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EARTH METROPOLIS AFRICAN ART |
ClaudeClark.com | Educ. | African | Kuba Art | African Studies | Art | Bambara | Igbo | Yoruba |Akan Art | Benin Art | |
Benin Bronze Head Ife Stile | Benin Bronze Figure Ife Stile | Benin Bronze Head Ife Stile |
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Benin Bronze Head Ife Stile | Benin Bronze Figure Ife Stile | Benin Bronze Head Ife Stile |
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Foot and pedestal in West and Central African sculpture may mark the beginnings of European contact with African artists or Africans having contact with other Africans who had contact with Europeans.
Some Africans acquired the use of pedestals from seeing other Africans with pedestals on their sculptures. Africans often exchanged artwork through trade. The Kuba people, in the Congo Basin, were farming fruits and vegetables from America, possibly a century or more before ever seeing a Caucasian. The same could be true with Ndop figures. The older Ndop images were replaced many times. We don’t have any example of the first Ndop images.
With the exception of some silly metal baskets attached to the feet of many of the Edo sculptures; there were no pedestals on the feet of cast bronze sculptures prier to the arrival of the Portuguese.
After the arrival of Portuguese, Ovbiedo (children of Edo) metallurgist began sculpting a pedestal to the figures. Pedestals were not attached or glued to the figure. Pedestals were sculptured as apart of the figure.
After the arrival of Portuguese, Ovbiedo (children of Edo) metallurgist began sculpting a pedestal to the figures. Pedestals were not attached or glued to the figure. Pedestals were sculptured as apart of the apple. |
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Benin Clay Pot | Benin Bronze Figure | Benin Bronze Figure Without Pedistal |
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The bronze figure in the center above shows a warrior with a book in his right hand. The date given for the age of the bronze basket Pedestal or both the pedestal and figure is 1950. That is the 20th Century. I was 5 years old in 1950 and studying /observing African sculpture though magazines and plaster copies for 5 to 6 of the 7 years I lived in Alabama. The University of Pennsylvania produced the plaster copies of African images. My father was an art teacher he bought them for Talladega College in Talladega Alabama. The provider goes on to say that the ware on th sculpture extensive. But his date for the item does not account for the short time during which that amount of war wads done. I am confused. I don’t have any further information on this sculpture at this point. If more information becomes available I will share it with you. Ovbiedo craftsmen did not stop making standing figures without a base. They made the feet on images larger so that figures would not topple over when standing. The Benin clay pot on the left of the bronze warrior does not have a foot. It rests on a head-carrying ring made of plant fiber. Women place the ring on top of their heads too support heavy objects carried on their heads. |
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