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Hint
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Artwork
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Zoomorphic elements (long truck, large ears) symbolize strength and power
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Aka elephant mask
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Requires consecration via offerings before use
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Ikenga (shrine figure)
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Has tall vertical emphasis and hierarchy of scale between the five (now four) figures
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Veranda Post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opa Ogoga)
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The king of this culture would often engage in rituals wearing extremely elaborate and weighty royal regalia symbolizing his wealth, power, and the heaviness of his responsibilities as king
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Made of adobe to help maintain cool temperatures
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Artisans are the Kuba peoples
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Depicts King Mishe miShyaang maMbul
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Entire surface inlaid with gold
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Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
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Mnemonic device which assists one in remembering key elements, e.g. ceremonies, heroes, list of kings, genealogy, etc.
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Lukasa (memory board)
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Made by the all-female Sande society
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Bundu Mask
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Artisans are the Luba peoples
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Lukasa (memory board)
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Placed on a wooden pillar that was part of a sprawling palace complex in Benin
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Wall plaque, from Oba's palace
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Features a pushed-in chin, slender nose, high forehead (suggesting intellect), and an idealized hair style
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Female (Pwo) mask
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Depicts actions only permitted to be done to the Oba (king)
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Wall plaque, from Oba's palace
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Uses ashlar masonry and trapezoidal inward-sloping structures, similar to Inca construction
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Great Zimbabwe
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Lavish colored beadwork and cowrie shells symbolize wealth and power of Kuosi society (elite group of men)
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Aka elephant mask
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Carved from wood to an hourglass shape, then adorned with beads, shells, or metal
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Lukasa (memory board)
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Has a compact interior on account of lack of later European architectural developments (e.g. arches, vaults) and limitations of adobe as a structural material
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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An epicene (indeterminate sex) body sitting in a tranquil, cross-legged pose on a base
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Artisans are the Yoruba peoples
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Veranda Post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opa Ogoga)
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The society in which this work was a part of was matriarchically
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Female (Pwo) mask
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Quintessence of Sudano-Sahelian architecture
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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In an alert pose with rigid frontality, arms akimbo (at hips) in an aggressive stances with open eyes and mouth
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Power figure (Nksisi n'kondi)
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Kept in a king's shrine with other works called "royal charms"
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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In 1900, a war was fought over the sacred object after one tried to use it in an unsacred manner causing an outrage and rebellion; ending with British annexation yet de facto independence
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Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
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Used in initiation rites to adulthood; symbolic of butterfly's chrysalis (entering puberty)
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Bundu Mask
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Features complicated and elaborate use of negative space (unusual for most African art) creating sense of openness; very difficult, especially since carved from one piece of wood
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Veranda Post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opa Ogoga)
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Displays Islamic influence in content and function
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Artisans are the Chokwe peoples
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Female (Pwo) mask
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Located in Djenné, Mali
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Bells hang from the work's side to warn the king of danger, if needed
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Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
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The work's material and the worn coral beads are both obtained through trade with the Portuguese
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Wall plaque, from Oba's palace
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Artisans are the Mende peoples
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Bundu Mask
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Carved out of a hardwood, showcasing one's strength and masculinity
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Ikenga (shrine figure)
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Has many torons (projecting wooden beams) acting as in-place ladders for maintenance
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Artisans are the Kongo peoples
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Power figure (Nksisi n'kondi)
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Features a large (though not the focal point) senior wife (Opa Ogoga) crowning the king during his coronation; she would also be expected to protect and advise him during his reign
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Veranda Post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opa Ogoga)
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New kings of the nation are raised over this sacred object
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Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
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Carved by Olowe of Ise for rulers of one of the kingdoms of Nigeria; contained in a palace at Ikere, Nigeria
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Veranda Post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opa Ogoga)
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Though dancers wearing this wore female dress, braided hair, and womanlike movement they were still exclusively men
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Female (Pwo) mask
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Tightly bounded internal and external passageways forcing occupants to walk single-file, mimicking experiences in the African bush
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Great Zimbabwe
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Worn on top of the head (like a helmet); has fringe on the bottom
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Bundu Mask
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Its culture's people had no organized class system or positions, so objects such as this show individual achievement and merit
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Ikenga (shrine figure)
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Said to be brought down from heaven by a priest, falling into the lap of a king
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Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool)
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Only worn by important people in society during important ceremonies which involve maskers dancing barefoot to a drum and gong, waving spears and horsetails
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Aka elephant mask
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Dons enormous horns which symbolizes power and a ram (aggression)
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Ikenga (shrine figure)
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Dons royal regalia (bracelets, arm bands, belts, headdress), similar to the rulers in ceremonies, as well as his symbol (like a coat of arms), since the sculpture was not represenative
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Has three brass triangular additions which, along with the lustrous patina (coating), emphasizes sunlight and suggests health
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Mblo (Portrait mask)
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In 1897, the British raided the palace and violently ripped off the work, as is evident by the broken edges of the work
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Wall plaque, from Oba's palace
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Maintained in a man's home and is often destroyed after his death (sometimes reused)
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Ikenga (shrine figure)
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Its back resembles a turtle's shell reflecting duality (an animal that lives on land and water) and is a metaphor for the opposed embodiments of power: Kongolo Mwamba (excess and tyranny) and Mbidi Kiluwe (hero who introduced royal culture)
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Lukasa (memory board)
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Artisans are the Baule peoples
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Mblo (Portrait mask)
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Air is circulated via several hoels with terra cotta lids
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Acted as a surrogate in the king's absence
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Ndop (portrait figure)
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Artisans are the Malian peoples
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Great Mosque of Djenné
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Includes rosette shapes inspired by Christian crosses
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Wall plaque, from Oba's palace
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Located in a large complex prosperous trading hub with items from as far away as East Asia and holding from 10,000 to 20,000 people
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Great Zimbabwe
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Has high forehead indicates wisdom; small slit eyes indicates demureness; tight-lipped mouth symbolizing not revealing secrets and not gossiping; small ears symbolizes avoiding gossip and hearing no evil
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Bundu Mask
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Has enlarged eye sockets with white powder (connecting figure to spiritual realm) around nearly-closed eyes (suggesting modesty)
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Female (Pwo) mask
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Symbolizes and costumed as Sowei, a female water spirit and for female ancestor spirits
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Bundu Mask
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