In Mali, a chiwara is a mythological hero that is part human, part antelope.
This selection of African art is inspired by the San Diego Zoo’s new Africa Rocks exhibit! Continue your journey through Africa by exploring their new habitats, which spotlight the amazing biodiversity found on the African continent.
Highlights
This mask’s colors, and costume all have symbolic meaning…
From the Ashanti people of Ghana, kente is a royal and sacred cloth and worn only in times of great importance.
This appliquéd and sewn cotton banner is typical of the Fon people of Benin, whose textile tradition goes back some 300 years
For the Yoruba, birds allude to creation and the mystical powers of women.
Stools in Africa carry social meaning signifying clan or rank or individual identification.
Can you guess the wingspan of this carved wooden butterfly mask?
Graphic folk imagery and appliquéd designs illustrate Akan proverbs in which messages to opponents are displayed, customs are remembered and oral traditions are preserved.