Fanti doll, clearly related in form ton the Ashanti akua ba. It has been claimed that both types of doll are Ashanti, and that the round-headed type is worn when girls is desired and the rectangular-headed type when a boy is wanted, but in fact they are the work of different peoples.
Africa, Art, Ashanti, Ashanti culture, Dolls, Featured, FRante, Modern Art, Primitive art
This photograph was produced for the fashion magazine Vogue. Man Ray’s girlfriend, Kiki, a singer, actress and model, embodies the ideal of beauty at the time, a chalk white, symmetrical oval face and cherry mouth. Man Ray used the Ivorian Baule mask, probably a copy made for the tourism market, to lend this Western beauty ideal an exotic connotation. In addition, the upright mask seems to be more alive than the recumbent face. The photograph by Man Ray corresponds with the surrealist conception that collisions such as this disrupt everyday reality. The surrealists often used art from Africa and Oceania in undermining the European tradition. In doing so, they did not pay heed to the original context and function of these objects
Unknown protagonists silenced by official sources, the Berbers (or Imazighen, as they prefer to be known) are the group of peoples who since ancient times occupied almost all of North Africa, from the Siwa oasis (west of Egypt) to the Atlantic Ocean, including the Canary Islands, and from the Mediterranean to the south border of the Sahara.
Throughout history they have gone by many other names (Mauri, Libu, Numidians, Gaetuli, Garamantes…) reflecting their internal, geographical, and cultural plurality.
The Imazighen have witnessed numerous migrations, colonisations, and invasions. All have enriched their identity, while reducing their population through assimilationist policies.
However, the Berbers survive. It is calculated that there are currently over 35 million Berber, 20 million in Morocco, while the European and American diaspora account for several million
The Amazigh identity or identities are today reflected above all in their language, TAMAZIGHT, in its different variations (Tarifit. Tashelhit, Tamahaq…). It is also reflected in their awareness of sharing a common legacy of traditions, celebrations, and customs, and finally in their willingness to accept this legacy as their own.
From the late 11th century, major dynasties from North Africa such as the Almoravid (lamțūna) and then the Almohad (masmuda) tried to reunify the Islamic West, reinterpreting Is lam and homogenising and highlighting the Amazigh language ge and culture which became driving forces for Islamisation. However, the influence of the Imazighen did not end there.
At the height of the hegemony of the feudal kingdoms, from the 13th century, a new power came into play, the Marinids. The ties between this emirate with its seat in Fez and that of the Nasrid in Granada were solid, with mutual influences and extensive exchanges. This can be observed in the Alhambra and the major institutional constructions (madrasa, maristan, gates…) but also in everyday ceramic goods. It has even been argued that a Maghrebisation took place in Granada.
Africa, Explore, Featured, Fez, Islam, Morocco, Museums, North of Africa, Primitive art
White faced mask of type used by the BaKota, BaLumbo, BaPunu, Mpongwe and several other tribes. Documented pieces have been collected among all these peoples. Among th BaPunu the wearer dances on sitis
Africa, Art, Cameroon, colours, Ethnic Patterns, Explore, Featured, Home Decor, Modern Art, Museums, Primitive art, Punu people, Tribal, White
Mask made by the Fang, given in 1905 to Maurice Vlaminck whom sold it to Andre Derain. It was seen also by Picasso and Matisse. This was not the first African sculpture to attract Valminck, but it appears to be the only one from this time wich is still certainly identificable.
Africa, Explore, Fang People, Featured, Home Decor, Mask, Matisee, Modern Art, Museums, Picasso, Primitive art, Sculpture, Travel, Tribal
Boho style has its roots in the French Word ‘boheme’ and the artistic bohemian concept.
Boho interior style is rich, versatile, colorful and relaxed, as the life of the nomads discovering new lands.
COLOUR PALETTE
The colour palette of this style is bright and intense: orange, yellow, purple, ultramarine and fuchsia make the house cheerful and cozy.
A boho-house is magnificently decorated with textiles, draperies, blankets, pillows, bright covers for furniture, carpets, exactly as the nomadic people do.
DÉCOR TIPS
Africa, Bohemian, Carpet, colours, Eclectic, Ethnic, Ethnic Patterns, Fashion, Featured, Home Decor, Marrakesch, Morocco, North of Africa, Rugs, Tribal, Wildlife
Stella Jean is an emerging Italian fashion designer, whose cultural identity often provides inspiration for her eponymous label. She collaborates with African artisans, based on the principle of increase in value, economic impact and respect for the territory, resources and traditions of the local communities who must be supported, while at the same time preserving ancestral knowledge – at risk of extinction – and opposing the debasing effect of imperialist homogenization
Her testament is how fashion, beyond aesthetics, can evolve into an instrument of counter-colonisation and become a vehicle for, and expression of, economic, social and ethical growth and enfranchisement.
The principles of an intentional, but never ostentatious, elegance are developed and expressed through sharp Italian artisanal tailoring. A mood whose uniqueness is revealed as a reflection of the designer’s personal multiculturalism, translated into the “Wax & Stripes Philosophy”, her veritable signature style.
Africa, Animal Print, colours, Ethnic Patterns, Fashion, Featured, Shops, Stella jean
Arts,Cities and Countries,History of Africa
Set up in Amsterdam, in 1983, at the instigation of its current President, Michel Leveau, the Olfert Dapper Foundation takes its name from a xviith-century Dutch humanist who, despite never leaving his native country, wrote an encyclopedic description of Africa, first published in 1668.
The purpose of this private non-profit organization is to raise the profile of sub-Saharan Africa’s artistic heritage and contribute to its conservation, by staging exhibitions and awarding research bursaries.
Director Christiane Falgayrettes-Leveau was on the Musée du quai Branly steering committee from 1999 to the end of 2004 and is a member of the Committee for the Memory of Slavery (CPME), set up on January 5th 2004.
Africa, Art, Cameroon, Explore, Featured, Ghana, Mali, Museums, Nigeria, Paris
Tadelakt is an ancient technique and a lime coating traditional from Marrakech and characterised by its shiny colour and waterproof effect. Tadelakt’s unique finish is achieved by using friction with a pebble and olive oil soap.
It can be used outdoor (even in bathrooms and floors) and indoor; and it has also inspired the creation of new building materials like micro-concrete.
Beyond its beauty and elegance, tadelakt is the symbol of northern African culture.
Africa, colours, Featured, Marrakesch, Morocc, potery, tadelakt
David Livingstone was a Scottish explorer who arrived to South Africa in 1841 as the minister of the London Missionary Society.
He worked in the region during 8 years; then he went to Kalahari Desert discovering the lake Ngami (1849) and Zambezi River (1851). Between 1852 and 1856 he started a trip from the Atlantic Ocean until the Indian Ocean, also discovering the Zambezi waterfalls on 16th November 1855, which became named the Queen of England (Victoria Falls) by Livingstone.
He lost contact during exploration towards the Lake Tanganyika; then the newspaper New York Herald organized an aid expedition leaded by Henry Stanley who in 1871 found him in the city of Ujiji, on the shores of the city, where the famous sentence was pronounced: “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”.
He died on 1st May 1873, in a tiny village somewhere in Zambia due to malaria and dysentery. He stood out for his fight against slavery.
