Ancient African Art

African art is a terrific blend of visual imagery, spiritual beliefs and social purpose. The ancient African art mainly represented the religious beliefs and cultural ideas through the various artifacts, namely masks and figures. Apart from masks and figures that were used in religious ceremonies, these beliefs and ideas also found artistic expression in a number of utilitarian objects and tools of everyday life. The ancient art forms were extremely traditional in nature and they formed the major part of the African society. One of the earliest artforms of African culture were terracotta statuettes that were found in the Nok culture of Nigeria, around 500 B.C.

Ancient African art comprises of contributions from a variety of tribes all over Africa. These tribes created different art forms, unique and peculiar to the tribe. There is immense diversity in the African art culture and the artifacts, native southern arts and a variety of existent cultural art forms from the western tribes, have contributed to African art in a big way. Most of the art forms depicted the abundance of surrounding nature and abstract interpretations of animals and plant life. Some of them flaunted primitive designs and shapes. It is observed that the sculpture in wood is intricate and time defying. Most of the ancient sculptures were made of wood and other materials, such as terracotta, mud, beadwork, ivory, metal and stone. These sculptures mostly had humans as their main subjects.

A vast collection of ancient African art can be found in a number of museums all over the world. The art mainly consisted of artforms with human and animal subjects and depicted the positive and negative aspects of human behavior. The history of African art also proves the importance of religion and religious practices in the African culture and people.

African Art provides detailed information on African Art, African Tribal Art, African Wildlife Art, African American Art and more. African Art is affiliated with Abstract Art Paintings.

Ancient Greek Pottery And Its Evolution

Pottery can be used as a classical support for understanding the antique Greek culture and civilization. The graphic illustrations skillfully fashioned on fancy pottery, reflect the manifold aspects of Greek life. The Greek empire from Stone Age to Hellenistic era has undergone quite a lot of changes. These alterations can be examined in terms of seven different eras through which the Greek society has passed. We will discuss in the following paragraphs how the Greek art of manufacturing pottery also underwent changes with the change in the different historical periods.

1 Greek Pottery In The Stone Age-

In the early Neolithic period Greek pottery was unadorned. In the mid Neolithic period people started decorating pottery with red and white geometric patterns. The newly formed and decorated potteries were known as Sesklo wares. Then the Dimni people of Greece in the late Neolithic period made special kinds of pottery which were black or cream in color.

2. Greek Pottery in the Early Bronze Age-

During this period the Minyan ware was found and it was brought by the indo European Greeks. It is a well made ware in a potter's wheel and is plain gray in color. It also has wide range of interesting shapes and sizes which was not found in the Stone Age.

3. Greek Pottery in the Late Bronze Age-

It was the Mycenean period and the Greeks started making designs on pottery. They made geometric shapes, humans, animals, sea creatures in cream colored background. The Greeks in the late Bronze Age made designs in black or red.

4. Greek Pottery in the Dark Age-

In this age the Mycenean civilization collapsed and so also the Mycenean pottery. People lost interest in the manufacturing of pottery. However this age also came to an end and people began manufacturing pots again. The pottery was made with circular drawings on it.

5. Greek Pottery in the Archaic Period-

In the 900 BC which is the archaic period the potters of Athens and Cornith regained their passion in pottery. In Cornith the artisans festooned miniature pots where the figures of mythical animals had been portrayed. The Athenians started painting mythological tales on their pottery and exclusive tales from Homer's Illiad.

6. Greek Pottery in Black Figure-

Gradually the clay pots of archaic period took a different picture as the focus shifted from shape of the pot to more and more scenes on it. A new style of painting developed and as a substitute of making human structures on the sketch, the potters now started to make natives in silhouette. The paintings were solely in black color.

7. Greek Pottery in Red Figure-

The Athenian potters in 500 BC, instead of painting the people black prepared the background of the pot black and made images on this black surface with red color. Though the painting was quite difficult the figures on the pot looked more realistic than ever. But 40 years hence the red figure Greek pottery also became extinct.

Greek pottery, as can be seen, went through many evolutionary stages giving us a wide variety of pottery ware, each unique in its own way.

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