For example, a horse is considered a very noble animal, and including one in a sculpture of a man or woman means that person is being held in very high regard. Most contemporary statues are made of either stone or carved of wood.
You can find many evidences which prove that African arts were found as early as 500BC, with carved rocks in Sahara and sculptures in Nigeria. People even used metals like bronze to carve statues, and they even used Ivory and terracotta to make their art look even richer. And these rich arts were reserved for royalties. People used these arts and craft works to decorate their houses. People wore hand made fabrics with full of artistic works, which reveals the wearer as a part of that art piece. They even used wall paintings to fill their houses with traditional art.
African arts and crafts mainly resembles it's tradition. Every single piece of art resembles the culture and daily life of African people. Many historical African arts can be found in museums, one of the best examples is the African Mask. African people mainly used masks at the time of wars. And they even used it in some religious occasions and also on the day of harvesting.
They design the masks according to their county or tribe, each design has its own kind of pattern and style. For example the Dan people of Ivory Coast and Liberia carve their masks with features such as wide fore head, flattened nose, full lips, and the strands of rope attached at the top of masks to make it look like hairs. The people of Congo in Punu make their masks with wood and paint it in white color, which resembles rich women. And they use these masks to scare off evil spirits and witches.
Other African art and craft include the old African tradition basket. Esths and Gumare tribes of Botswana are the two places which is famous for African baskets. These baskets were usually carried over the head, but as the culture grew, they modified the baskets and were carried on the shoulders. As a result hand bags came in to existence and they were made with some of the artistic work of African culture. And they used some of the rare materials like mud cloth and suede to manufacture bags. Even today there is a great demand of African arts among the people around the world. Africa as a great name on its culture and tradition.
About The Author
Herman Wheeler has a great love on African Arts and Crafts for a number of years. Along with the enjoyment from sharing his love for African Arts and Crafts, he has also learned a lot about African arts and culture. Fill your home with the miracle and wonder of original hand-made African Arts and Crafts at THE AFRICAN ART WHEEL AND CRAFTS
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