Heritage: Decoding Our Creative Past | Art & Design Foundation SHS 1 SEM 1 WEEK 1 (WASSCE & NaCCA Aligned)
Quick Summary: The Indigenous Art Detective
This introductory lesson moves beyond simply looking at art; it teaches you how to read it. We focus on the Indigenous Ghanaian art of the Pre-colonial period (before 1874), using three key frameworks: Material (What it’s made of), Method (How it was made), and its Socio-Cultural Relevance (Why it mattered to the community). Understanding these pillars allows us to connect ancient wisdom—represented by objects like the Akuaba doll and Sankofa weights—directly to modern Ghanaian identity and creative practice.
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The Academic Core: Unearthing Pre-Colonial Wisdom
To truly appreciate Ghana’s artistic foundation, we must first understand what constitutes Indigenous Ghanaian Art. This refers to creative works conceived and produced by local peoples, rooted deeply in spiritual beliefs, social structures, and functional necessity, long before European stylistic influence became dominant. These artworks are not mere decorations; they are historical records, spiritual tools, and statements of community values.
Pillar 1: Material – The Gifts of the Land
The choice of material was rarely accidental; it was dictated by availability, durability, and symbolic meaning. Our ancestors were expert resource managers. For example, the Akuaba Doll (Akan), a profound symbol of fertility and ideal beauty, was meticulously carved from Sese wood (or similar durable hardwood). The dense, fine grain of Sese wood allowed carvers to achieve the iconic smooth finish and stylized shape, enabling the object to last generations. Similarly, the Sankofa Gold Weights (Ashanti) were typically made of brass, a material prized not only for its resilience but also for its symbolic connection to wealth and permanence, necessary for their function as accurate trade measures.
Pillar 2: Method – The Mastery of Fabrication
The methods used by pre-colonial Ghanaian artists were sophisticated, often requiring immense skill and knowledge. The process of making a brass gold weight involves the complex Lost-Wax Casting (Cire Perdue) technique. This method, where a wax model is encased in clay and then melted out to be replaced by molten brass, requires precise heat control and meticulous preparation. It demonstrates advanced metallurgical understanding. In contrast, the creation of Sirigu Wall Paintings (Gurune) is an example of environmental artistry. The method involves mixing local earth pigments, ash, cow dung, and sometimes natural resins to create durable murals on the exterior and interior walls of compounds. This method highlights the deep connection between architecture, communal life, and natural resources.
- Carving: Used for Akuaba dolls, stools, and linguist staffs, requiring deep knowledge of wood properties.
- Lost-Wax Casting: Used for gold weights and regalia, symbolizing high technological and artistic achievement.
- Mural Painting: Used in Northern Ghana (Sirigu), utilizing natural earth pigments and binder materials for communal decoration.
Pillar 3: Socio-Cultural Relevance – Art That Governed Life
The most crucial aspect of analyzing indigenous art is understanding its relevance. What purpose did it serve in the community? The Akuaba doll was more than a decorative item; it was a ritual surrogate baby. An Akan woman desiring a beautiful, healthy child would carry it, demonstrating the central role of family and lineage in Akan society. The Sankofa gold weights were fundamentally tools of commerce and justice, ensuring fair trading practices using the gold dust currency. But they were often shaped as proverbs or symbols (like the famous Sankofa bird), serving as constant reminders of moral conduct and ancestral wisdom during trade transactions. The Sirigu wall paintings are expressions of communal identity and spiritual protection, often refreshed annually, integrating art directly into the daily life cycle of the Gurune people.
Ghanaian Analogy: Think of the process of weaving Kente cloth. The selection of thread (material), the specific arrangement of the loom (method), and the resulting pattern (socio-cultural relevance, indicating status or history) must all be analyzed together to understand the full meaning of the cloth. Just as Kente carries proverbs, so too do the three foundational artworks we studied. We see that in the pre-colonial era, art was seamlessly integrated into economics, spirituality, law, and daily ritual. By identifying the material, analyzing the method, and decoding the purpose, we unlock the true creative heritage of Ghana.
The Local Laboratory: Art in Modern Ghanaian Context
How do we apply this analytical framework today? We use Material, Method, and Relevance to analyze contemporary Ghanaian creativity.
- Food Example (Kenkey Preparation): When analyzing Kenkey, the material is fermented corn dough. The method is wrapping and boiling. The relevance is not just nutrition, but its role as a stable, widely shared staple that cuts across different ethnic and economic groups.
- Landmark Example (The Kente Weaving Village): Observe the weavers. The material is chosen based on symbolism (colour fastness). The method involves the complex footwork and hand movements specific to the loom. The relevance is the preservation of cultural textile history and economic sustenance for the community.
- Policy Example (Promoting Local Construction Materials): A government policy to use local clay or bamboo in public housing can be viewed artistically. The material is sustainable and local; the method must be modernized for scalability; and the relevance is reducing import costs while building national aesthetic pride.
Self-Check Quiz
- Which method of fabrication was primarily used to create the Sankofa Gold Weights?
- A. Direct Stone Sculpture
- B. Lost-Wax Casting (Cire Perdue)
- C. Earthenware Coiling
- The Akuaba Doll’s primary socio-cultural relevance for Akan women was related to:
- A. Protecting the home from bad spirits.
- B. Acknowledging bravery in war.
- C. Serving as a ritual object for fertility and ideal beauty.
- What material is central to the Sirigu Wall Paintings?
- A. Imported Acrylic Paint
- B. Natural Earth Pigments and Binders
- C. Machine-processed Polyester Fibres
Answer Key: 1. B, 2. C, 3. B
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