Deck 29: Art of Africa in the Modern Era

Question 1

To communicate with __________ many African societies rely on a diviner.

A) shamans
B) animals
C) neighbors
D) spirits

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In Yoruba tradition, honoring a deceased __________ by creating a beautiful dwelling place for its spirit represents hope for the future, for survival, and for prosperity.

A) child
B) parent
C) twin
D) ancestor

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Olowe of Ise was a highly regarded __________ woodcarver.

A) Yoruba
B) Dama
C) Bwa
D) Baule

Answer 3

A

Question 4

One aspect of the Bwa initiation ceremony includes instructing the initiates about the world of __________.

A) libraries
B) nature spirits
C) banking
D) cooking

Question 5

Kuba funerary rites involve the performance of masquerade figures assuming roles associated with _______________.

A) male and female
B) living and dead
C) children and elders
D) earth and sky

Question 6

Africans make figures emphasizing health and well-being to encourage the birth and growth of __________.

A) children
B) crops
C) herds
D) buildings

Question 7

The Kuba create a variety of embroidered textiles that are used in celebratory festivals as well as in ____________.

A) disguised initiation ceremonies
B) armed funeral rituals
C) guarded everyday activities
D) decorated divination practices

Question 8

The large central "X" on Bwa masks represents the __________ that every initiated Bwa wears as a mark of devotion.

A) ash
B) bones
C) hat
D) scar

Question 9

Weavers of kente cloth are traditionally __________.

A) women
B) men
C) children
D) kings

Question 10

Before the nineteenth century, the most important external influence on African cultures was __________.

A) Islam
B) wealth
C) Christianity
D) rum

Question 11

Whenever the okyeame or __________, for an Ashanti ruler spoke on behalf of the ruler, he held a staff.

A) father
B) spirit
C) spokesperson
D) shaman

Question 12

The Kuba people produce elaborate and sophisticated arts tied to __________.

A) kinship
B) shamanism
C) leadership
D) divination

Question 13

Nankani women decorate their adobe architecture with horizontal molded ridges, called yidoor, expressing _______.

A) cultural identity
B) good wishes for the family
C) the family's wealth
D) solidarity in the community

Question 14

The __________ care for a spirit spouse in hopes that life unfolds more smoothly.

A) Baule
B) Ifa
C) Yoruba
D) Bwa

Question 15

When first carved, nkisi nkonde are __________, but then gain power through use.

A) memories
B) neutral
C) curved
D) toys

Question 16

Following World War I, several __________ movements arose across Africa.

A) feminist
B) religious
C) Marxist
D) nationalist

Question 17

Yoruba palaces had elaborately decorated __________.

A) lintels
B) cantilevering
C) corbelling
D) woodcarving

Question 18

Eshu's image always appears at the top of the __________ board for the Yoruba.

A) divination
B) accounting
C) game
D) jumping

Question 19

Olodumare of the __________ peoples is almost never depicted or portrayed in art.

A) Baule
B) Ifa
C) Yoruba
D) Bwa

Question 20

Terra cotta figures created by Nok artists are the earliest known __________ from sub-Saharan Africa.

A) toys
B) weapons
C) money
D) sculptures

Question 21

Throughout the colonial period and after World War II, many African artists trained in __________.

A) Japan
B) Europe
C) China
D) India

Question 22

What is the function of nkisi nkonde?

A) It is a ritual object commissioned after the death of an infant.
B) It is a decorative object resembling traditional sculpture, which is popularly sold in markets today.
C) It is an object that harnesses powers that will alleviate the specific problems of its owner.
D) It is a special type of reliquary kept on domestic ancestral altars.

Question 23

Which of the following does NOT apply to the black nowo masks worn in Sande initiation rites?

A) It is worn by the initiates as a sign of their transformation.
B) It symbolizes the ideal of feminine beauty in the culture.
C) It is worn by the person responsible for preparing girls for adulthood.
D) It compares the transformation to womanhood to the emergence of a butterfly.

Question 24

Why might a Baule man have an image made of the spirit-spouse?

A) because he misses his deceased wife
B) as a wedding gift for his future wife
C) because he has not married
D) as a sign of his initiation into adulthood

Question 25

Why do many African cultures emphasize the importance of maintaining relationships with ancestral spirits?

A) They provide an-ongoing spiritual connection to the past.
B) They could cause harm if they are displeased.
C) They guard and control entry into the spirit world.
D) One's status in life is based on their ancestral heritage.

Question 26

Which of the following is an example of how African art has changed in recent history?

A) Masks are not commonly worn in ritual performance.
B) Photographs and plastic dolls are used in the place of traditional ritual objects.
C) Traditional objects have been altered to appeal more to the taste of tourists and collectors.
D) All of the above.

Question 27

The __________ sacked and burned the Benin Royal Palace in 1897.

A) Chinese
B) British
C) Swiss
D) Russians

Question 28

What aspect of Bwa initiation rites developed in response to the threat of slave raiders in the nineteenth century?

A) telling members of the community that initiates had been devoured by wild beasts
B) the use of wooden masks with geometric designs
C) separating initiates from younger playmates
D) forcing initiates to remove their clothes and sleep on the ground without blankets

Question 29

Why are major deities rarely depicted in African art?

A) There is a prohibition against iconic representation of gods.
B) Deities are only used for divination purposes.
C) Deities are too far removed from the everyday problems of people.
D) Deities are considered malevolent forces to be feared.

Question 30

How were colonialist administrators in the Congo and Angola depicted in the art of the Nkanu peoples?

A) they appear as animals who have been hunted and killed
B) hieratic scale suggested their colonialist authority
C) they were shown as youth initiates in individualized "portraits"
D) through symbols recognizable by members of the community

Question 31

Among the Chokwe peoples, the nganga, or __________, interprets the results of multiple tosses of the ngombo.

A) diviner
B) chief
C) mother
D) son

Question 32

Which statement does NOT apply to the masks associated with bwami, a voluntary association that is the basis for the Lega people's political system.

A) They cover the initiate's face until the end of the ceremony.
B) They symbolize continuity between ancestors and the living community.
C) They are often colored with white clay and fitted with a long beard made of plant fibers.
D) A heart-shape face and raised features are carved into an oval-shaped head.

Question 33

Prior to the twentieth century, African art collections in the West were typically housed in ___________.

A) art museums
B) museums of natural history and ethnography
C) private universities
D) all of the above

Question 34

Why is the display of African masks in museums problematic?

A) According to tradition, many masks should not be viewed by outsiders.
B) Their full meaning can only be understood in the context of ritual performance.
C) Most masks are made of ephemeral materials and deteriorate rapidly in a museum collection.
D) All of the above.

Question 35

Which figure is NOT called upon by the Yoruba people for the purpose of divination?

A) Olodumare, the creator god
B) Orunmila, a god who represents certainty, fate, and order
C) Eshu, a capricious god who loves to disrupt things that are going well
D) Diviners, who consult all Yoruba gods

Question 36

In the view of many African cultures, a person's death is comparable to __________.

A) a child's birth
B) the initiation ritual for young men and women
C) a long journey
D) sleep

Question 37

The performance of children in Yoruba masquerades is viewed as _____________.

A) entertainment for the adults
B) training for the future
C) a taboo practice
D) a rite of passage

Question 38

In African cultures, the political use of art is closely associated with __________.

A) post-colonial concerns of nationalism
B) a leader's connection to the spirit world
C) asserting a distinct cultural identity
D) underscoring a ruler's elite status within the community

Question 39

Progression to higher grades of the Lega people's bwami association depends on the candidate' s character and __________.

A) gender
B) ability to pay
C) hereditary lineage
D) ethnic background

Question 40

What distinguishes nkisi nkonde from other nkisi?

A) It is used to avenge one's enemies.
B) Specific medicinal ingredients are used to focus its spiritual powers in a particular direction.
C) It is used by the Kongo culture.
D) It has a beard.

Question 41

For the Lega people, bwami __________ symbolize continuity between the living community and the spirit realm and are typically exquisitely made at the highest level.

A) homes
B) masks
C) skirts
D) tables

Question 42

The Dogon dama is a collective __________ ritual that is held every 12 to 13 years.

A) courtship
B) wedding
C) initiation
D) funerary

Question 43

The Yoruba Palace Door by Olowe of Ise (29-20) depicts _____________.

A) a common Yoruba ritual
B) the king receiving a colonial administrator
C) portraits of the royal family
D) all of the above

Question 44

Considered among the great masterpieces of African art, bieri sculptures served what function in Fang society?

A) They were guardians of ancestral relics.
B) They provided a focal point for meditation and veneration of ancestors.
C) They reflected the Fang's desire for balance among opposing forces in the universe.
D) All of the above.

Question 45

The doors of Yoruba palaces are often decorated with _______________.

A) complex geometric patterns indicating royalty
B) symbolic and narrative images carved in high relief
C) cast bronze relief panels depicting ancestral rulers
D) painted images of spirit beings who guard the palace

Question 46

Kente __________ was originally reserved for state regalia.

A) wood
B) cloth
C) fire
D) metal

Question 47

African art was frequently regarded as the work of __________ cultures and was placed in natural history or ethnographic museums.

A) primitive
B) advanced
C) european
D) aggressive

Question 48

Most Bwa masks depict spirits that have taken a(n) __________ form.

A) alien
B) eccentric
C) animal
D) elemental

Question 49

What African tradition(s) are evoked in the work of contemporary artist El Anatsui (29-24)?

A) the performative context of sculptural masks
B) the surface design in textiles
C) the use of ephemeral materials such as leaves, grass, and feathers
D) none of the above

Question 50

Clients drive a __________ or other pointed object into a nkisi nkonde to activate its powers by getting its attention.

A) nail
B) stick
C) pen
D) finger

Question 51

Which object is NOT used as a divination tool in Africa?

A) a board sprinkled with white wood dust
B) a rattle and shallow covered basket
C) coral beads
D) palm nuts

Question 52

Numerous tradition-based societies persist in __________.

A) Europe
B) Africa
C) Asia
D) Pacific Islands

Question 53

How is the authority of the Kuba nyim displayed publically?

A) he carries a gilded wooden scepter
B) the geometric woven decoration on the walls of royal buildings
C) elaborate kente cloth regalia characterized by a distinctive royal pattern
D) a large palace decorated with carved sculpture

Question 54

In many African cultures, a diviner is someone who ______________.

A) makes sacred art including masks, sculptures, and ceramic wares
B) speaks for the tribal elders
C) maintains cultural secrets regarding ritual ceremonies
D) mediates between this world and the supernatural

Question 55

Which statement does NOT apply to the kente cloth produced by the Ashanti culture?

A) It is an ancient tradition in the culture.
B) It was originally used for state regalia.
C) Weavers are traditionally male.
D) It is made of various materials including cotton, silk, and rayon thread.

Question 56

Performed as part of __________ for men in the Kuba region, the Ngady mwaash masquerade reflects the culture's gender roles.

A) initiation ceremonies
B) wedding rituals
C) funeral rites
D) divining sessions

Question 57

The domestic architecture of the Nankani people in west Africa is painted in distinctive _______patterns.

A) human
B) organic
C) geometric
D) animal

Question 58

Yoruba sculptural figures are typically __________ in size and static in position.

A) tall
B) rotund
C) short
D) mismatched

Question 59

What traditional practice in Yoruba culture is used to determine the source of a client's problem?

A) rituals involving a medicinal herb that induces visions
B) a session where opposing forces of order and disorder are mediated through a diviner
C) a trial of endurance enacted as part of an initiation ceremony
D) consult with a tribal shaman

Question 60

Swahili developed from the longtime mingling of Arabic with local __________ languages.

A) Latin American
B) Indo-European
C) Asian
D) African

Question 61

The Nankani people have gender-specific projects when creating domestic architecture. Men build the structures, what main role do women undertake?

A) stock the kitchen
B) decorate the structure
C) prepare the garden
D) search for materials

Question 62

How does art in Africa relate to the world of ancestors and other spirits?

Question 63

Why does tradition-based art in Africa appear in such a wide variety of forms?

Question 64

Why do the Bwa use wooden masks now?

Question 65

How do the Chokwe use divination?

Question 66

How do masks relate to ceremonial events in African art?

Question 67

What are some of the foundations of African culture?

Question 68

What rites of passage are commemorated in African art?

Question 69

How did the Nkanu peoples confront colonial domination through art?

Question 70

Why do some contemporary African artists continue to use indigenous traditions?

Question 71

The Dogon people are located in what country in west Africa?

A) Mali
B) Nigeria
C) Kenya
D) Angola

Question 72

How do leaders in Africa use art if it isn't intended to convey their authority and status?

Question 73

How is contemporary African art different than tradition-based African art?

Question 74

Why do we need to understand African art within the context of its use?

Question 75

The Fang people use what type of wooden sculpture as a point of mediation between ancestors and the living?

A) temple guardian
B) twin figure
C) tomb guardian
D) reliquary guardian

Question 76

Why does African art idealize the spirits of community leaders and others?

Question 77

What is the prestige attire of the Kuba nyim?

Question 78

How are nkisi nkonde an example of an object transformed by use?

Question 79

What does the term Erie Ibeji mean?

A) image of a chief
B) image of a mother
C) image of a twin
D) image of an animal

Question 80

What is an example of tradition-based art produced in Africa today?