JOSHUA ADENUGA

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ART AND CULTURE

The history of Nigerian Traditional Arts And Crafts is an artistic tradition that dates back thousands of
years, years before the Nigerian man conceptualized such creations as art. While much of the country’s
early art had a religious or spiritual significance, many of the traditional arts and crafts evolved over time
to include practical and decorative items. Although, the recorded history of traditional Nigerian art can
only properly be traced to less than two hundred years of documentation.

Many of the local arts and crafts are regional, but most large markets in the major cities sell
items from all over the country. There is an endless list of traditional artworks and their origins.
Only our ancestors can fully explain how it all started.

Art itself is an expression of the author/artist/artiste’s imaginative activities. Art can be visual,
audio and performed. There is art in every life form. Art is the most unexplainable concept as its
meaning varies among individuals. Art is a medium of expression, art is whatever the creator
says it is. With different styles and techniques, Nigerian art has evolved from ancient yet
remained same at the same time. Nigerian art has always been daring and crafty, with deep
cultural meaning just like Nigerian art of today. The only difference is in the stories they tell.
Below is a list of Nigerian Traditional Art from time.

Types of Art

SCULPTURE
MASKS
TEXTILES
POTTERY etc.

CULTURE
Culture is the combination of learned and shared beliefs, values, and practices that create
cohesion in a group and is the core concept within which anthropologists work. It is dynamic,
evolving based on the needs of the people within it and as one culture comes into contact with
another.

Edward B. Tylor coined the term in 1871 calling it, "that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of society." Today's definition has expanded to include women and various
nuances that lead to multiple definitions of culture with some centrally unifying principles.