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African Textiles & Wall Hangings – Making Their Way To The World Market

Posted August 1, 2009 By editor and has no comments yet.
African-textiles-anlo-weave-kente-cloth

Anlo Weave Silk Kente Cloth

A vast continent, rich in history, culture and natural resources, Africa remained largely unexplored for several centuries; the whole area south of the Sahara remained a mystery until the 1800’s.

Today, Africa is a continent in transition. After being dominated by foreigners for the past several sad centuries Africa has in the recent past made huge strides towards creating a better destiny for its people.

Improving Lives with Art

Beautiful Kente Asase Special African Handbag (these support real African communities)

Beautiful Kente Asase Special African Handbag (these support real African communities)

Various African countries are trying to provide their population with opportunities to earn a living. Some of the most amazing leaps have been as a result of the Internet. African art, textiles and other products are readily available on the Internet. The interest and response to African wares has been tremendous. With the immense surge in collectability of African art and new markets for African textiles, some African areas are beginning to see improvement in their lives.

The Origin & Evolution of African Textiles

African textiles have a fascinating history. Originally animal hair was used to weave textiles for warmth and protection. Later it was animal hair along with fiber from plants and trees that was woven into clothing, bedding, and wall or window hangings. Much later, when textiles had become quite refined, they were used as trading currency. Ancient weaving ways and designs are still in use today and are important parts of African life. Handmade looms are handed down through families from generation to generation.

Traditionally African textiles were worn tied or draped depending on the occasion. Now, with the huge interest in African textiles from the rest of the world, handmade fabric and textiles are being cut and made into clothing and home furnishings such as pillows or wall hangings. Most textile experts recommend that if you are ever fortunate enough to possess a rare or fragile authentic African textile you should have it professionally mounted and protected as a wall hanging (or auctioned off – they can fetch quite tantalizing prices).

The Significance of Color in African Textiles

BRIGHT Tamale Weave Silk Kente Cloth

BRIGHT Tamale Weave Silk Kente Cloth

Colors have different significance to different cultures and even different villages within a culture. The color red is a great sample of a cultural variation. In some areas of Nigeria, red is a badge of accomplishment where in other areas it is a color worn by the chieftain to protect him from evil. Red is the color of burial clothes in Madagascar and is used in mourning robes by the Akan tribe in Ghana. One color… so many interpretations.

Weaving Techniques in African Textiles

Within Africa the methods of weaving and materials vary widely. Strip weaving is widely used in West Africa. Strips about 4” wide are woven in various lengths and then joined together for an almost quilt like appearance. Adinkra cloth is still made in Ghana today. It is a textile made with wide panels of dyed cotton. These panels are beautifully hand embroidered and then stamped with carved calabash symbols.

Stunningly Beautiful Kente Bamboo African Handbag

Stunningly Beautiful Kente Bamboo African Handbag

Batik is an African textile that is made by using melted wax. First, a design is drawn on the textile. Then layers of color are applied atop each other. Wax is poured onto areas of the design after each dye procedure to retain certain colors. When complete the wax is boiled off to leave a beautiful array of color. The Senufo people of Ivory Coast make a textile called Korhogo. This textile is made in 5” strips and painted with mud to create images of animals, men and ceremonies. Textiles are augmented by stenciling, dyeing, painting, embroidery and hand-stamping. Soil is often the basis of the paint with dyes made of natural plants such as herbs, bark and leaves.

In addition to improving the lives of many Africans, making African textiles available to the world exposes us to the stunning beauty of indigenous African textiles!

Categories: African Baskets, African Textiles
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The Wonder of African Masks

Posted July 22, 2009 By editor and has 10 comments.

congo-african-mask-river-goddessIn the world of art, African masks are considered among the finest treasures. They are highly valued and sought after both, by amateur collectors as well as learned art collectors.

African masks are important from an historical perspective in addition to their worth as art. They trace their history to the beginning of the Stone Age when humans first began to use tools. An African mask may be made from any of a variety of materials including wood, leather, fabric and metal.

Significance of African Masks

Masks have a very significant place in the tradition and culture of Africa. Masks have been used through history and continue to be used today in ritual masking ceremonies. In ritualistic ceremonies the mask is representative of a spirit; it is further held by natives that the spirits of their ancestors possess the person who dons the mask.

Ceremonial Masks and Masking Ceremonies

Meaning of Ceremonial Masks

African ceremonial masks normally represent gods, spirits of ancestors, the dead, mythological entities, good, evil, animal spirits and any other entity thought to have powers over humans. African families and clans believe their ancestry to descend from certain animals or beings. Masks that depict their human ancestors or those that depict their totem ancestors (animals or other beings) are objects of great family pride. African masks may be presented with gifts and honored in ceremonies when it is believed to be the dwelling place of the spirit they depict.

Wood Mask: "Initiation" by Victor Yao Delanyo

Wood Mask: "Initiation" by Victor Yao Delanyo

When Masking Ceremonies Happen

Masking ceremonies take place during important times or in anticipation of significant events. For example, masking ceremonies would be held for crop harvest, tribal initiation and coming of age, celebrations, in preparation for war and in times of peace.  Oversimplified, masking ceremonies are an appeal to the spirits and ancestors for help in times of need in addition to warding off evil and celebrating good.

JUST_REWARD-African-Tribal-Mask

How Masking Ceremonies Work

An African mask may be worn in various ways; as a head dress or crest resting on the head, as a helmet covering the whole head or as a vertical cover for the face. Some tribes wear a body mask that covers the torso in addition to their face mask.

African traditional ceremonial masks are worn by one selected dancer or if the ceremony is an initiation, by the initiate. In the course of the ceremony a deep trance overtakes the dancer. While in this state of trance it is believed that the mask wearer communicates his ancestors. Ancestors imbue the mask wearer with wisdom to pass on to the tribe. These messages are commonly garbled and grunted so a wise man/translator often attends the mask wearer during the ceremony to properly ascertain the meaning of the message. Generally, dance, song and traditional African music accompany all rituals and ceremonies.

Throughout history African ceremonies and rituals have been an essential to African life.  However, due to the damage to tribal economies as a result of divisions created by Colonials and the mass displacement of many tribes, the majority of African people have lost their cultural/tribal identity. Sadly, masking ceremonies are no longer common in Africa.

Buying African Masks Online

Today, the Internet allows us access to masks marketed by artisans from all of Africa. Many of today’s mask makers are engaged in making pieces of art to sell to buyers from all over the world. The demand for authentic African masks is huge. There are many mass produced masks available on the market cashing in on the tremendous interest in authentic African masks. If, as a buyer, you are searching for authenticity, go online to the source. There are numerous websites based in Africa selling tribal made art work.

fairtrade-art-african-masksMany of the sites offer a Fair Trade disclosure guaranteeing that the African artisan is receiving a fair amount for his work. If you’re serious about Africa, I’d really push you to please buy from one of those sites – it’s a world of difference to the people and the culture’s you’re fascinated by.

Novica (I think it’s run by National Geographic) is one of them.
StrictlyAfrica.com is another.
ForAfricanArt.com would be my third choice.

They all have some really great stuff (that’s where these pretty pics come from), and I quite like them.

The Many Faces of Africa

African-Peace-Protection-Masks-FISH-MASKAuthentic African masks are tribal specific; in other words, the masks made by each tribe are distinct from those of other tribes. Vertical masks from the Congo are carved from wonderful woods to ensure their beauty as a work of art. Typical of African masks, Congolese masks may be very colorful and joyous or they may be dark and intimidating. Online you will find totem masks depicting baboons among others. You will find a vast array of masks celebrating various gods and goddesses such as the River Goddess.

African-Royal-Soldier-Tribal-MasksNigerian masks are simply magnificent. Beautiful dark woods are the base material for carving the masks. Many are heavily adorned to enhance the power and wealth of the wearer. Current Nigerian masks seem to reflect peace and contentment rather than intimidation and threat.

The two tribes mentioned above are but a very small sampling of the African masks you will find online. Authentic African masks abound on the vast array of websites promoting the economies of African tribes.

African masks are truly wondrous. They are traditional ritualistic items as well as marvelous works of art. The history surrounding the African mask is fascinating. Understanding the background, the mythology, the religion use of African masks and tribal masks is critical to the true appreciation of masks as more than a decoration.

Having said that, nothing could be more eye-catching than an African mask on your wall or desk. When you put an African mask on your wall or on your desk you are not just putting something pretty out for people to see. It’s a symbol of real respect for African tradition, African history and African culture.

Alright everyone, until next time (hopefully soonish!)…

Categories: African Masks, The Stories Behind The Art
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The Mystery of African Figurines

Posted July 15, 2009 By editor and has 2 comments.
Africa CarvingA vast continent, Africa is home to several diverse cultural and ethnic groups. African figurine design is tribal specific allowing a peek into each tribe’s culture and customs. African figurines are not merely for decoration. Traditionally they were made in the belief that the figurine could bestow certain blessings or in the case of animal figures, they signify certain qualities of character.

Animals are of great importance to African cultures. Certain highly symbolic animals are seen repeatedly in African art. Lions, camels, leopards and elephants each represent important characteristics that the tribal people associate with figurines.

  • Lion figurines: The lion is representative of strength, royalty, authority, courage, conquest, wisdom and protection. The lioness symbolizes femininity, the moon and protective motherhood.

African Lion Figurine Carving


  • Camel figurines: While the world sees the camel as lazy and bad tempered, Africans see the camel as admirable for its sobriety. For African Christians, the camel is symbolic of temperance when it kneels to receive its burden. The African Christians see the camel as kneeling before God in obedience and humility.

African Camel Figurine Carving

  • Leopard figurines: Leopards are symbolic of aggression, courage, ferocity and the Great Watcher.

African Leopard Figurine Carving

  • Elephant figurines: Elephants are seen as a sign of good luck, especially when the trunk is pointed upwards. They also represent royalty, power and status (symbolic of the past when royalty rode elephants to tower over their people). Other qualities represented by elephants are dignity, patience, longevity, wisdom and happiness

African Elephant Figurine Carving

Africa was one of the first continents to be populated by “modern man”. Ancient Africans created figures representing events and beliefs important to them. One of the oldest African figurines unearthed is that of “Mother of All Living” or “Mother”.

This African figure reflects what was important to the people of the time; she is what we could consider to be obese with stocky legs, a large midsection and pendulous breasts. The figure has no face as it was meant to represent all women and the short curly hair characteristic of Africans. This was the template for African figure design for thousands of years; stylized to represent something important to the carver.

Figurines from the Ashanti Tribe

Ashanti Fertility Figurine Carving

Some of the most desirable modern ebony African figurines come from the West African Ashanti tribe. Ashanti artisans create magnificent figurines of people going about their everyday chores and of highly revered elephants.

The Ashanti people have a long history of brilliant craftsmanship. Throughout history they have been renowned for their iron work and wood work. According to experts, their figurines rival any found in Europe or the Americas. The Ashanti tribe is an agricultural based matriarchal culture. Their figurines reflect a peaceful lifestyle.

Figurines from the Masai Tribe


African Masai Warrior Figurine Carving

East African Masai tribal people are normally tall, elegant people and their figurines seem to revel in their physical beauty. The Masai are a great warrior, male dominant culture so it is common to see warrior figurines carrying the well known Masai spear.

Working with wood and sometimes stone resin, the artists create wonderful figurines that celebrate simple everyday life and important events such as the birth of a child. Masai figurines are well known for the wonderful colors used to make the figures look lifelike. The other identifying characteristic of Masai figurines is the plaited hair worn by the human images. The Masai are the only Africans to wear plaited hair.

With around 800 distinct ethnic groups in Africa, it is impossible to discuss the figurines created by craftsmen of all the tribes. Much of the art produced by African artisans is traditional in that it relates to beliefs held by the tribe that date from the dawn of history.

A fine example of this sort of African figurine is the availability of variations of the “Mother” figure. Modern African figurine work is very likely to reflect the way the people live their life today- mother’s carrying their children, women carrying water jugs on their head, men in their finest tribal regalia and children playing in the dirt. Art is a reflection of life and African figurines are no exception to that rule.

African figurines reflect a joy for life and a serenity rarely seen in art from other parts of the world. In recent years there has been a huge international effort to assist African artists by creating markets for their art online. The Internet has given the world a glimpse into everyday African life by making African figurines readily available to anyone.

African Woman Statuette Carving

I’ve been busy exploring some good artists online – I’m going to start linking to some of my more favourite ones soon. I’m still being a lazy ass (ok, and to be fair, it’s also tough to find really great artists tackling the kind of things we’re looking for online). Please be patient, your call will be answered, you are number 5 421 in the queue.

Until next time…

Categories: African Sculpture
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Everything You Need To Know About Buying Paintings Online

Posted July 13, 2009 By editor and has no comments yet.

For art lovers all over the world, the Internet has made the world a better place by creating a gigantic art gallery that can be browsed 24 hours a day, seven days a week without leaving home. The Internet is to art lovers what a candy store is to a kid; overwhelming and enticing.

wonderful-days-african-painting

From the buyer’s perspective, the Internet has made art available to every one. The Internet has not led to the demise of street galleries but rather, street galleries have embraced the web as a method of gaining wide exposure for the artwork they exhibit and sell. Today, buying paintings online has become the norm rather than the exception.

The Many Advantages of Buying Paintings Online

It takes all types…

No matter what genre of paintings you savor, you are going to find them online. The web provides the ideal platform for artists to display and sell their art directly rather than through galleries. The traditional method for an artist to sell was to consign their art to a gallery. Exclusive consignment precluded the artist from selling his work through any other channels.

It’s cheaper

The Internet has revolutionized the whole concept of buying and selling art. Buying paintings online direct from the artist eliminates the gallery “middleman” premium or consignment fees (usually around 15% of the cost of the painting). By avoiding the gallery costs, artists often sell at prices less that would be found for the same piece hanging in a gallery.

It’s more personal (believe it or not)

john-atta-mensah-african-artist

Another advantage to buying paintings online is the opportunity to communicate with the artist about their art. You can ask questions and hear the stories behind the work. When you buy from a street gallery you will most likely be dealing with a person that may know the art but not the personal stories the artist can provide. The ability to have communication with the artist adds a very personal touch to buying paintings online.

All the wonders of the world, at your fingertips

female-warrior-african-art-paintings

Galleries have joined the Internet revolution in a big way with online auctions and sales direct from their gallery websites. Wonderful gallery websites from all over the world offer art by some of the best painters in the world both modern and from the past. Buying paintings online has some real advantages as we have noted above:

  • Buying paintings online is often less expensive than buying at a brick and mortar gallery.
  • Buying paintings online allows the buyer to choose from all the paintings listed on the Internet rather than being limited by how many galleries they have the energy to visit.
  • Browsing for paintings online is like taking a trip around the world without leaving the comfort of your home. Buying paintings online often offers the opportunity to contact the actual artist and learn the story behind the work to add a personal touch to the painting.
  • Buying paintings online gives the buyer the chance to learn about artists they may otherwise never hear about. With all these advantages it is not difficult to understand why buying paintings online has become so popular.

Caveats to Buying Paintings Online

Not to dampen enthusiasm for online buying but there are some disadvantages that should be discussed before you get onto the internet to buy a painting. After all, anyone can create a website and call it an art gallery. All you have to do is browse online art galleries and you will quickly see that many of these sites deal in junk. These sites have no curator or jury; they lack selectivity and offer sub-standard paintings. The best practice is to deal only with those websites that promote the fact that they screen the art they offer.

Here are a few suggestions that will be helpful if you are considering buying paintings online:

Great tip: You will find that there are more edition paintings available online than original paintings. When you buy edition paintings, buy the lowest number print possible; numbers 10 and under being the most preferable.

good-determination-african-art-paintings

Categories: Buying Art
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