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Plaque of an Oba or Warrior with Attendants, Mid-16th/17th century, Copper alloy, 45.6 x 35 x 8.9 cm (17 15/16 x 13 3/4 x 3 1/2 in.), National Museum of African

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During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a remarkable series of works were created to embellish the exterior of the royal palace in Benin City. One of them survived is this plaque depicting a parade showcasing Benin’s military strength at the Isiokuo festival.

An elite entourage, including an eben sword carrier, a side-blown horn player, and a sword-bearer accompany the oba (a high-ranking war chief) that is the central figure on the plaque. The oba is dressed in grand ceremonial attire with a coral crown, high collar, arm cuffs, and anklets; a tasseled leopard-face tunic; and a warrior’s leopard-tooth necklace and bell. The incised quatrefoil background of river-plant leaves suggests that it was within the realm of Olokun, god of the waters, wealth, well-being, and fertility.

However, in the 19th Century, the British occupied the Oba’s palace, and the treasures were either looted or ruined. Many artworks like this have remained in western museums, leaving us to ponder the historical, political, and ethical problems about the cultural heritage of the formerly colonized areas in a post-colonial world.

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Julia Jumbo, Two Gray Hills Tapestry Weaving, Navajo. 2003 CE

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Two Grey Hills Tapestry Weaving is a work created in 1966 by Julia Jumbo, who was known for her "clarity in the precision" as Mark Winter describes.

The 'Two Grey Hills' themed rug can be found in various Navajo Rugs known as weavings. No colored dyes are used in such tapestry, and natural wools in beige, black, grey, white, and brown are woven instead. This masterpiece by Julia Jumbo is unique in that it was finely woven with straight and true lines, centering a complex medallion of cruciform and terraced single-diamond motifs.

The late master weaver endured hardships during her youth, but managed to achieve top accomplishments in weaving. She was well known for her highly decorated Toadlena/Two Grey Hills weavings, and she was among the determined Indians who would always try harder throughout life.

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Lidded Saltcellar, Sierra Leone, Bullom or Temne (Sapi) and Portuguese collaboration, 15th-16th century, ivory, height 11¾" (29.8 cm). Credit: Metropolitan Muse

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Delicate ivory saltcellars were popular among European aristocrats at that time. Meanwhile, African art embodying considerable talent and professional skill functioned as a scarce commodity. Assumed to be made for a Portuguese patron, this ornate item was carved by a Sapi sculptor working along the coast of western Africa in present-day Sierra Leone.

Four figures with local facial features and garments are carved around the base, two of them being warriors with swords and shields. Around the disk above are four delicately sculpted snakes that fall upon four dogs, the latter in alarm with bared fangs, drawn-back ears, and bristling fur. The ornate item was such that it could be considered prestige by the Portuguese navigators and their wealthy European patrons.

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Aimé Mpane, Congo, Shadow of the Shadow, 2005.

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This sculptural installation includes a standing figure made of 4,652 matchsticks that stares pensively at a wooden silhouette of a dead body that looks like a gravestone at his feet. A board perched on the gravestone reads "CONGO ... -1885", indicating the nation's humiliated history related to colonial rule ( Leopold II of Belgium gained international recognition for the Congo Free State in 1885).

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The King has Boarded the Ship (Asante kente cloth), c. 1985, rayon (collection of Dr. Courtnay Micots)

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Kente cloth is among the best-known African fabrics. The word ‘kente’ means basket, and its patterns resemble woven baskets. In the example of The King Has Boarded the Ship, both warp and weft patterns are included to illustrate the local term “Fie buo yE buna,” which means the head of the family has a difficult task; and “NkyEmfrE,” a broken pot, and “Kwadum Asa,” an empty gunpowder keg.
Such cloth is still popular not only among the locals but among foreign visitors to Ghana. Yet most of the traditional patterns and colors have changed to suit a modern taste, and some have lost their original meanings.