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A Lidded Saltcellar from Sierra Leone commissioned for a Portuguese patron, 15th-16th century

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The artists of Sierra Leone were discovered for their ability to create artwork out of ivory when a German-Portuguese publisher wrote a compilation of captains and their travels to Africa. Mutually beneficial trade began between the first European countries and the coast of Sierra Leone. This lidded saltcellar was crafted for a Portuguese patron, it was designed with two hemispheres. The top half being functional with a bowl for salt and the bottom half depicting intricate artwork. The object illustrated men and women separated by kneeling dogs, which were positioned before the open and gaping mouths of serpents. Although, the exchange route quickly turned into something unimaginable. Through the 16th to 19th century, the commodities traded between Europeans and Africans were African people themselves. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was a horror emerged from a once beautiful trade sequence. This is an important example for the map. It is the starting point of years of desolation and suffering endured by African people.

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Unlike other works of art that came out of The Kongo Kingdom, Nkisi Nkondi was not admired by Europeans quite as much. The object was created after the occupation when Belgian authorities replaced local justice systems with their own colonial courts. As Belgian law was inapplicable to most local communities, the Nkisi Nkondi was created with the intention of solving disputes that could not be handled through the unrecognizable system. It was European colonization that caused the creation of an object they now wanted to be rid of. Although, they were unsuccessful. The Nkisi Nkondi had become too important in solving issues within Kongo communities. This is an interesting artifact and story because it’s one of the few examples of artwork being too powerful for European colonists to destroy. This does not take away from the importance of other artworks, but emphasizes how artwork that influenced a greater number of people (those who used the Nkisi Nkondi; chiefs, elders, divines, etc.) was often too powerful to be destroyed.

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PALACE PLAQUE OF A WAR CHIEF, WARRIORS, AND ATTENDANTS

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Oba Esigie and Oba Orhogbua of Benin City commissioned 850 plaques to be made using the lost wax casting method in the 16th century. They adorned the walls of their royal palace and told the story of Esigie and Orhogbua, their courtiers, and the organization of Benin City royal society. After an unauthorized mission led to the destruction of a British delegation, the British destroyed Benin City. The British Punitive Expedition of 1897 resulted in the seizure of  2000+ relics which were brought to England to be gifted to the Queen or sold at auction. They can now be found in museums across England. Nigerian officials have pressured the British government to return what they’ve stolen but no decision has been reached. This is an important event to highlight because it emphasizes the displacement of African artifacts and how the British government continues to reject any reconciliations or reparations.

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CONGO (National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution)

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CONGO (National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution)

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Artist Aime Mpane cut the heads off of thousands of wooden matches and glued the sticks together to create his signature transparent framework of a man. The Congo stands above his own grave, with a tombstone marked “Congo … 1885”, as a bright light shining behind him casts his shadow on to the wall he stands before. Around him lie silhouettes of women and children. “The impression of fallen bodies”. Mpane personifies the horrors inflicted upon the Congolese people after the division of Africa during the 1885 Berlin Conference- the death date on the man’s tombstone. I thought this piece was an important addition to the map because of the history of Congo under colonization. The ability of one work of art to signify the endless suffering and countless deaths is remarkable.

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The fang people of Gabon commonly preserved the bones of their ancestors in cylindrical containers. Carved wooden guardian sculptures, called byeri, were placed atop the containers and served to protect. The EYEMA-O-BYERI here highlights the juxtaposition artists created between the soft and intimidating features. A larger head than body creates a sense of softness while the narrowed eyes and snarl is more intimidating. Since the Byeri sculptures resembled relics used in Christianity, colonizers viewed it as a threat to Christianity and European control. The Fang were forced to turn over or destroy their relics, and the few that remained were lost throughout Europe. To make the Byeri more appealing to the colonizer’s taste, dealers altered them to look more like sculptures and less like spiritual relics. As such, the few Byeri relics we can observe today are among the most altered African objects from their original intention. I felt this was a significant piece to add to the map as it highlights the colonizer's fear of inferiority and how far they would go to protect their control.