African Sculptures

Sculptures are one of the most common forms of African art. These sculptures are mostly carved from wood, but have been crafted from other materials also. These materials include clay/terracotta, wood, metal, ivory, stone, and even gold. Even though wood is primarily used, the longest recorded tradition in Africa is crafting figures using terracotta. Sculpture sizes can range from small, for individual use, to very large, for communities. Sculptures are usually modeled after humans, but can also be modeled after animals and mythical beings. The human forms of sculptures are not proportional. Body parts are often exaggerated based on the sculptor.

Some traditional Sculptures were seen as religious or spiritual. These sculptures were often used as a form of communication between a person and supernatural forces. After it was crafted, it was given power by a religious practitioner who would make with the spirit world of their god or ancestor. These spiritual sculptures had many different purposes. Purposes included bringing fertility, rain, a good harvest, warding of disease, protection from evil spirits, natural calamities, helping with social decisions and decisions commemorating important events, and making political statements.