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| Notes and Information - African Humanities (HUM 2420) |
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Spring 2008- WEEKLY NOTES FOR AFRICAN HUMANITIES:
Texts: Achebe "Things Fall Apart"; Virginia Museum " African Art"; Willet "African Art"' and Witt "The Humanities"- special edition- blue cover.
4/24 Final Exam next week. If you missed a test, you need to take the final exam; if you missed a quiz, you need to come to make-up the quiz. Monday we will meet to go over grades. The final is comprehensive, so study your notes. The images will cover the ASSIGNED IMAGES for all four tests and will count about 50%. NO PARAGRAPHS- only identify by title and culture (such as "Pyramids- Egypt" "Royal Linguist's Staff- Asante" "Beaded Crown -Yoruba").
4/14 Test #4 on Wed. 4/23 covering the Congo, Ethiopia, Eastern Pastoralists (Masai) and video on art.
Study Guide below. This week the Eastern Pastoralists- focus on the Masai. Handout on office door/ video "Savanna Marriage" with study guide.
Images:
CONGO/ZAIRE:
1. Kuba Mask 86 VM (elephant mask-Mukenga);
2. Nail Festish 423 Witt/ 227 W;
3. Luba Stool 30 VM, 205 W.
ETHIOPIA: Stela/Needle and Church of St. George on Handout
MASAI: Male dress/ hair on handout.
MAP: add to previous modern countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. Responsible for earlier assigned countries and rivers.
ESSAY: You will answer in class with min. of 250 words, "Compare and contrast the societies in Western Africa (Yoruba, Benin, and Asante) with that of the Eastern pastoralists (Masai). Consider such areas as the family, social and political structures, the decorative and body arts, housing, gender roles, food production, rituals and religious beliefs, etc. What cultural aspects do they share? What cultural aspects are different?
4/8 Ethiopia- Handout (on office door) and video "The Holy Land" from Wonders of the African World- on reserve in library.
4/3 This week 1) Central African- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo River basin: The Kongo, Kuba, Luba peoples and their arts. Video "Art, Women, History: The Luba people."
2) Quiz #4 on Willett Chapter 6. Video "Understanding African Art" - 20 min. available on reserve in the library.
Discussion re difference between African art and traditional Western art.
3/27 NEXT WED. IS QUIZ #4- Study guide below:
Chap. 6 Willett : Understanding African Sculpture
Read pages 150-194
DO NOT TRY TO MEMORIZE THE IMAGES OR THE SOCIETIES. READ CLOSELY AND CAREFULLY. This study guide is NOT a replica of the quiz; however, it should help you process the material.
PROPORTIONS OF THE BODY:
What is different about the representation of the body? Why?
FUNCTION (Purpose):
What is an example of “social function?”
Do Africans produce art just for the beauty of it?
Is all African art religious?
How do the Bowoyo use lids?
Are all art objects cherished forever? Why or why not?
SCLUPTURE IN SETTING (Where it “lives”):
Is African art made to be viewed openly?
Or handled? What can happen?
Do masks retain their original power?
What is a “problem” with masks in museums?
STYLE:
Does each society have its “own” style or are styles “shared?”
P 182- What is one basic philosophy common to most cultures?
What is a common art “shape”? Why?
AESTHETICS (beauty):
What is a generally accepted aesthetic?
How closely should a work “look like?”
TEST 3 –NEXT WEEK !!
Benin, Slavery and Colonialism, the Asante
Map: Modern countries: Egypt, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mali, Ghana
Rivers: Zambezi, Nile, Niger
IMAGES: Title and society that produced. Write a paragraph
ASANTE:
Stool --w.192, Witt 423
Brass Goldweights- w 131
Kente cloth w 250, Witt 424
Linguist Staff VM34
Akua Ba dolls w. 108
BENIN:
View of City - w96
Plaque- w 99, Witt 376, VM 14
Head of Oba w- 100 , Witt 375
Photo of King w. 101
Since test 2, we have taken two quizzes and discussed Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart.”
The medieval kingdom of Benin: Early kingdom p 373, Ife and the myth of the first Oba, the Great Ewuare Oba; brassworks, praise poem, historical accounts of the Oba and his people, contact with Portugal, artworks.
Discussion of Slavery in Africa, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Colonialism.
Outline for next Monday’s introduction to the Asante
2/20 TEST NEXT WEEK!!! STUDY LIST BELOW:
TEST #2 Covers everything since test #1
Geography, Religion, Social customs; oral traditions; Zimbabwe; Medieval Kingdom of Mali; the Yoruba
PART 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE: ABOUT 50%
PART 2: MAP AND IMAGES: ABOUT 30-35%
MAP: Egypt, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mali, Nigeria
Rivers: Nile, Niger, Zambezi
Geographical/Climate map p 11 Willett.
IMAGES: #9 Images for identification (title and society only) and/or discussion (identification with paragraph). Part of Gordon Rule. Counts about 20-25%
ZIMBABWE:
Images from Handout
Pillow of Dreams VM p52
MALI:
The Sankore Mosque- Willett p120
Fulani VM 46
YORUBA:
Beaded Crown --VM38
Egungun Masquerade-- VM88, Willett 163
Ibeji Figures- Handout, Willett 219,86
Ifa Divination Board- Witt 423, Willet 79,80
Eshu-- VM 24
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