AP Art History

Alana DeLucia

Unit 6 Africa

When looking at African art, we so often see how much it was valued and respected in

the religious and social parts of the culture. The art held such high value and there were countless

sculptures and masks for different rituals, performances, ceremonies, and so much more.

One such figure that has come to behold so much power within the social and religious

aspects of the culture is the Ikenga figure. The Ikenga is a ritual object, constructed out of wood,

the figure depicts a horned male. The horns allude to the ram, a very respected and powerful

animal in the Igbo culture, they represent aggressiveness, power, and assertiveness. At its

simplest, the figure will be a cylindrical block and horns, but more detail may be added or

subtracted due to the artist’s discretion; often times the more elaborate Ikenga has a fully

sculpted head and limbs, it will typically be holding a severed head in one hand and a machete in

the other. The power of the right hand is always emphasized with the machete or sword,

symbolic of the ability to cut through things, to get to what one wishes in life. The left hand will

not always hold a severed head, it can be a multitude of things—elephant tusks, instruments, or

even a staff. This left hand was usually tribute to the rank of the person it was modeled after.

Ikenga were personal objects that suggested the achievement of their owners, and they could

relate to that person’s occupation, whether they were a hunter, a smith, or a farmer. There are

also decorative patterns carved into the body, these are likely the representation of scarification.
This figure suggests a title holding, or high ranking, member of an Igbo society because of the

placement of scarification on the temples and forehead. This figure can without a doubt be linked

to a trophy, the symbols it is adorned with highlight the authority, power, and achievement for

whomever it was made for, much like a trophy is given to an individual who was disciplined and

hardworking that resulted in an extraordinary execution of an activity or task.

The reliquary figure is a wooden sculpture that essentially guards a reliquary, a reliquary

is a box that contains holy or sacred objects, so this figure essentially served as a talisman—or

guard. The contents of the boxes it protected contained objects such as bones of important

societal members, potent substances, and medicinal beads. The figure has an elongated torso, a

large round head, diverted eyes that look down, a closed mouth and arms that are clasped

together. The stance suggests a powerfulness while maintaining a balance of serenity, much like

a security guard who appears calm but can spring forth if necessary or provoked. There is an

emphasis on the belly button; this can be linked to the umbilical cord and its ability to provide

life and vitality, much like the figure guards the remains of the deceased who are awaiting

rebirth. The face has a typical stylization of the Fang region and people and the hair maintains a

style that was quite popular when this object was initially made. On his backside he has three

crests and what looks like a duck tail, this is what Fang men of high status wore. Notably, the

limbs are rounded, giving the figure a more abstracted look rather than a naturalistic one, the

purpose of this was to create a more conceptual idea. A guardian who protects and acts as a

connection to the afterlife, as opposed to a ordinary human. The tension this figure creates by

suggesting strength and patience simultaneously is impressive and honorable.

 While both pieces were extremely important in African culture, they serve two different

purposes. They share in the likeness, however, of protection and high status within their

respective cultures.