King Mansa Musa was known for being the richest man in history. He took the throne from 1312 to 1337 and was the son of Sundiata. The 25 year reign was known as the “golden age of the Mali Empire. The empire stretched nearly 2,000 miles all way up to Lake Chad (Mohamed Bearrach, Meet Mansa Musa). The Empire was also known as the Mandingo.…
In chapter 1, the author puts off by explaining what was happening. In 1961 a civil war is being fought between UN Irish peacekeepers and the newly formed Nation of Katanga, which recently seceded from the Republic of the Congo which is located in South Africa. Congo was the third largest country on the continent of Africa. Then we are introduced to the origins of the Congo.…
The ramifications of Leopold’s crimes in the Congo could be felt long after his death in 1913. Although he sold the Congo to the Belgium government after the truth regarding his atrocities could not long be denied there was much work that needed to be done to change the fate of the Congolese people. Business remained to be practiced in the same manner as under Leopold’s direction, and because of this many of the Congolese people remained enslaved, only in a different form. Because there wild rubber sources had been depleted, cultivated rubber began the new resource in which people were forced to work on rubber plantations.…
When Kamehameha was born in 1758, Halley's Comet appeared over the Hawaiian skies. Legend prophesied that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a great chief. Kamehameha would grow up to be a strong ruler who succeeds by eliminating all the rival chiefs. Warring clans saw him as a potential threat because Alapa´inui feared he would take away his throne, so Kamehameha had the equivalent of a price on his head from the day he was born. For this reason, the child would grow up to be a mighty warrior who one day would overthrow Alapa´inui, so he can be chief of the Hawaiian Islands.…
Short stories, myths, creation stories and other forms of oral tradition display important themes that a story’s audience should live by. A theme is a moral or lesson that is taught in a story. Themes are present in all African stories. These themes tend to support having good morals or strong leadership in society. An important theme is determination.…
The bulk of the traditional sculptures in African art constitute wooden products-figurines, masks, etc. In this unit response, I would like to explain the following common features. The common features are that the main focus is on the human figure and the art of static objects are transformed into moving objects (e.g. mask). African figurines are mostly images of various spirits, ancestors or certain historical persons and gods.…
The cultural artifact that I propose to study is the bust of the Queen Nefertiti who was an Egyptian queen and the Royal Wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten. The Queen is known to the modern world for her famed illuminous bust that now resides in Berlin’s museum. Nefertiti’s bust was created by the sculptor Thutmose and was discovered in his workshop by the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. The bust is an example of providing us, the Ancient Egyptians examples of art and how they regard facial proportions. The bust is considered the most copied works of art from Ancient Egypt.…
The Reign of King Mansa Musa Looking back in history, the West African Kingdom had three major empires; The Ghana, The Mali, and The Songhai. The most significant empire in the West Africa was the Mali Empire. The Mali Empire was discovered by King Sundiata during the thirteenth century. The Mali Empire was a success from the foundation laid by King Sundiata, through control over trade and beliefs of Islam.…
Heather Malosky The cultural artifact that I chose was my lacrosse stick. It represents how lacrosse has been a continuous occupation throughout my life. It is an essential thing needed to play lacrosse. Even though I do not play on a team anymore, I still keep it with me because it holds special value to me.…
In the 18th century West Africa, the unsavory slave industry was a vital part of the Old Calabar lifestyle. Both Europeans and Africans participated in the area’s slave trade. Due to this business, New Town and Old Town traders of Old Calabar accumulated power through trading. Those Efik who assimilated into power were well-versed in the slave trade business with the Europeans. The Efik and the English traders grew a close relationship built on trust and as a result the two parties were very successful.…
The Winged Victory of Samothrace is my favorite work of art from this course and was created about the second century BC. The Victory is a winged female figure stand on the front of a boat. The statue is made of white and gray marble standing about 9 feet tall. It’s draped in a long fine cloth that fold up below her feet. Winged Victory of Samothrace also wear a clock that has worked loose at her left hip and leg uncovered.…
It is well known that Benin was powerful with its natural recourses such as ivory, brass, pepper, leopard skins, people (as Slaves to get transfer and work in Europe) and bronze. The craftsmen used the Ivory brass and bronze to make sculptures and plaques that demonstrate their king the Oba and his chiefs and sometimes the royal family such as the Oba’s mother. But after the discovery…
A sculpture that tends to stick out to me is Capture of the Sabine Women by Giambologna. This particular sculpture is classified as sculpture in the round. It requires the viewer to walk around it to view its entirety. This beautiful work of art was hand carved by the artist, Giambologna. I think, by making the sculpture in the round, it makes the viewer really look closely at the whole sculpture, instead of just glancing at it.…
One of the first pieces that interested me during my trip to the MET was a stone sculpture from Indonesia and other neighboring lands, known as the “Ritual Seat for a Noble” (Osa’osa). I found it very creative that a large bird could be carved into a seat. I thought that this indicated that the Ono Niha people worshipped certain animals as their culture. After further research, I discovered that this seat was made during the 19th century, specifically for high ranking officials as their throne. In addition, the seat is usually considered a ceremonial requirement during special occasions.…
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a developing country with a semi-presidential republic located in Central Africa. The DRC has been the center of many African wars resulting in a large amount of deaths and an influx of refugees (BBC). There are also rebel groups within the DRC, displacing a large amount of people (The World Factbook). It is also home to a large amount of natural resources and minerals. Despite the fertile soil and mineral resources, the DRC has high infant and maternal mortality rates, malnutrition, poor vaccination coverage, and lack of access to improved water sources and sanitation (The World Factbook).…