These decorated aprons were gifts from the groom’s family to his wife, and signified her new role in society.
Dr. Peri Klemm
These elaborate ear pendants and headdress were worn by Jewish or Berber women in modern-day Morocco
Amazigh (Berber) jewelry
This painting depicts the moment when the Ethiopian army defeated Italian aggressors, defending itself against colonization
Battle of Adwa
These carved wooden figures have human faces but animal attributes, and reflected the achievements of their owners.
Ikenga (Igbo peoples)
Odundo's pottery draws on traditions from around the world and reveals the relationship of clay to the body
Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo, Symmetrical Reduced Black ...
Odundo's pottery draws on traditions from around the world and reveals the relationship of clay to the body
Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo, Symmetrical Reduced Black ...
Twin figures known as Ère Ìbejì reveal how a Yorùbá mother navigates the loss of twins
Yorùbá artist, pair of twin figures (Ère ...
Ghanaian coffins are famous for their creative shapes
Paa Joe, Coffin the Shape of a ...
Arts practices on the African continent have evolved both independently of and in response to European imperialism.
African art and the effects of European ...
Initially, Westerners saw African art as a mere “curiosity,” but this began to change with the advent of modernism.
The Reception of African Art in the ...
The artist transforms metal from alcohol bottles into textiles that represent libations for ancestors.
El Anatsui, Untitled
Arts practices on the African continent have evolved both independently of and in response to European imperialism.
African art and the effects of European ...
Initially, Westerners saw African art as a mere “curiosity,” but this began to change with the advent of modernism.
The Reception of African Art in the ...
The high rate of twining among the Yoruba peoples gave birth to a genre of spiritual objects for mourning parents.
Ere Ibeji Figures (Yoruba peoples)
These figures were carved for Akan women unable to conceive—they’d ritually feed, carry, and care for them.
Akua’ba Female Figure (Akan peoples)
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Ancient Egypt
Is this a couple, or could this pair relate to a story from Dogon cosmology?
Dogon Couple (Dogon peoples)
This mask is a portrait of a particular woman, but was worn and danced by her male relatives.
Owie Kimou, Portrait Mask (Mblo) of Moya ...
The artist transforms metal from alcohol bottles into textiles that represent libations for ancestors.
El Anatsui, Untitled
The Mende initiation rite for young women is the only known masquerade tradition where the mask-wearers are female.
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