African Art

The Symbolism of Animals in Africa

In Africa, the use of animals in artwork isn’t merely for show. Each animal has a specific meaning to the artist, and certain animals signify certain character qualities. This is why you will see so many carvings of animals, or evenanimals embroidered onto African clothing.

What Do Animals Symbolize in African Art?

The Lion - The lion is an emblem for royalty, strength, conquest, valor, pride, wisdom, authority, courage and protection. The lioness represents the moon, femininity and fierce motherhood.

The Leopard - The leopard signifies ferocity, aggression, the Great Watcher, and courage.

The Elephant - The elephant signifies strength, royalty, dignity, patience, wisdom, longevity, and happiness. This is a large symbol of good luck, especially when the elephant’s trunk is pointed up. The elephant represents status and power since royalty used to ride on elephants. For Christians in Africa, the elephant is a symbol of clarity and temperance and signifies Christ trampling a serpent.

The Camel - Although many cultures see the camel as a symbol of arrogance, laziness and bad temper, African’s have a much different view. Countries that use camels see it in a more positive light. In Africa, the camel is a symbol of sobriety, and for Christians it is a symbol of temperance because it drops to its knees to receive a burden, as if before God in humility and obedience.

Patchwork in African American Art - Animal Art is a very beautiful pattern which is placed on animals to display a safari type of artwork.  It’s displayed on giraffes, elephant statues and other types of artwork.  The picture at the top of this article displays a gorgeous glossy statue trio which has a wildly whimsical look from the patchwork pattern of earth tone animal-skin prints.  This can be a colorful display of African American Animal art to be used to enhance your home or office.

Friday’s Proverb

“Anger draws arrows from the quiver, but good words draw kola-nuts from the bag”.
    - Nigerian proverb

African Oil Painting. Village by the sea. 

  Mark Sagnon has created each of the original oil paintings sold at Africa Imports. His love of art is so vivid in his paintings that the ones now sold are some of the best-selling paintings to carry. Mr. Sagnon grew up believing he was blind, and being treated like a blind man, until one day a friendly person gave him a pair of glasses. All the sudden the world became a new universe of color, artwork, and life for him! Mr. Sagnon’s paintings continually encourage the viewer to participate in an adventure that will give them a taste of the African culture, lifestyles, and people. His love of Africa is very evident in his paintings, and gives us something we can treasure for years to come. Mr. Sagnon has developed a layering and bonding technique to work from within the surface of a painting in order to create greater depth and color. The oil paintings sparkle with vibrancy and bright, African colors! This is a perfect gift for you to own, or to give. 

Here is a beautiful African American Art Paintings of Musical Cherubs.  This is a framed print with delicate colors and detailed artistry brings this musical cherubs painting to life. The cherubs are playing a violin and a trumpet amidst roses and ribbons  

Friday’s Proverbs

When a man thinks he is too big or great to fall, it only takes a little thing to bring him down.

Massai shields are used not only as weapons in the Massai culture of Kenya. They also express the African Wall Art and culture of the Massai people in Kenya.

Each shield is crafted from buffalo hide sewn onto a wooden frame. The handle is attached at the center back of the shield and wrapped with leather strips. Among the Massai, red paint was traditionally obtained by mixing earth with blood or the red sap of the solanum campylae fruit. White was derived from local clays, and black from the skins of burnt gourds. Younger warriors were only allowed the use of black, white, or gray on their shields, while red shields were for the senior warriors.

A Massai warrior is rarely seen without a spear and shield. Spears are a warrior’s most precious possession and are used for defending herds and the community against predators. Spears are used as walking sticks and staffs, most commonly seen thrust in the ground by the warrior’s side. The metal is kept rust-free by polishing it with animal fat. Wood separates the leaf-shaped blade from the sharpened end. Dark ebony wood is used only among senior warriors, where lighter wood indicates a junior.

In Massai culture, a boy grows into a junior and then senior warrior (mid teens-mid thirties). When a new age set matures to replace them, senior warriors become junior elders, and finally senior elders, or ancients. Warriors are protectors of the tribe. They are the first line of defense against animals such as lions, and outsiders. They are also expected to perform the hard work around the encampment.

Shields remain one of the Maasai warrior’s most important tools. They were used in warfare and hunting as well as practice and training. Outside of the warring context, however, shields were used in rites of passage and also functioned as prestige objects and symbols of identification. Early studies revealed that spear markings and shield designs were once used to tell between some of the Massai subgroups and also hinted at a larger, complex lineage identification system. Shield designs are known as sirata. Different designs and colors represent different things; a red badge signifies great bravery in battle and is only painted with the permission of a high-ranking chief. The intricacy of design and high craftsmanship of Maasai shields extend beyond utilitarianism and convey the sense of honor and status with which their warrior owners were invested.

Friday’s Proverb

Change   ~   Art   ~   Quality

Africa is a truly unique continent. With over 53 countries, and about a thousand different languages; this is a land where diversity is normal. While in Africa, one finds different ethnic living styles within ten miles of each other to be the norm. Even though group loyalties run very deep, people still have long-standing relationships with each other.

Find out the most astounding change in Africa

Africa today is changing at a pace faster than has ever been seen in the history of civilization. Changes that took many centuries to complete in Western Europe and North America have taken place in just a few short decades in Africa.

Where else in all of history have we ever seen people moving so quickly from tribal societies to modern nations? Progress in African nations has been happening at a rate, and in a manner not experienced anywhere else on the globe.

The goals of independence and nationalism among many of Africa’s people, has sped up the process of breaking down barriers between tribal groups. This merging of tribal cultures has further weakened the traditions already made weak from contact with western civilization.

Art is one of the most important parts of any culture

In Africa traditional art is becoming a thing of the past as quickly as the continent changes. With the disappearance of traditions and other aspects of African culture, works of traditional African art are becoming more and scarcer. The art of previous generations was produced to meet religious and social needs that no longer exist within most groups of Africans today.

Quality works of ancient African art are harder to find

The value of African art has gone up accordingly; and much of the traditional artwork has left the continent for private collections overseas. People living in poverty will often give up family heirlooms; some passed down through generations; in order to survive.

Artisans who create African art are also adopting new world views. This makes traditional work of modern vintage somewhat less meaningful and true to the original heritage. Just as the culture of Africa is changing fast, in the same way its art, as a reflection of that culture, also changes quickly.

New African art is not by any means inferior however, just different. Just as modern Western art has taken prominence over older forms, so too, modern African art is replacing the traditional. This brings with it its own new meaning and aesthetic significance. African culture is shown through art in paintings and sculpture, as well as in jewelry and other items of everyday life.

Friday’s Proverb

Once the mushroom has sprouted from the earth, there is no turning back.

(Luo proverb)

Mme Kounte is one of our mudcloth painters. She has been painting for a long time, and is quite skilled in making the designs. She’s actually from the Bozo ethnic group, which is mainly comprised of fishermen from along the Niger River.  However, her husband, (also from the Bozo ethnic group) became a tailor and she went into mudcloth painting. She has five children, one of whom is shown here with her.  She likes to work on the mudcloth that she makes for us, and if you ever purchase a piece of mudcloth, know that Mme Kounte was probably one of the painters who painted on some of the creative designs in your piece of African paintings called mudcloth.

Friday’s Proverb

Usman Sagara. This smiling gentleman works doing specialized traditional African carvings. He makes the Dogon seated couples for us, one of which he’s holding in this picture. His family origins are of the Duru ethnic group, a group in the Dogon region of Mali, West Africa. He is a very conscientious worker, always faithfully striving for high quality. Usman is a very serious family man, and has been working on traditional carvings ever since childhood.

Wednesday’s Recipe

African Squash and Yams (Futari)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion; chopped, pared and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 pound hubbard squash; pared and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 medium-sized yams or sweet potatoes
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Cook and stir onion in oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about five minutes longer.

Sade Toure is a bronze caster in the Ivory Coast, in a village called Nangalako.  His family has lived there for as long as he can remember, and all of them have been bronze casters, and other African Art. They pass down the tradition from generation to generation. Sade is a real artist, with a passion for creative designs in bronze work.  Using the traditional lost-wax method, he is finding it harder and harder to find buyers for his traditional work. His traditional work is time consuming and most buyers simply want the lowest price they can get.  We were happy to find one of the remaining lost-wax artists and love the opportunity to display the traditional, premium quality, bronze work that he creates.  He is a family man, married with two children, a boy and a girl. Sade also works doing some farming in his nearby garden.

Wednesday’s Recipe

Hummus

 INGREDIENTS:

• Tin of chick peas (drained)
• 4 table spoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grounded coriander
• 1 teaspoon grounded cumin
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a blender and blend until almost smooth. Taste great on toasted bread, bagels, and crackers or in sandwiches.

Ebony wood is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood found only in the Sahara desert regions of Africa. Its exceptional density not only makes it very heavy, but also gives it an incomparable sheen when polished. Because of the high value and heaviness of this wood, only the master carvers of Africa are able to use it for their craft. They use simple hand tools to produce the works of art sold at NewAfricanAmericanStore.com. In ancient days, the royalty of Persia and India would travel to West Africa to find ebony to use for scepters, sculptures and drinking chalices. Even now ebony is considered the most valued and treasured wood to be found. Ebony normally is brown on the outside of the tree; and black on the inside. The carvings often come as a beautiful mixture of black and brown; as well as the pure blackwood that is most well known. Each has its own special beauty. Like any wood, ebony is subject to drying and cracking: especially in dry climates. Your wood pieces should be cared for with occasional polishing with shoe polish or other moisturizing agents.  Click here to find other Black Art and African Décor.

A male with a weapon or animal (commonly a horse) is produced to show honor to departed ancestors. Animals are rarely sculpted for the purpose of showing the inward or outward beauty of the animal, but to give status to the person. Even today, many in Africa would consider the ownership of a horse to be of greater status than the ownership of an automobile. Showing a person with a horse would then be giving great honor to them. Sometimes people are shown with animals that are not really used; possibly even mythical. The purpose is to show the power given to one who rides such an animal, and the wealth that they must have. 

As women achieve significance through their children, men will often be honored in warfare. The one who goes to battle must have physical, emotional and spiritual energy to survive and to conquer. Thus we have the emphasis on weapons and the spoils of war in many African works.  See some African Figurines.

Wednesday’s African Recipe

Candied Yams from West Africa

 INGREDIENTS:

• 6 Med. Yams
• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 8 Tbsp. Margarine
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Step #1 - Peel yams and slice lengthwise.

Step #2 - Place yams in a large pot , cover with water, and bring to a boil.

Step #3 - Drain half of the water and put yams and remaining water in a large pan or skillet.

Step #4 - Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg.

Step #5 - Bring to boil and cook approximately 3 minutes

Step #6 - Add the remainder of the nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and the vanilla extract.

Step #7 - Spoon mixture all over the yams and let simmer for 15 minutes until the yams have absorbed all the syrup.

Step #8 - Remove from heat until ready to serve.

If you enjoy playing chess you will enjoy seeing this African chess set with  Massai Warriors.

The Massai warriors are one of the most prominent and respected ethnic groups in Kenya. Massai men, in order to become warriors, must go out alone into the bush and kill a male lion with their bare hands. The warriors are so greatly feared, it is told that lions and cheetahs will run away or stop their pursuits of game animals if a Massai warrior is anywhere close by. As soon as a Massai warrior is initiated their spear and shield are decorated with red paint, which is symbolic of their status in society. The Massai statues sold at Africa Imports are all hand-carved and hand-made by the Massai people of Kenya. When you own these you are owning a true piece of African culture, pride, and strength.

African Proverb:

“it is better to walk than curse the road”  - Wolof proverb, Senegal