Women are considered the potters, men work with metal and carvings

Terracotta is a common material as it is hard once it dries, Akan women are known for terracotta figures Edo men are known for terracotta heads in the Benin kingdom

Though potters are usually female, Hausa men make pots, in Kongo, Dogon, Mossi, and in the Cameroon Grassfields

In South Africa, paint is used to create elaborate designs on homes

In Central Africa, men weave unspun fibers of the raffia palm for lightweight cloth

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Madagascar weave barkcloth, the inner bark of wild trees is boiled or steamed then pounded into a felt like fiber that can’t unravel

Decorative embroidery is mostly used to decorate male clothing in West Africa

The earliest traces of beads were hand drilled stone or shell, the earliest manufactured beads are dated to 11th-15th century Nigeria