Africa: arts and cultures
Humans first evolved in Africa, walking
upright about five million years ago, and making the first tools
about two and a half million years ago using the opposable
thumb. The British Museum collection includes objects dating
from this time, but also represents historic and contemporary
societies across the continent.
Long before contact with Europe, several
African states, including ancient Egypt, Aksum, ancient Ghana,
Mali, Songhoy, Ile Ife, and the Benin kingdom, became well known in
different parts of the continent. Brass works from Ile Ife and from
Benin are among the most famous objects in the Museum collection.
Other states, such as the Asante Confederation, the Bakuba and
Buganda developed later.
The centralised government systems of these
kingdoms were based on the exclusive authority of the ruler, or
king, whose power was often justified through religious ideology.
They were the only ones who had the power to break social rules and
to take human life and could delegate it to selected
dignitaries.
If many of the kingship systems have now
vanished, some have succeeded to survive in modern states, still
playing important social, cultural and political functions in
regions such as Asante, Benin and Bakuba. Many other African
peoples live outside of centralised kingdoms. These include the
Nilotic peoples of the Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia, the Koi/San of
Southern Africa and the Tuareg of the Sahara.
Contemporary art, both for the art
market and for the indigenous market, thrives. Ancient
skills in ceramics textiles metalwork and sculpture continue
to flourish. The past century has seen the development
of new art forms such as the printed cloth known as kanga
in Eastern Africa, wax prints and fancy prints in Western and
Central Africa. Recycling of manufactured goods – whether clothes,
tyres, tins or weapons – provide an easy source of raw materials of
endless variety.
Woven textiles and other fabrics are embedded
in the culture of Africa. Often decorated with brilliant colours
and intricate designs, they are available in almost every part of
the continent. The designs and the slogans printed on them
represent a subtle and complex form of communication.
The African galleries at the British Museum
include objects relating to both ancient and contemporary cultures,
as well as exploring contemporary issues. The Tree of Life is a
powerful memorial to war, while other displays look at the subject
of facing HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.
Image caption: Brass figure of a
Portuguese soldier
Benin, Nigeria. 18th century AD