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 sculpture Triad of King Mycerinus and Two Goddesses, which resides at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, was excavated from The Temple of Mycerinus in Giza and was created between 2548 - 2530 BCE, during the reign of Mycerinus. Made from greywacke, an incredibly coarse, dark sandstone, this sculpture uses variation in texture, incorrect scale, and line to draw attention to King Mycerinus in relation to the two divinities, and thus is an example of royalty as divinity. Overall, this sculpture depicts the goddess of the Hare Nome, the goddess Hathor, and the King Mycerinus (in that order from left to right), all carved from a single block of greywacke. Additionally, this is an example of a high relief sculpture, meaning that the sculpture is…
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.…
I do see my artifact a bit different because I have done more research into my chosen artifact. the artifact I chose is part of the life's work of Raphael Albert. He was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada and developed a great appreciation for black beauty so much so after going to college for photography, instead of working for London Transport he ends up organizing a number of these "Black Beauty contest". "Albert became an icon in the world of pageantry for his images" (Bichard 2016) the photos he created to connect images that inspire self-confidence within black communities all over the globe. This I believe was his reasons for creating this artifact.…
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 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.…
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.…
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.…
Head of an Akkadian Ruler Vs. Funerary Mask of ‘Agamemnon’ Comparing two sculptures can be overwhelming. The two pieces of artworks I have chosen are both heads of former rulers, each of them coming from a different empire. Nobody knows who made each of these artworks. The first sculpture for comparison is the head of an Akkadian ruler also known as the “Head of Sargon the Great”().…
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 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.…
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…
The artwork I choose is Pebbles around a Hole. The artist is Andy Goldsworthy. He was born in Britain in 1956. He created Pebbles around a Hole in 1987. The medium used is chromogenic print.…
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.…
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).…