ART AND AESTHETICS: The Artistic Enterprise in Pre/Postcolonial African Societies

Art and Aesthetics Defined Concepts of Beauty Two Manifestations of Beauty: Outer Beauty –Ewa Ode Inner Beauty —Ewa Inu Iwa – Being, Character, site of Personality/Spirituality

Artistic Criteria Ephebism Youthfulness Shinning Smoothness Luminosity Emotional Proportion Social Proportion Completeness Functionality Polyrhythms The Head —Ori as a site of spirituality, shrine, and altar 2 manifestations: Outer Head —Ori ode Inner Head —Ori inu

Head of an Ooni, Ife, Nigeria 11 th /12 th century Leaded Brass

Fragment of an Executioner Ife, Nigeria 11 th /13 th century Terracotta

Lajuwa, royal usurper Terra-cotta, Ife, Yoruba, 12/15 th cent.

(odo) Ephebism: relative youthfulness

Ooni, Leaded brass, Appr.18.in.

Ife, Yoruba, 14/15 th cent.

(Pipe) completeness & emotional proportion

Sango Shrine Sculptures, Yoruba, Nigeria Wood, 20 th cent.

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aesthetics of social proportion

Bronze Plaque, Appr.21.in.

Benin, Nigeria, 16/17 th cent.

Aesthetics of social proportions

Sowei Headdress, Sande society, (Gola, Vai Peoples) Liberia Sierra Leone Wood, pigment 20 th century

Relative luminosity/shinning smoothness

Kente, hand-woven fabric, Ghana, 20 th . Cent,

aesthetics of polyrhythms

Linguist staff, Wood, gold leaf, 20 th Cent.

Metaphor of leadership

Fire spitter mask (kponugu), Senufo, Ivory Coast Wood, 20 th century

art as metaphor

Edan Ogboni, Yoruba, Nigeria Bronze 19 th century Metaphor for cooperation And coexistence