Deck 16: The Art of Africa and Islam

Question 1

The running horned woman from Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (figure 16.6) is an example of:

A) Rock art
B) A reliquary figure
C) A spirit spouse
D) An adinkra pattern

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Nok heads (figure 16.7) are characterized by:

A) Bold, stylized forms in stone
B) Naturalistic forms with holes in the mouths and eyes
C) Painted abstract faces
D) Bold, stylized forms in clay

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A Baule spirit spouse (figure 16.8) exhibits which characteristics of traditional African art?

A) Boldness of form, naturalism, and promotion of status
B) Power of art, boldness of form, and fascination with the human form
C) Promotion of status, predominance of certain methods, and use of wood
D) Diversity of media, promotion of status, and boldness of form

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Naturalistic heads made by the Yoruba (figure 16.11) in cast bronze are examples of:

A) Promotion of status, predominance of certain methods, and fascination with the human form
B) Power of art, boldness of form, and fascination with human form
C) Promotion of status, diversity of media, and power of art
D) Fascination with human form, diversity of media, and idealization

Question 5

Sculptures of kings' heads (figure 16.13B) created by Benin artists were made using the ______ technique and allowed new obas to ______ .

A) Modeling / instill fear
B) Lost wax casting / communicate with ancestors
C) Carving / depict history
D) Bronze / ward off evil

Question 6

One of the reasons that Islamic art shows a devotion to Arabic writing might be that calligraphy is:

A) Emotional
B) Nonrepresentational
C) Stylized
D) Formal

Question 7

The four dots at the center of the bowl from Central Asia (figure 16.17) are typical of Islamic art because they:

A) Show boldness of form
B) Are part of the writing
C) Form an abstract symbol of heaven
D) Are a mathematical expression

Question 8

One of the first significant buildings of the Islamic world is:

A) The Dome of the Rock
B) The Great Mosque of Kairouan
C) The Alhambra
D) The Sultan Hasan Madrasa-Mausoleum-Mosque

Question 9

The Great Mosque of Kairouan (figure 16.19) was patterned after:

A) A Byzantine church
B) Muhammad's home
C) The Holy Sepulchre
D) A madrasa

Question 10

A mihrab:

A) Is a visual symbol of the presence of Islam
B) Fits the form to the function
C) Is modeled on a Byzantine church
D) Indicates the direction to face for prayers

Question 11

What were Mamluk elites obsessed with that is evident in their art?

A) Having gardens in their buildings
B) Showing off their status
C) Covering their floors with carpets
D) Displaying representational art

Question 12

Mosque lamps, like the one from the Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar (figure 16.21), were donated to promote status in society, but also contained what RELIGIOUS symbolism?

A) Enamel that symbolized calligraphy
B) Coats of arms that symbolized heaven
C) Light that symbolized God
D) Iwans that symbolized Muhammad

Question 13

The Court of the Lions in the Alhambra (figure 16.22) created an earthly paradise in a dry, hot climate. What religious themes were also present?

A) The garden of paradise and the concept that nothing is everlasting except God
B) Nothing is everlasting except God and the direction of prayer toward Mecca
C) Calligraphy praising God and the power of water
D) The scent of orange trees in the nearby gardens and ordered designs

Question 14

Sinan's Mosque of Sultan Selim II (figure 16.23) features a centrally planned space with a huge dome, influenced by Byzantine churches. What was the dome's meaning?

A) Reaching up to God
B) Immortalizing the power of the Ottoman Emperor
C) Outdoing the Byzantines
D) Triumphing over enemies

Question 15

What is one interpretation for what the symbols on the design of the Ardabil Carpet (figure 16.24) represent?

A) The garden of Eden
B) The koran
C) The mihrab in a mosque
D) The ceiling of a mosque

Question 16

Early African art contains both abstraction and realism.

Question 17

Traditional African art emphasizes painting and other two-dimensional art forms.

Question 18

Islamic art shows a preference for naturalism.

Question 19

Some early mosques were styled after Muhammad's house.

Question 20

Mamluk art could be both secular and religious.

Question 21

Early abstract sculptures of clay heads (figure 16.7) found in Nigeria are named after the town of _____.

Question 22

The traditional African art form that incorporates costume and performance is referred to as _______ .

Question 23

The devotion to Arabic writing in Islamic art means that many works are decorated with ________ .

Question 24

A niche in a mosque that indicates the direction of prayer is called a ______ .

Question 25

The _________ in Sinan's Mosque of Sultan Selim II (figure 16.23) reaches up toward God.

Question 26

How is the head of an oni from the Yoruba culture (figure 16.11) both similar to other traditional African art and different?

Question 27

Explain how the shrine and head of an oba (figure 16.13A and B) illustrate the six characteristics frequently found in traditional African art.

Question 28

the meanings and appearances of the Dome of the Rock (figure 16.18) to the Great Mosque of Kairouan (figure 16.19). How do these structures show different architectural styles between the Umayyads and the Abbasids?

Question 29

One of the characteristics of African art is a preference for certain media, including sculpture and performance. One type of art form similarly is prevalent in Islamic art, specifically architecture. Why is this and how does this structure fit with the themes of Islamic art?

Question 30

Explain how The Ardabil Carpet (figure 16.24) exhibits themes that are often evident in Islamic art. (Hint, you may not see all of the themes.)