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Which materials have African sculptors used besides wood?
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African art
Raffia-fiber cloth, made by the Kuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, mid-20th century; in the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
While wood is the most well-known medium for African sculpture, artists across the continent have historically employed a diverse range of other materials to create their works. These include:1
- Clay: Unfired clay is the most widely used medium across the continent, though its fragility makes it difficult to preserve. Fired clay, or pottery, has also been used extensively, with notable examples found in the ancient Nok culture.1
- Metals: African sculptors and smiths have a long history of working with copper alloys (such as leaded bronze and zinc brasses), iron, gold, and silver. Many of these metalworks, particularly those cast using the lost-wax process, were associated with prestige and royalty.12
- Ivory: Highly prized for its fine texture and rarity, ivory is frequently used for delicate, high-prestige carvings, such as the altar tusks found in the kingdom of Benin.13
- Stone: While less common than other materials, stone sculpture is found in several distinct centers across Africa, utilizing both hard and soft rock varieties.1