Page 17 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Art & Culture

to preservation of African culture, to the dancers and are thus often
though their uses and preferences depicted on slabs of rock in Twy-
Art and craft are an may differ from region to region. felfontein, Erongo, Brandberg and

integral part of African The African identity preserved in Spitzkoppe. African drawings are
also rich in the images of animals;
Songye masks of Zaire, is as good
life. It goes beyond dec- as the Chokwe masks of Angola, though to others it may not give
the Baule masks of Ivory Coast
a true meaning of such an artistic
oration because of its play the same role as the Tikar mask work. Animals in nature are usually
of Cameroon and so much more.
illustrated in a very precise manner,
cultural and spiritual When the drum beats, we can all such as animals fleeing or being
come and dance together as the chil-
attacked. Men are often depicted
connections; it connects dren of the same mother, Africa. in the sense that they usually carry
From another perspective, African
bows and arrows whereas women
nature, souls, identity handicrafts are used to keep the usually carry richly decorated bags
prominent historic ancestral figures.
and baskets. Many prehistorians be-
and spirit to present the The crafts allow the ancestral spirit lieve today that they illustrate rituals
of trance and the magic of analogy

African Culture. to remain as a vital force within as omens for the hunt or for rain.
The location of these paintings has
the community, for a lifetime. The
crafts celebrate not only the an- religious and magical significance, as
cestors but womanhood figures as most of them are found under crev-
there is often no difference between well. The womanhood crafts honor; ices and overhangs which provide
social recreation and ceremonial African women as leaders within sheltered dwelling places close to
celebrations. African masks can be their society, givers and nurturers water.” O How beautiful it is to be
thought of as sculptural shapes, as of life. This is witnessed in a wide an African!
they are mostly part of a unified range of paintings and drawings.
experience, but they can also be Starting from the oldest dated art in For centuries, Africa has been a
thought of as the meaning of per- South-Western Namibia, the Apollo victim of the single story, what the
formance art. 11 Cave in the Huns Mountains are world hears about Africa are not the
not meaningless drawings, rather a real happenings. What defines Africa
representation of the social values in a positive way is far from the
Masks are often used in dance
ceremonies to create a connection that still prevail today. book of wisdom. Now is the time,
between the human and spiritual the ether has changed, the history
worlds. The masquerade has great One of the research reports titled has left no stone unturned. African
religious and cultural ‘Ancient Rock Art’ by a Namib- traditions were scorned at one time,
implications for ian academician argued, but now the world is re-discovering
the partici- “Contents of the the beauty, essence, and peculiarities
pants, in- various rock art of African handicrafts and their tra-
cluding an includes details ditions at large. This can be evinced
enthu- of ritual following the cumulative number of
siastic dances and takers for the idiosyncratic bits and
and tradition- pieces of art, which showcase the
con- al tribal cultural values of different African
nected healers regions. Right now, we cannot count
audi- in a state it as a success but a mark of victory.
ence. of hyp- Ours should be “As Africa starts to
All notism. retell her own story, we should all
African According be aware that history should not be
masks to research, abandoned like old bananas, history
play the certain figures should not be ridiculed, and history
same role such as clapping should not be mocked, especially the
when it comes women were very history of Africa.”
important as supporters

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 18 | DECEMBER 2021 17