| African art is a terrific blend of visual imagery, spiritual | | | | of existent cultural art forms from the western |
| beliefs and social purpose. The ancient African art | | | | tribes, have contributed to African art in a big way. |
| mainly represented the religious beliefs and cultural | | | | Most of the art forms depicted the abundance of |
| ideas through the various artifacts, namely masks | | | | surrounding nature and abstract interpretations of |
| and figures. Apart from masks and figures that were | | | | animals and plant life. Some of them flaunted primitive |
| used in religious ceremonies, these beliefs and ideas | | | | designs and shapes. It is observed that the sculpture |
| also found artistic expression in a number of utilitarian | | | | in wood is intricate and time defying. Most of the |
| objects and tools of everyday life. The ancient art | | | | ancient sculptures were made of wood and other |
| forms were extremely traditional in nature and they | | | | materials, such as terracotta, mud, beadwork, ivory, |
| formed the major part of the African society. One of | | | | metal and stone. These sculptures mostly had |
| the earliest artforms of African culture were | | | | humans as their main subjects. |
| terracotta statuettes that were found in the Nok | | | | A vast collection of ancient African art can be found |
| culture of Nigeria, around 500 B.C. | | | | in a number of museums all over the world. The art |
| Ancient African art comprises of contributions from a | | | | mainly consisted of artforms with human and animal |
| variety of tribes all over Africa. These tribes created | | | | subjects and depicted the positive and negative |
| different art forms, unique and peculiar to the tribe. | | | | aspects of human behavior. The history of African |
| There is immense diversity in the African art culture | | | | art also proves the importance of religion and religious |
| and the artifacts, native southern arts and a variety | | | | practices in the African culture and people. |