6–6% of the AP exam. Key topics: Kingdom of Benin: bronze and brass court sculpture, lost-wax casting (cire-perdue), altar pieces, oba portraiture, Nok terracotta tradition: cylindrical heads, stylized features, early sub-Saharan figural sculpture, Kongo and Central African power objects: nkisi nkondi, mixed materials, ritual activation, East African architecture: Great Zimbabwe stone enclosures, function and political authority, Islamic influence in North and West African art and architecture: mosques, geometric ornament, Yoruba traditions: Ife naturalistic bronze/terracotta heads, Gelede masquerade, Mask traditions across sub-Saharan Africa: function in ritual, initiation, governance, Material culture and the role of organic materials (wood, fiber, clay) in African artistic traditions.
Study guide content for this unit is being prepared. Check back soon for complete lesson notes, formula sheets, and worked examples.
