amarna]] (Egypt); [[Egyptian Museum of Berlin]] (Germany). Perhaps the most iconic image of a woman from the ancient world, the Bust of [[Nefertiti]] is difficult to contextualize because it seems so exceptional.
CairoEgMuseumTaaMaskMostlyPhotographed.jpg|The ''[[Mask of Tutankhamun]]''; circa 1327 BC; gold, glass and semi-precious stones; height: 54&nbsp;cm (21{{fraction|1|4}} in.), width: 39.3&nbsp;cm (15{{fraction|1|2}} in.), depth: 49&nbsp;cm (19{{fraction|1|4}} in.); from the [[Valley of the Kings]] ([[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], Egypt); Egyptian Museum. The mummy mask of [[Tutankhamun]] is perhaps the most iconic object to survive from ancient Egypt.
</gallery>

==== Nubia and Sudan ====
{{Main|Visual arts of Sudan|Architecture of Sudan}}
The people of Nubia, living in southern Egypt and the northern region of [[Sudan]], developed historical art styles similar to that of their Egyptian neighbors to the north. However, Nubian art was not merely a product of colonization by ancient Egypt, but rather due to a mutual exchange of ideas and ideologies along the [[Nile|Nile Valley]]. The earliest art of the region comes from the [[Kerma culture]], which was contemporary to [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old]] and [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom Egypt]]. Art from this period exhibits [[Egyptian faience]] along with distinct black-topped pottery of Nubian origin. In the latter [[Napata|Napatan period]] of the [[Kingdom of Kush]], art showed more influence from Egypt as the people in the region were worshiping Egyptian gods.<ref name="Török, László 1997">Török, László. The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization. Leiden: Brill, 1997. Google Scholar. Web. 20 October 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sudan, Egypt and Nubia |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/sudan-egypt-and-nubia |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=The British Museum |language=en}}</ref>

After these historical periods, the inhabitants of Sudan created artworks in different styles, both in indigenous African ways or influenced by [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine Christian]], [[Islamic art|Islamic]] and [[modern art]] traditions.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Jonathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=un4WcfEASZwC&q=Sudan |title=Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture: Three-Volume Set |last2=Blair |first2=Sheila S. |last3=Blair |first3=Sheila |date=2009-05-14 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-530991-1 |pages=253ff |chapter=Sudan, Democratic Republic of the |doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T082205}}</ref>

=== African Diaspora ===
{{Further|African-American art}}

== Museums ==
{{Main|African art in Western collections}}
[[File:Museum of African Art (Belgrade).tif|thumb|The [[Museum of African Art, Belgrade|Museum of African Art in Belgrade]] at the time of its opening]]
Many art and [[ethnographic]] museums have a section dedicated to the art from Sub-Saharan Africa, such as the [[British Museum]], [[Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac]] in Paris, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in [[New York City|New York]] and the [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin]]. Not many Western museums are dedicated only to African art, like the [[Africa Museum]] in [[Brussels]], [[National Museum of African Art]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], and African Art Museum of Maryland in [[Columbia, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The African Art Museum of Maryland |url=http://africanartmuseum.org/ |website=africanartmuseum.org |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref> Some colleges and universities hold collections of African art, like [[Howard University]] in Washington, DC and [[Spelman College]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia.

Nearly all countries in Africa have at least a national museum housing African art, often very largely from that country, such as the [[Sierra Leone National Museum]] and [[Nigerian National Museum]] in [[Lagos]]. There are also many smaller museums in the provinces.

The display of African art and artifacts in European museums has long been controversial in various ways, and the French-commissioned "[[Report on the restitution of African cultural heritage]]" (2018) has marked a key moment, leading to an increase in the return of artifacts. However, there are other examples, such as the [[Museum of African Art, Belgrade|Museum of African Art in Belgrade]] which was opened in 1977 because of [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia's]] relations with many African countries thanks to the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. The museum was opened out of the desire to acquaint the people of Yugoslavia with the art and culture of Africa since there was a deeply rooted notion about Yugoslavia sharing a friendship with African countries thanks to their similar struggles; all of the original items in the museums were legally bought by the Yugoslav ambassador and journalist [[Zdravko Pečar]] and his wife Veda Zagorac, while more recent acquisitions were either bought by the museum, received as gifts from Yugoslavs who lived in Africa, or were [[diplomatic gift]]s to the museum by the ambassadors of African countries.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sladojević |first1=Ana |title=Nyimpa kor ndzidzi: (Re)conceptualisation of the Museum of African Art |date=2017 |publisher=Museum of African Art |isbn=978-86-85249-21-1 |location=Belgrade}}</ref>

The Congolese activist [[Mwazulu Diyabanza]] has taken [[direct action]] against European museums to take back items he says belong to Africa.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Feiger|date=22 September 2020|first=Leah |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-real-life-killmonger-is-trying-to-decolonize-european-museums/|title=Colonizers Stole Africa's Art; This Man Is Taking It Back|work=Vice|access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Haynes |first1=Suyin |title=A French Court Fined Activists for Attempted Theft of a Museum Artifact. They Say It Belongs to Africans |url=https://time.com/5899808/african-artifact-paris-museum-stolen-case/ |access-date=8 February 2021 |magazine=Time |date=14 October 2020}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Culture of Africa]]
* [[Contemporary African art]]
* [[African art in Western collections]]
* [[African folk art]]
* [[African traditional masks]]
* [[Tribal art]]
* [[The Africa Center]]
* [[:Category:African artists]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== General sources==
* Biasio, Elisabeth, [http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T026878 "Ethiopia and Eritrea"] {{subscription required}}. ''Grove Art Online.'' Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. 4 Feb. 2013.
* [[Hugh Honour]] and John Fleming, ''A World History of Art'', 1st ed. 1982 (many later editions), Macmillan, London, page refs to 1984 Macmillan 1st en. paperback. {{ISBN|0333371852}}.
* Blackmun Visonà, Monica et al. ''A History of Art in Africa'' (2001) Prentice Hall, New York {{ISBN|0-13-442187-6}}.
*{{cite book |last=Laude | first = Jean | title=African Art of the Dogon: The Myths of the Cliff Dwellers |url=https://archive.org/details/africanartofdogo00laud |url-access=registration | location=New York | publisher= The Viking Press | year= 1973| isbn=978-0-670-10928-9 }}
* Ross, Emma George. [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acet/hd_acet.htm "African Christianity in Ethiopia"]. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2002)
* Roy, Christopher D., [http://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/topic-essays/show/37 "The Art of Burkina Faso"], Art & Life in Africa, University of Iowa.
* Yamokoski, Gathinja, [https://trueafricanart.com True African Art .com] A collection of hundreds of original African painting images from living artists inside Africa. Representing 15 African countries and over 100 African Artists. Contains rich biographical information on many of its artists.

== Further reading ==
* Beidelman, T. O., "Promoting African Art. The Catalogue to the Exhibit of African Art at the Royal Academy of Arts, London", ''Anthropos'', Vol. 92, H. 1./3. (1997), pp.&nbsp;3–20, Anthropos Institute, {{JSTOR|40465352}}.
* Breunig, Peter (2014). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=BBn1BQAAQBAJ Nok: African Sculpture in Archaeological Context]''. Frankfurt: Africa Magna Verlag. {{ISBN|978-3-937248-46-2}}
* {{cite book |author=Ezra, K. | url=http://cdm16028.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/35597 |title=Art of the Dogon: selections from the Lester Wunderman collection | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1988 | isbn=0870995073 }}
* {{cite book | author=Ezra, K. | url=https://archive.org/details/royalartofbeninp0000ezra | title=Royal art of Benin: the Perls collection | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1992 | isbn=9780870996320 | url-access=registration }}
* {{cite book |author= LaGamma, A. | url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/42448/rec/1 |title=Art and oracle: African art and rituals of divination | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=2000 | isbn=9780870999338}}
* {{cite book | author=LaGamma, Alisa | url=https://archive.org/details/genesisideasofor0000laga | title=Genesis: ideas of origin in African sculpture | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=2003 | isbn=0300096879 | url-access=registration }}
* {{cite book |author=Rachewiltz, Boris de |author-link=Boris de Rachewiltz |title=Introduction to African Art |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontoaf00rach |url-access=registration |translator=Peter Whigham |date=1966 |location=New York |publisher=New American Library}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://casildart.com/blog/top-ten-african-art-facts-you-should-know African Art Facts] By CasildArt
* [https://momaa.org/discover/ Website with more than 130 art museums in Africa]

{{Africa topics}}
{{African topic|| art}}
{{Portal bar|Africa|Traditional African religions}}
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[[Category:African art]]
[[Category:Visual arts by region]]