Ivory Helped Bring Wealth To The Benin Culture

Using the Hofstede model of comparison, I will be comparing the culture of my home country, that is, the Republic of Benin and the United States of America. First, I will do a little background of Benin and the USA. Benin is located in West Africa and is in between Togo and Nigeria. Its official language is French mainly because it was colonized by France during the colonial period. Its population is 10 million and it is considered a developing country. On the other hand, the USA is located in North America. Some of its neighbors are Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. Its population is 321 million and English is its official language. The USA economy is the world's largest national economy. The location, population, national language and

One of the most popular food in the world. Chocolate! This delicious food is made from cocoa beans which are grown in pods on tree trunks.The production of cocoa beans have expanded over the years, from South America to the Europeans to the U.S. They originally were grown only in South America until Columbus brought them back from his last voyage. Since then cocoa has only grown in popularity. (Background Essay) The production of chocolate is poor for the Ivory Coast. First, the Ivory Coast isn’t earning enough money from the total income from exporting the cocoa beans for chocolate bars. Second, the agriculture on the Ivory Coast is terrible. Lastly, the cocoa production is affecting the existence of animals on the Ivory Coast.

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

Royal Arts of Africa show traditional work from the most historic tribal civilizations. Throughout centuries, African Art has enriched royal stature, authenticated noble influence, and honored past and present rulers. The Kom of northwest Cameroon, included in these historic tribal civilizations, molded statues symbolizing their very own royal families and prestige attendants of their kings’. The “Royal Figure” is a prime example of this kind of artwork that has lived through the Kom Kingdom’s history. This piece is constructed out of multiple mediums including wood, Indigo beads, raffia cloth, and iron, but beneath these materials lies a much deeper meaning. Symbolism, daily functions, history, and culture were all brought forward when

A group called the benin artists created a masterpiece that symbolizes royal authority and power. It’s a sculpture of 2 leopards designed as water vessels, used for when the oba washes his hands before ceremonies.

These beautiful figures are done in a special kind of work. A Hausa artisan talks about the making of the figures is, “done with clay and wax, and red metal[copper], and solder[zinc], and lead, and fire… Next it is set aside to cool, then the outside covering of clay is broken off” (Doc 7). This African culture wasn't the only cultural accomplishment in Africa; the Kingdom of Ghana reached a great feat in wealth from the Saharan gold and salt trade. An Arab scholar named Al-Bakri in 1067 described the kings county in Ghana as a, “domed pavilion around which stand ten horses with gold embroidered trappings.

Many people were involved in the ritual preparations (chiefs and officials, craft guilds, local community members). The craft workers, however, played a big role. They produced costumes and ritual parts for the royal. The plaques illustrate that as well as food supply aspects. These annual ceremonies still take place today in Benin.

Consider how Africa’s geography has changed over time. What positive and negative effects would these changes have had on human populations on the continent? As their new homes changed they were able to adapt due to their innovative mindset. This can be attributed to the new found organization thanks to language. Allowing Africans to grow and expand throughout the entire continent. Other factors that can be attributed are the change in geography for some parts such as the Sahara drying out and swamps and lakes disappeared.

In the sixth chapter there is a change in Ivory Christian’s life. He went from the typical party kid to a mature man of God. After his dream, he involved himself in the gospel, spending many of hours in his room listening to gospel music. Although he changed so much spiritually, he couldn’t get away from the game of football. During the Marshall game, he forgets all about his mixed feelings about football as he went up against Odell Beckham, who is now Odell Beckham Sr. Even though he didn’t particularly like the game of football, it was a part of his life that he couldn’t run away from. Football was a part of his destiny.

According to Joseph Eboreime, a Nigerian historian, the bronze heads are a visual history of the Benin Royal Family from before 1440 until 1897 (Woods, K. 2008, p. 12). It appears that the bronzes were seen only by the Oba and Royal Court with access to the royal compounds and rooms, during ceremonies commemorating their ancestors (Ben-Amos in Woods, K. 2008, p. 12) . It is also unlikely they were seen in situ by the Portuguese traders either (Pereira, D. P. also Pina, R. both in Woods, K. and MacKenzie, R. 2008, p. 33).

The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the early Roman Period is unique and beautiful in every way possible. This mask that is on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is about 3 feet tall to about 2 feet wide. This certain piece of magnificent art is extremely detailed with intricate designs covering it all around. The Museum of Fine Arts makes it easy to pay attention to, because of its detail and how the mask is displayed. The Mummy Mask has it’s own small alter with a spot light shining down on it creating dramatic shadows in a very dim room. The decorations include inlaid glass eyes, a gold leaf and is hand-painted and gilded glass. This mask is not paper maché like the masks that were made in this era; this Mummy Mask had been created out of cartonnage . The Egyptians decorated this masterpiece with bold vertical and horizontal lines representing rows of beads to go along with the story it tells. The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the first half of the first century A.D illustrates a gaze of innocence and acceptance while looking into the bright future of whom the mask was made for. Perfectly painted images covering the mask tell a story of the traditional funerary practices and the after life Egyptians believed in. Egyptians would create these pieces to fit over the heads of the lost lives wrapped inside the mummy. The mask represents the deceased transformed into a God . Although the face of the mask is idealized and emotionless, the decorations say and express more than a

In this sculpture it is representing the highest level Africans of European Society. The bronze is creating an atmosphere of royalty. African women are queens. The iconography of this statue displays the earrings as apart of African American culture. Every feature of this statue is exhibiting the culture of African American culture; such as the hair, the hair-wrap it is a symbol courage and true homeland of Africa. Also, including, the resistance to loss self-definition. The arm bracelet. By contrast, her eyes tell a story of pain and happiness that is slowly growing.

To be announced slavery is very twisted and abusive way to treat a human being. In both passages they talk about the history of the slave trade. Slavery is a very greedy burden to do to a person. There are numerous similar and contrasting fact about slavery.

Did you know? Songhai was one of the richest empires with gold jewels and precious gems. Songhai was located in West Africa. Did you also know? Sunni Ali was the first ruler of Songhai. Songhai was once under the rule of the Mali Empire. Songhai lasted from 1464 to 1591. The Silk Road lasted from 200 A.D to 1300 A.D. Did you know? that the Silk Road went from China to Europe and the Silk Road was between 4,000 and 5,000 miles long.

African art has played an important role in the culture of the world. The sculpture is the most common traditional culture expression for the African art. The different sculptures are shown by their local styles and they serve for the specific functions, such as religion. From some of these old art pieces, we figure out this kind of traditional culture expression already existed in the African for such a long time. In this paper, the art piece I am going to analyze is the Female Figure with Child and it made by Akan-Asante people. The Akan people of Ghana have been recognized for their various and attractive culture and it located in what are today Ivory Coast and the republic of Ghana in Western African. The Akan people are combined by different groups, such as the Anyi, Akawpim, Akyem, Aowin and Asante, and these people have their own dialect, but they share a lingua franca, which called Twi. The sculpture I choose could effectively reflect its own distinctive culture, because of the social connection reflect on the royalty, the comparison with other local art pieces, like Akuaba fertility dolls and its specific art form.