Mega thread

Sculpture in African art (ex-north)

-Colossal
-Life-size
-Miniature
-Realism, etc

The oldest are from the kerma kingdom (2500-1500BC)
The meroites of kerma (kush) had perfected life-size sculptures by the napatan era (900-300BC)

statue of a kushite princess https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1291323353085751296
Contemporaneous with natapan kush was the nok neolithic culture of central Nigeria

It produced several anthropomorphic and zoomorphic terracotta sculptures from 1500BC-1BC https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1117706229776703488
In the 13th century, the artists of the Kingdom of ife had mastered sculptural realism using pure (unalloyed) copper <a rare artistic feat>, along with independent glass manufacture and colossal sculpture

Life-size "Olokun" head from ife https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1086935048815853568
In the 9th century, the artists of the Nri Kingdom in southern nigeria produced highly realistic, life-size bronze sculptures covered with intricate carvings and motiffs

snail-shell in cast-bronze from igbo ukwu https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1111549603718090754
Limestone sculptures and throne from the pre-aksumite Kingdom of D'mt in Ethiopia (800-300BC)

Several sophisticated stone sculptures survive from ethiopia's first kingdom they include depictions of altars, royals and sacred animals https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1250373793954103296
Standing at a colossal 22 feet, this pair of meroitic sculptures from Tabo, argo island were one if the tallest in the ancient world

They were part of a tradition of archaising by the meroitic-era kings imitating napatan-era (esp. 25th dynasty) sculpture https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1194551588574179331
Relief sculpture of one of two (slightly large than life-size) lions on the deffufa temple, kerma Kingdom - 1700BC https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1133681217889492993
13th century equestrian sculpture of a Mali empire horseman

One of several depictions of equestrian figures from the Inland Niger Delta region then dominated by the Mali empire https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1069862475603066880
A 15th/16th cent. carved-ivory salt-cellar from Benin

One of the the best executed ivory sculptures from Benin, such were mostly made for export

Benin's artists were master ivory carvers; able to incorporate various themes to suit different markets https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1083323690539016193
Pure copper life-size mask of king obalufon II, patron of the arts, ife Kingdom from the 14th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1225736193305956352
16th/18th century ivory bracelets from the kingdom of Owo

Owo ivory carvers were active in several yoruba art centres like Benin https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1166631453473607680
A carved-ivory sideblown oliphant from the kingdom of Kongo inventoried in 1553

Carved ivory pieces were one of kongo's biggest exports, many were retained for the local market often as a store of wealth https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1156533302809026561
Anthropomorphic lion in the shape of a male sphinx from the mid-first millennium BC, pre-aksumite eritrea

The sphinx is one of several from eritrea with egypto-nubian influences https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1124230135966773248
Brass relief plaque from the kingdom of Benin depicting a war scene, 1530AD

One of the most detailed of the palace plaques; the artist expertly portrays all weaponry, armour, status markers of ("forest-region") westafrican warfare in its medieval era https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1162287440805027840
Hathor-headed crystal, gilded pendant from the napatan-era royal cemetery of el-kurru in Sudan, 8th century BC

One of the best rock-chrystal sculptures from the kingdom of kush during the 25th dynasty https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1070656440950550529
Life size terracotta sculptures from the 14th-15th cent., owo Kingdom

While no colossal or life-size sculptures survive intact, a few are almost complete; enough for art historians to conclude that yoruba artists created colossal figures in terracotta https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1276142337106808834
Archer figure from jebba temple, ife Kingdom, 1365AD https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1296734889874685953
Ivory ceremonial mask of benin's queen Mother Idia from the 16th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1212332576502931457
Meroitic-era and napatan-era bronze sculptures https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1169922025579831298
Bronze sculptures of rams heads from the 9th century -igbo ukwu https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1195285875854315520
Lifesize bas-relief of sumuyafa ashwa; aksum's viceroy of its Yemen colony from 530AD wearing typical aksumite garb https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1148874548533768192
Terracotta of a seated dignitary from the nok neolithic culture in the early first millennium BC -central Nigeria https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1055899021104107522
17th-19th century brass sculptures of a rooster and a Benin warrior with a leopard

(Tame) leopards were kept at the Oba's court https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1200360765720539136
14th century copper-alloy sculpture of an ife royal https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1153952790856785920
13th century miniature terracotta statues of a horseman and a leaning man from the inland niger delta region https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1197857315308875777
Carved ivory double gongs from benin depicting the oba and his attendants -16th/17th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1207250533138026496
Intricately carved lidded vessel and armlet from the Owo Kingdom ,17th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1112648804606660608
Bronze head of a meroitic-era queen of the Kingdom of kush wearing the typical kushite cap-crown from the 1st century AD https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1247839166144135168
Brass head of the Benin queen Mother (Iyoba) Idia from the 16th century

One of the most prominent figures in benin's history https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1103975937320865792
Terracotta figures of archers from the inland Niger delta region between the 11th-15th cent.

Some of these depict the founder of the Mali empire sudiata keita who excelled at archery as famously memorised in the mali-soso war (battle of kirina :1235AD) https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1237695519016865798
Rock crystal, silver and gold sculpture of a ram-headed figure, marble sculpture of a cat and a bronze lamp with a horse

From the napatan-meroitic Kingdom of kush (8th century BC - 1st century AD) https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1272096450219069441
Brass plaque and figure of European traders at the Benin court made between the 16th and 18th centuries https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1254397472966955011
Bronze ripped pot of igbo ukwu made in the 9th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1063009899611934721
Life size, realistic heads of ife royals in terracotta from the 13th-14th century AD https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1232631287376228353
Life size brass head of a female royal from ife; 13-14th century

One of the most prominent figures in ife's history is queen Luwo who in the 10th century paved the streets of ife with potsherds a tradition that spread to other westafrican cities https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1119162436899106817
Leopard and ram acquamaniles from the kingdom of Benin dated 16th-17th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1242767848465993731
Miniature sculpture of a rhinoceros cast in gold from mapungubwe, South Africa -13th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1109015329865228288
Highly ornate 9th century wine bowl from igbo ukwu in cast bronze https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1110473259504545792
brass plaque of a man hunting a bird in Benin city from the 16th century

One of several expressive plaques that depicted ordinary life in the Benin countryside https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1141976515539886080
sphinx of the ram-headed deity amun protecting the pharaoh taharqo of the 25th dynasty carved in granite
690BC https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1164124814786945025
Pure (unalloyed) copper sculpture of an ogboni priest from the kingdom of ife -14th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1143825125105516544
Wine cups with representations of elite figures carved in copper-alloy and wood from the kuba Kingdom -19th century, DRCongo https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1157272974652612609
14th century brass heads of ife royals with facial scarifications

In ife sculpture, those marked with facial scarification represent autochthonous figures according to art historian Suzanne Blier https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1131134182942486529
Brass plaque depicting the amufi acrobats in Benin city, 16th century https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1086644665816887299
Intricately carved wooden doors in high and low relief by the yoruba artist Olowe of Ise active in the late 19th and early 20th century

He made palace doors and temple doors for wealthy patrons https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1311614943482064896
Heads of the kushite king and egyptian pharaoh shabaqo of the 25th dynasty carved in granite

Late 8th century BC https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1214871661536829440
Highly ornate golden crown of the 19th century Ethiopian emperor tewodros II made in 1740AD (gondarine era) https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1075366473919553538
Commemorative mask of iyoba idia of Benin made in 1520AD
The mask has intricate carvings of various figures (in her hair) including benin soldiers and portuguese merchants https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1212332576502931457
Carved ivory tusks depicting life in the loango countryside during the 19th century

These were often made for export but almost solely represented local scenes and themes https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1268508381167464449
Memorial staffs depicting the yovogan in 1860AD cast in brass and iron https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1249270397851369474
Early third century BC
Lifesize statue of a reclining man at the meroe royal baths -capital if the kingdom of kush, Sudan https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1324299628892823553
Amonikoyi's copper-alloy face mask https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1256883171070824449?s=20
14th century terracotta lifesize heads from ife including one of a hippo in royal regalia https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1228270289714327553?s=20
Carved ivory ornaments and vessels from the Owo https://twitter.com/rhaplord/status/1344240350454554625?s=20
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