Deck 14: Arts of Africa to the Sixteenth Century

Question 1

When Koi Konboro, the 26th king of Djenné, converted to Islam, what did he transform into a mosque?

A) the city's ceremonial complex
B) his palace
C) a block of volcanic tuff
D) a marketplace

Answer 1

B

Question 2

After the fall of the Roman Empire, what was the amphitheater at El Jem used for?

A) storeroom
B) monastery
C) church
D) fortress

Answer 2

D

Question 3

As seen in rock art from around 8000 BCE to 2000 BCE, evidence of the geological changes in the Saharan region of Africa is found in vivid images of

A) figures dancing.
B) primitive masks.
C) handprints.
D) wildlife.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What caused the damage to the pyramids at Meroë (Fig. 14-6)?

A) dynamite
B) sand storms
C) climate change
D) fire

Question 5

Which objects were created specifically for trade with the Portuguese?

A) textiles from Kongo
B) brass plaques from Benin
C) ivory horns from Sierra Leone
D) gold figurines from South Africa

Question 6

The full, delicate lips and expressive eyes of Crowned Head of a Yoruba Ruler from Ife (Fig. 14-1) connect human anatomy with

A) the oba.
B) scarification.
C) the oni.
D) the toron.

Question 7

What cultural influence is apparent in Ethiopian manuscripts?

A) Nigerian
B) Portuguese
C) Byzantine
D) Egyptian

Question 8

Which of the following features is a characteristic of West African mosques?

A) strong, local, and quarried stone
B) battered walls that slope inward toward the top
C) projecting wooden beams called torons
D) square or circular plans

Question 9

What elements of the Kongolese Crucifix (Fig. 14-20) are more in keeping with an African aesthetic than European traditions?

A) the features of Christ
B) the presence of Mary
C) the size of the crucifix
D) the medium of the crucifix

Question 10

What characteristic feature appears in Nok sculptures of human figures and animals?

A) scarification
B) triangular D-shaped eyes
C) brightly painted costumes
D) eyes inlaid with glass and shell

Question 11

What suggests that Horseman (Fig. 14-12) represents a guardian figure or an ancestor?

A) the ornate bridle
B) the oval head
C) the jutting chin
D) the smoothed limbs

Question 12

What was the function of textiles in Kongo culture?

A) They were signs of protection.
B) They were used in marriage rituals.
C) They were exchanged as currency.
D) They were used as offerings.

Question 13

Before the seventeenth century, why was southern Africa such an important trading hub for Europeans?

A) It provided Europeans with raw goods, such as wood and rubber.
B) It produced luxury goods prized by the European elite.
C) It provided Europeans with much-needed spices.
D) It was about halfway between Europe and Asia.

Question 14

The technical skills of the Nok culture are demonstrated by their use of

A) bronze.
B) terra cotta.
C) glass.
D) ivory.

Question 15

The exterior walls at the Great Enclosure of Zimbabwe are topped with designs of

A) chevrons.
B) roses.
C) arches.
D) volutes.

Question 16

Which culture used structures that were meant to protect the inhabitants against extreme weather conditions?

A) Nok
B) Kongo
C) Bantu
D) Mousgoum

Question 17

Which of the following is characteristic of the unique style of Igbo-Ukwu?

A) idealized proportions
B) multiple registers
C) circular compositions
D) naturalistic forms

Question 18

What do the birds represent in Eusebius's Letter to Carpianus (Fig. 14-8)?

A) the canonical hours
B) the Garden of Eden
C) the Holy Spirit
D) the canon tables

Question 19

Why is the art of Benin considered "royal arts"?

A) All artistic subject matter was related to the oba, his family, and court life.
B) The oba commissioned works in brass and ivory.
C) Only members of the most elite class could become artists.
D) The lost-wax casting process was used to decorate thrones.

Question 20

In the thirteenth century, the numerous rock-cut sanctuaries at Lalibela in Ethiopia is evidence of the popularity of

A) Buddhism.
B) Hinduism.
C) Judaism.
D) Christianity.

Question 21

Old Djenné excavations have led to the discovery of hundred of polished, low-fire terra-cotta figures. In what country can Old Djenné be found?

A) Mali
B) Zimbabwe
C) Nigeria
D) Kongo

Question 22

What were the greatest exports of southern African societies?

Question 23

Discuss the Nubian relationship with Egypt.

Question 24

The earliest images of Saharan rock art are thought to date from at least

A) 40,000 BCE.
B) 10,000 BCE.
C) 25,000 BCE.
D) 60,000 BCE.

Question 25

Discuss how trade with other cultures impacted the art of West and Central Africa.

Question 26

How and when was Islam introduced into Africa?

Question 27

What are specific characteristics of Nok sculpture as seen in Head (Fig. 14-13)?

Question 28

What is the lost-wax casting technique?

Question 29

In what city did elite men and women live in a separate part of the city from the general population?

A) Mapungubwe
B) Great Zimbabwe
C) Aksum
D) Benin

Question 30

How did Benin rise, fall, and then rise again?

Question 31

The extraordinary artisans of the Yoruba peoples modeled flesh with what thin, parallel patterns?

A) acidification
B) scarification
C) rectification
D) justification

Question 32

What is the extensive iconography of the Hip Pendant of the Iyoba Idia (Fig. 14-16)?

Question 33

How did the Roman and Byzantine worlds influence African art?

Question 34

Focusing on the civilizations discussed in this chapter, explain how sub-Saharan art demonstrates an integral connection between a culture's rulers and religious beliefs.

Question 35

What is the term for horns exported to Europe and created by carvers from Sierra Leone (Sapi in Portuguese)?

A) bullhorns
B) vuvuzelas
C) oliphants
D) trumpets

Question 36

What are three concepts that are of great importance to the study of African history, and why?

Question 37

Discuss the bead trade in West and Central Africa.

Question 38

Rock art is found throughout the African continent. Discuss the scenes depicted on the examples of African rock art.

Question 39

What were some of the most popular imports to Africa?