How have your images of Africa changed after today’s class on African ivories?

My understanding of Africa… was incredibly vague. Think Lion King or even Madagascar, a savannah, lions, elephants, dry yellow grass and a scorching orange sunset, topped with tribal natives. Africa… was probably something exotic in my mind’s eye and definitely, involved more about scenery, creatures than actual people, let alone, the crafts of imagery seen in today’s class and evidence of politics thriving there, amidst its landscape.

The pieces of ivories are extremely intricate in detail, saltcellars, spoons, oliphants with beaded texture and figures that are evidently three dimensional, a depth deeper than pictures of frieze from Greek or Roman buildings. I find it interesting how there’s a mixture of influence, of the Portuguese’s faith finding its way into the ivories in the form of Mary and baby Jesus, and also, the idea that the natives thought these foreigners were ancestors from afar, larding them with gifts. The sense of power play is there, be it the acceptance of faith and also the tweaks to the Ivories, in transition, made for the Portuguese yet keeping the sense of African aesthetics (the form of the figures and facial features), which eludes to the hospitality and respect given to the colonialists and an almost equal standing between the two.

It feels almost like a glimpse to the past in these objects and I can’t help but wonder how these “white gold” gifts were presented and perhaps, how delighted the Portuguese were to have them. Did they visit the artist carving these pieces? Was there some form of direction and revisions? Or were there collaborations to produce these Afro-Portuguese ivories?