A
frica (MAP15-1) is a vast continent of 52 nations comprising more than one-fifth of the world’s
land mass and many distinct topographical and ecological zones. Parched deserts occupy northern
and southern regions, high mountains rise in the east, and three great rivers—the Niger, the Congo, and
the Nile—and their lush valleys support agriculture and large settled populations. More than 2,000 dis-
tinct ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups, often but inaccurately called “tribes,” long have inhabited
this enormous continent. These population groups historically have ranged in size from a few hundred,
in hunting and gathering bands, to 10 to 20 million or more. Councils of elders often governed smaller
groups, whereas larger populations sometimes formed a centralized state under a king.
Despite this great variety, African peoples share many core beliefs and practices. These include hon-
oring ancestors, worshiping nature deities, and elevating rulers to sacred status. Most peoples also con-
sult diviners or fortune tellers. These beliefs have given rise to many richly expressive art traditions, in-
cluding rock engraving and painting, body decoration, masquerades and other lavish festivals, figural
sculpture, and sacred and secular architecture. Given the size of the African continent and the diversity
of ethnic groups, it is not surprising that African art varies enormously in subject, materials, and func-
tion. Nomadic and seminomadic peoples excelled in the arts of personal adornment and also produced
rock engravings and paintings depicting animals and rituals. Farmers, in contrast, often created figural
sculpture in terracotta, wood, and metal for display in shrines to legendary ancestors or nature deities
held responsible for the health of crops and the well-being of the people. The regalia, art, and architec-
ture of kings and their courts, as elsewhere in the world, celebrated the wealth and power of the rulers
themselves. Nearly all African peoples lavished artistic energy on the decoration of their own bodies to
express their identity and status, and many communities mounted richly layered festivals, including
masquerades, to celebrate harvests and the New Year and to commemorate the deaths of leaders.
This chapter surveys the art and architecture of sub-Saharan Africa from prehistoric times through the
18th century (see “Dating African Art and Identifying African Artists,” page 395), including the first contacts
with Europeans, which began along the seacoasts in the late 15th century. Chapter 34 treats the art of the
past two centuries, from the beginning of European colonization to the present. The art and architecture
of Egypt and of Roman and Islamic North Africa were examined in Chapters 3, 10, and 13, respectively.15