All Flashcards
How does the Great Mosque of Djenné demonstrate continuity in African artistic traditions?
Through its use of adobe, a traditional building material in the region.
How do African sculptures reflect a common artistic tradition?
Through emphasis on fertility, use of symbolic materials like wood and ivory, and disproportionate figures.
How do African sculptures differ from European traditions?
Unlike the large Greek statues or Moai, African sculptures are small and portable, used in rituals and ceremonies.
How does the Great Zimbabwe reflect a departure from typical African architecture?
It uses ashlar masonry instead of mud or adobe.
How does the Great Mosque of Djenné blend artistic traditions?
It demonstrates both continuity (adobe) and innovation (decoration) in African art.
Compare the building materials of Great Zimbabwe and the Great Mosque of Djenné.
Great Zimbabwe uses ashlar masonry (granite), while the Great Mosque of Djenné uses adobe (mud brick).
Compare the typical scale of African sculptures to Greek sculptures.
African sculptures are typically small and portable, while Greek sculptures are often large and immobile.
Compare the proportions of figures in African sculptures to those in Greek sculptures.
African sculptures often feature disproportionate figures with large heads and thin bodies, while Greek sculptures emphasize realistic human proportions.
Compare the religious context of Great Zimbabwe and the Great Mosque of Djenné.
Great Zimbabwe was associated with traditional African religions, while the Great Mosque of Djenné is an Islamic religious structure.
Compare the construction techniques of Great Zimbabwe and the Great Mosque of Djenné.
Great Zimbabwe was constructed using precisely cut stones without mortar, while the Great Mosque of Djenné uses mud brick construction requiring annual re-plastering.
What is 'ashlar masonry'?
Precisely cut stones held together without mortar.
What is 'adobe'?
Mud brick used as a building material.
What is 'toron'?
Protruding poles in the Great Mosque of Djenné, used for scaffolding during annual repairs.
What is 'syncretism'?
The blending of different religions or cultures.
What was the 'Scramble for Africa'?
The invasion, occupation, division, and colonization of African territory by European powers during the period of New Imperialism, between 1881 and 1914.