Question 1

Typically, what is the largest feature on an African figure?&#10;A)The hands&#10;B)The stomach&#10;C)The figure's weapon&#10;D)The head

Accepted Answer

Typically, the largest feature on an African figure is the head.
Key Takeaway: Although there are a huge number of unique sculpture traditions in Africa, there are a great number of similarities, one of which is the heads of figures. Typically, the heads of African figures are disproportionately large-sometimes running as much as one-third of the entire figure. The reproductive organs on these features are also usually enlarged, with the bodies being extremely small.

Question 2

What was the purpose of the massive Great Enclosure at Great Zimbabwe?&#10;A)It was the home of the king&#10;B)It held prisoners of war and slaves&#10;C)It was the first zoo&#10;D)Its purpose is unknown

Accepted Answer

Its purpose is unknown..
Key Takeaway: The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are all that remain of the once magnificent capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which thrived from 1270 to 1550 CE. The huge monument was constructed, with building continuing through the 14th century. The area of the city spanned more than 1,700 acres and during the 11th century at its largest, it is estimated that it could have supported roughly 18,000 people. One of the city's most impressive features was its walls. The Great Enclosure was a structure in the interior of the city, composed of an imposing inner wall that circles a series of structures. Nobody knows for sure what the structure was used for, though some suggestions have been a residence for the elite or a temple.

Question 3

The subjects of the rock art of the Sahara and in southern Africa include all of the following except:&#10;A)Human pursuits&#10;B)Contact among different groups of people&#10;C)The use of technologies&#10;D)Collective knowledge

Accepted Answer

The subjects of the rock art of the Sahara and in southern Africa include all of the following except collective knowledge.
Rock art of the Sahara and southern Africa include topics such as human pursuits of herding and combat, as well as contact among different groups of people, and the use of horses and chariots.

Question 4

The pattern of the distribution of art seen in Africa today is a result of:&#10;A)Human ingenuity&#10;B)Human excavation&#10;C)Human migration&#10;D)Human innovation

Accepted Answer

The pattern of the distribution of art seen in Africa today is a result of human migration.
The arts followed along the paths of migrations and flourished in the resulting patterns of distribution seen in Africa today. Human migrations happened as a result of the Sahara desert growing.

Question 5

Art in Africa is similar to the art of the Indigenous Americas in that:&#10;A)The art is meant to be passive rather than participatory.&#10;B)The art is meant to be destroyed after creation&#10;C)The art is meant to be participatory rather than passive.&#10;D)The art is not meant to be destroyed after creation.

Accepted Answer

Art in Africa is similar to the art of the Indigenous Americas in that the art is meant to be participatory rather than passive.
Much of African art is meant to be participatory with the audience. Masks and figures are used in performative and religious acts in which the intended audience is expected to participate.

Question 6

The role of the diviner in African art is that of:&#10;A)Purchaser of art Purchaser of art&#10;B)Commissioner of art&#10;C)Custodian of art&#10;D)Prescriptor of art

Accepted Answer

The role of the diviner in African art is that of the prescriptor of art.
African art forms reflect the notion that human beliefs and interactions in Africa are inspired by the arts. Diviners usually played the role of a prescriber for the work that would be commissioned by a supplicant under the custodianship of the person who commissioned it.

Question 7

The use of the elephant mask was meant to influence the audience to:&#10;A)Announce the birth of a child&#10;B)Celebrate the marriage of royalty&#10;C)Honor the king's power&#10;D)Commemorate the life of a king

Accepted Answer

The use of the elephant mask was meant to move the audience to honor the king's power.
In Bamileke society, the elephant represents rule and power. The audience would understand that the use of an elephant mask in performative art would indicate the power of the king.

Question 8

The purpose of the portrait mask of Moya Yanso was:&#10;A)Honoring a respected member of society&#10;B)Enforcing the power of royalty&#10;C)Celebrating the birth of a child&#10;D)Celebrating the death of a mother

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the portrait mask of Moya Yanso was honoring a respected member of society.
The portrait mask of Moya Yanso honors Moya Yanso, a respected elder and dancer in 20th-century Baule society.

Question 9

A common misconception of African oral arts in present-day audiences is that:&#10;A)African oral arts are recited&#10;B)African oral arts are unchanging&#10;C)African oral arts are dynamic&#10;D)African oral arts are meaningful

Accepted Answer

A common misconception of African oral arts in present-day audiences is that African oral arts are unchanging.
African oral arts are commonly considered to be constant and unchanging, but oral arts have been and are still dynamic as they change along with their respective cultures.

Question 10

The creation of Lukasas demonstrates:&#10;A)The significance of beadwork in African cultures&#10;B)The significance of feathers in African cultures&#10;C)The significance of oral art forms in African cultures&#10;D)The significance of religious art in African cultures

Accepted Answer

The creation of Lukasas demonstrates the significance of oral art forms in African cultures.
Lukasas served as a memory aid that describes the origins of the Luba Empire. The master who has the skill and knowledge to read the Lukasa utilizes it as a mnemonic device. The master touches and feels the beads, shells, and pegs both to recount history and solve current problems.

Deck 1: (AP) Art History: Africa