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Nok art refers to huge human, animal, and other figures made out of terracotta pottery, made by the Nok culture and found throughout Nigeria.
What does Nok culture mean?
The Nok are significant for being one of very few civilizations in the world that transitioned from stone tools straight to iron tools without first learning how to make copper or bronze tools. The legacy of the Nok people is difficult to determine due to the mystery around their identity and origins.
What is Nok art known for?
Famous for the distinctive terracotta sculptures of human heads and figures, Nok was the first known culture in West Africa to produce such art and perhaps the first sub-Saharan culture to perfect iron-smelting technology.
What do Nok sculptures represent?
Some pottery figures appear to depict subjects suffering from ailments such as elephantiasis and facial paralysis. These “diseased” visages may have been intended to protect against illness but, beyond conjecture, their meaning and the significance of Nok sculpture in general are still unknown.
When was Nok art made?
#1: An Iron Age civilization Nok art occupies a prominent place in Nigeria’s art because of its history which dates back to the 2nd-5th centuries of the iron age. It was a product of a culture that appeared in Northern Nigeria around 1500 BC and disappeared under unknown circumstances around 500 AD.
Who discovered the Nok art?
The first Nok terracotta was discovered in 1928 by Colonel Dent Young, a co-owner of a mining partnership, near the village of Nok in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The terracotta was accidentally unearthed at a level of 24 feet (7 m) from an alluvial tin mine.
What are the characteristics of ESIE art?
Facial features are naturalistic and many have outlined eyes and a long nose bridge with nostrils that flare out. The torso features a protruding navel and sagging pectorals and breasts. The majority have identical facial marks, which are three parallel and horizontal, straight lines between the eye and the ear.
What language did the NOK speak?
40-50 million people are native speakers of Hausa, a popular cross-cultural language in the North of Nigeria, and a further 2 million speak Hyam in certain historic Nok regions.
What is Mbari art made of?
Mbari were constructed with anthill clay as the primary building material, and once built, beautifully repeating geometric patterns were painted across the walls and pillars, which have an organic form.
What is Igbo Ukwu art?
“The inhabitants of Igbo-Ukwu had a metalworking art that flourished as early as the ninth century. Three sites have been excavated, revealing hundreds of ritual vessels and regalia castings of bronze or leaded bronze that are among the most inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made.
What does repatriation of Nok art mean?
What does repatriation of Nok art mean? the return to Nigeria of Nok art currently owned by institutions outside the country.
What is Nigerian art?
The history of Nigerian art is fascinating. The dawn of the 15th century saw an explosion inthe art scene. The 19th century saw the prominence of arts from the Nok, Benin, Igbo Ukwu, Owo, Esie and Ife artworks. Today, these artworks energise Nigerian creatives to produce works within obvious traditions and practices.
What do archaeologists believe was the significance of Nok sculptures?
Some archaeologists believe that Nok terracotta sculptures signify that the Nok were an advanced society.
What is the most important symbol of Nok culture?
The most characteristic Nok artifacts are clay figurines of animals and stylized human beings, usually heads; perforated eyes of an elliptical or triangular shape are typical of the style. Other artifacts of the Nok culture include iron tools, stone axes and other stone tools, and stone ornaments.
Which part of Africa is Sub Saharan?
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. According to the United Nations, it consists of all African countries and territories that are fully or partially south of the Sahara.
What is the oldest art tradition in Nigeria?
Terracotta Culture The Nok culture is dated to have flourished between the years 2000BC and 300AD, a making it the oldest form of traditional art not just in Nigeria but West Africa.
How many pieces are ESIE carving?
Indeed, nobody knows how these stone images exactly came about but a few explanations have been offered by inhabitants of the city. The most popular among them is that the 800 stone images were rebellious settlers who were turned into stone images.
When was Igbo Ukwu art discovered?
The ancient site of Igbo Ukwu is situated in the modern day homelands of Igbo peoples of southern Nigeria. Archaeological finds were first discovered at this site in 1939 when an Igbo farmer named Isaiah Anozie chanced upon several bronze objects as he was digging a cistern to hold water in the dry season.
What is Benin culture?
Benin’s culture is as rich and diverse as its landscape. Each cultural group, be it Fon, Yoruba, or Edo, has unique but recognizable attire, and in most tribes, different colors and patterns are worn for different occasions.
Which are the most important art forms in Africa?
Pottery, metalwork, sculpture, architecture, textile art and fibre art, are important visual art forms across Africa and may be included in the study of African art.
What is the meaning of Mbari?
Filters. (Nigeria, West Africa) A ceremonial clay shrine filled with clay models of humans or deities, made by the Igbo tribe. noun.
Where was mbari discovered?
One of the most fascinating artistic phenomena in tropical Africa, mbari houses are little known outside Igboland. Art historian Herbert M. Cole has drawn from his extensive research in eastern Nigeria to produce the first book-length study of this unusual art form.
Where is mbari located?
Shrines called mbari, which contain elaborate tableaux of painted unfired earth, are made in honour of the earth spirit in villages near Owerri in southern Nigeria.
What is the difference between Nok art and Ife art?
Nok art is stylized or semi-naturalistic while Ife art is realistic. Ife heads are more idealized in its composition while the Nok heads arc more stylized. Nok heads were made only in terra-cotta while Ife has both terra-cotta and bronze heads. Nok sculptures are older than Ife sculptures.
